In the wake of COVID-19, Confluence Academies in St. Louis partnered with TNTP to support teachers and students as they returned to classrooms. Initially focused on immediate support for teachers, the collaboration sparked a holistic journey that redefined the school system’s expectations and practices. As we found in our recent report, The Opportunity Makers, focusing on key elements like belonging, consistency, and coherence is critical to achieving high levels of student learning. As Confluence shifted its focus from catching students up to cultivating high-quality instruction across classrooms and schools, they paved the way for their students to flourish in the long term.
TNTP director Latrecia Lewis sat down with Dr. Louise Losos, Chief Academic Officer at Confluence Academies, to discuss how the partnership reshaped the school system’s educational practices around instructional coherence and consistency, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
TNTP director Latrecia Lewis, left, and Dr. Louise Losos, Chief Academic Officer at Confluence Academies, right.
Lewis: TNTP and Confluence have been on a multi-year journey to refocus teaching and learning post-COVID. What did you hope to achieve at the start, and how has the partnership evolved?
Losos: When the partnership started, we wanted to help teachers as students were returning to classrooms full-time after COVID. Our focus was on moving forward with learning, not dwelling on learning loss, and on scaffolding to ensure teachers could fill in gaps in student knowledge of grade-level content. Over time, we began evaluating the caliber of instruction. We asked: Are students getting the curriculum they deserve? Are teachers delivering the instruction they should? Does the data support that?
Lewis: I love this idea of focusing forward rather than just catching students up. What specific goals stand out? What did you hope to achieve?
Losos: After the first year of scaffolding, we shifted to a broader vision. TNTP helped us realize we could achieve more by strengthening leadership at the district, building, and coaching levels with clear academic goals. They helped us define our network’s vision of excellence in math and ELA, assess current practices, and build structures to support administrators and coaches.
Lewis: Systems change takes a lot of behind-the-scenes work, particularly in cultivating consistency and a coherent approach across schools. What impact have you seen on your staff and students over time?
Losos: Initially, there was skepticism and a “wait and see” attitude—teachers and administrators often view district-wide initiatives as passing trends. But as the work has progressed, that has transformed into active engagement.
We started with walkthroughs to ensure high-quality curricula were being used and taught at the right grade level. With support from TNTP, we moved from assessing alignment to helping teachers develop their skills.
TNTP helped us establish a coaching cadence and develop a coaching tracker, which compiles walkthrough data into an accessible format for principals, coaches, and the district. Instead of relying on subjective impressions, we now have clear data showing how instructional coaching improves teacher development and student access to strong instruction.
The use of high-quality curriculum has increased to 90-95%, which is huge. While there’s more work to do, we’ve seen significant growth in both math and ELA instruction.
Lewis: It’s incredible to hear how much progress Confluence has made. As you reflect on the evolution of this partnership and the strides your team has taken throughout this journey, what key takeaways stand out for you?
Losos: One of the biggest takeaways is the importance of having a clear, consistent message that flows from the district level to the classroom. That throughline has helped everyone understand how our efforts connect. I also learned to embrace the mindset of ‘start slow, but don’t stop.’ This journey hasn’t been linear—it’s been full of ups and downs, with moments where we had to take a step back to move forward. But staying consistent, clear, and committed has been key.
Lewis: I want to address the change in mindset you mentioned. Can you speak more about that shift?
Losos: The buy-in we have now is because people are seeing the results. Take the lesson internalization forms, for example. They were initially the most challenging part. Some teachers appreciated the structure they provided, while others resisted.
I remember a conversation with a fourth-grade teacher who had strong classroom management but struggled with student outcomes. Early on, she resisted the internalization process, saying, “I’ve already planned my lessons for the year; why would I do this?” But over time, she saw the positive impact on her teaching. Now, we’re moving into phase two of the process. The initial steps laid the foundation, but this is where the real change happens.
Lewis: Do you have any advice for other districts who would want to do this type of instructional transition or transformation?
Losos: Remember that this is a multi-year journey. From the start, understand that it’s going to take time, and there will be moments when the work feels tough.
At the district level, it’s crucial to keep your eyes on the ultimate goal: improving student learning. Teacher performance matters, but every effort should support that end goal. Progress may feel slow at first, but it will pick up steam. Honestly, there were moments early on when I couldn’t have imagined being where we are today.
What made a difference was having the TNTP team alongside us, guiding the process and weathering the challenges. A year later, we’re leading discussions that they once facilitated, which shows how this process empowers districts to take ownership—shifting from “we do” to “you do.”
As in any journey, there are celebrations, and there are times when you lick your wounds. But if you persevere, you’ll see results.
