In Leverage Leadership 2.0, Paul Bambrick-Santoyo says that planning is a leadership lever that can help in every sort of school, from the lowest performing to the highest. Focusing on lesson alignment ensures there is a shared understanding around what makes for quality instructional planning, and is a natural extension of data-driven instruction: teach students what they need, not what they already know. Strong plans link together all of a student’s learning to make it rigorous, meaningful, and memorable.