Student achievement in the United States has continued to decline over the past decade. Recent international comparisons in the areas of mathematics and science have shown little to no growth and our children continue to fall behind most industrialized nations (Stigler & Hiebert, 1999). As a response to this continuing decline, national and state boards of education have attempted to remedy this problem by increasing school accountability measures. District and schools across the country are currently devoting numerous planning hours focusing on strategies for aligning grade level curriculum to yearly high stakes tests. While these meetings may provide an opportunity for better curriculum alignment, they do not get at the core of student failure, the need to improve instructional practices.

Lesson study provides one way in which teachers can systematically improve instruction and decrease teacher isolation, if it can be sustained over time. Lesson study provides a process for teachers to collaborate and design lessons while examining successful teaching strategies to increase student learning. In the process of lesson study, teacher work together to plan, teach and observe a cooperatively developed lesson. While one teacher implements the lesson in the classroom, others observe and take notes on student questions and understanding. The development of an “ideal lesson” is not the critical component in the lesson study process (Lewis, 2000). Focus on student learning and professional collaboration is what drives the group process.