The Lancaster School District provides researched-based instruction targeting State instructional standards. Teams of teachers develop courses of study guided by State content frameworks. Academic committees review, pilot, and recommend State-approved texts for content areas. Quality standards-based instruction is supported by ongoing staff development. Teachers and paraprofessionals receive training in reading and writing across all curricular areas. Other strategies, such as Thinking Maps instruction, writing trait development, and formative assessment and calibration of instruction, are utilized to target student achievement. Additionally, class sizes in grades K-3 are capped at 20 students.