Given the shift to Common Core, educational leaders are challenged to see new directions in teaching and learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the instructional practices which may be related to the effectiveness of a performance-based system (PBS) and their impact on student achievement, as part of a thematic set of dissertations that examined different aspects of a PBS system in three separate school systems in different areas of the continental US. This specific study examined the role of instructional strategies in implementing and sustaining a performance-based system in order to better understand how instructional strategies can improve the implementation of an innovative school reform as well as support a sustainable outcome that improves student academic achievement. In the study, a questionnaire was utilized to measure instructional strategy perceptions. Next, instructional strategy actions and perceptions were explored through face-to-face focus groups with participants. Finally, classroom observations were conducted to determine which components of instructional practices are commonly used in a PBS. The design for this mixed method study integrated both qualitative and quantitative methods. The results of the study indicated that there were some differences in the perceptions and usage of instructional practices across grade levels and districts. It was found the participants believed that the individualized nature of a PBS along with instilling student self-motivation is what promotes student achievement, not the use of specific instructional practices.