Instructional Coaching: Principles & Practices

1. Instructional Coaching: Principles & Practices Jim Knight University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Jimknight@mac.com

2. What questions will we explore? • What is the challenge we face in schools? • What are the components of coaching? • How do successful programs take a paradoxical approach to change? • What is the partnership approach? www.instructionalcoach.org

3. www.instructionalcoach.org

4. But first… Why we came to study Instructional Coaching… a little back ground information www.instructionalcoach.org

5. What is the Center for Research on Learning? Founded in 1978 Mission: Dramatically improve the performance of at-risk students in grades 4-12 through research-basedinterventions • $80+ million dollars of contracted R&D • International Professional Development Network • 275,000 teachers in 3,500 school districts www.instructionalcoach.org

6. CRL The Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) SIM is an integrated model of research-validated practices to address many of the needs of diverse learners. It has been under development for 25 years at the University of Kansas-Center for Research on Learning. These research-validated practices revolve around improving academic achievement through the implementation of Content Enhancement Routines to help teachers promote greater understanding, remembering, and use of critical content and The Learning Strategies Curriculum to increase student learning. www.instructionalcoach.org

7. Topeka, Kansas Public Schools • Home of Brown v. Board of Education • 34% do not graduate from high school • 61% receive free/reduced lunch • 19 % qualify for special services • Topeka has #1 crime rate in U.S. cities under 200,000 population www.instructionalcoach.org

8. Instructional Coaches Writing Strategies Reading Strategies Learning Strategies Content Enhancement CHAMPs START ON Time Possible Selves Strategic Tutoring Telementoring College Information Campus Visits Family School Coordinators Other Interventions What is Pathways to Success? www.instructionalcoach.org

9. What is the challengewe all face? www.instructionalcoach.org

10. There is urgent political pressure to improve instruction www.instructionalcoach.org

11. Comments for 2004 Maryland Special Education Administrator’s Conference Every school board member has come to me and asked me how we’re going to meet AYP. My superintendent has told me that we’re going to meet AYP. And yet, we had six schools last year who failed to make AYP ... This causes a lot of anxiety. I feel the pressure. This is real. I know that there are people who are literally worried that they may be fired because of AYP… www.instructionalcoach.org

12. I think there is some value in looking at AYP; it does help us focus on what we have to be doing. That’s how as a county we will be able to measure whether we’re making a difference. But I worry about the urgency it brings with it. It’s intense. Everyone wants results now! … I’m desperately concerned about the amount of time it will take to turn this around. You can’t turn the titanic around in one minute. www.instructionalcoach.org

13. There is moral pressure to improve instruction www.instructionalcoach.org

14. A closer look at word level reading…

15. Most of us share similar goals • We want kids who … • love learning • see their potential • have achievable, challenging goals • have the skills, strategies, knowledge and whatever else they need to achieve those goals www.instructionalcoach.org

16. There is pressure to improve the way we interact with each other www.instructionalcoach.org

17. We have never wanted to be alone. But today, we are alone. We are more fragmented and isolated from one another than ever before. Archbishop Desmond Tutu describes it as “a radical brokenness in all of existence.” Meg Wheatley, Turning to one another www.instructionalcoach.org

18. But changepersonally and professionally is difficult. www.instructionalcoach.org

19. And the personal experience of change is complicated www.instructionalcoach.org

20. Let’s talk about change • Identify: • A change that you have experienced (personally or externally motivated) that was successful • A change that you have experienced (personally or externally motivated) that was not successful • What are the reasons why one succeeded and one didn’t • Discuss your reasons with others and identify 1-3 common themes across all of your experiences www.instructionalcoach.org

21. Change is Complex(Prochaska, 1994) • Pre-contemplation • Contemplation • Preparation • Action • Maintenance • Termination www.instructionalcoach.org

22. I’ve interviewed more than 150 people regarding professional development in schools from more than ten states in a wide variety of schools www.instructionalcoach.org

23. School culture can stopchange dead in its tracks! www.instructionalcoach.org

24. Moving/Stuck Schools(Rosenholtz, 1991) www.instructionalcoach.org

25. There are other common reasons why change is difficult www.instructionalcoach.org

26. People can be irrational • Decisions can be made poorly • Personalities can get in the way • State, district, school, classroom goals can be out ofalignment • Any change can be difficult to accept www.instructionalcoach.org

27. Schools engage in self-destructive behavior www.instructionalcoach.org

28. Attempt, Attack, Abandon Cycle Attempt Abandon Attack www.instructionalcoach.org

29. “as the number of changes multiplies, and as the time demands increase, people approach a dysfunction threshold, a point where they lose the capacity to implement changes” --Darryl Conner, Managing at the speed of change www.instructionalcoach.org

30. What are the barriers to change you are experiencing in your school(s)? www.instructionalcoach.org

31. Leading change is like herding cats www.instructionalcoach.org

32. www.instructionalcoach.org

33. Instructional Coachingaddresses both the personal and professional complexities www.instructionalcoach.org

34. How do we define Instructional Coach? www.instructionalcoach.org

35. What is an Instructional Coach? an on-site professional developer who partners with educators to identify and assist with implementation of proven teaching methods www.instructionalcoach.org

36. An Instructional Coach • Is on site • Is a professional developer • Partners • Identifies • Proven teaching practices (research-based) • Assists www.instructionalcoach.org

37. What is an instructional coach? • Please watch this clip and consider two questions • 1. What behaviors (if any) does he exhibit that are appropriate for interactions with the teachers you know? • 2. What behaviors (if any) does he exhibit that are not appropriate for interactions with the teachers you know? www.instructionalcoach.org

38. What Are the Components of Instructional Coaching?

39. Instructional Coaching • Enroll • Identify • Explain • Model (You watch me) • Observe (I watch you) • Explore (Collaborative Exploration of Data) • Support • Reflect www.instructionalcoach.org

40. Your learning experience • Periodically, we’ll stop so that you can check your understandings with your group • Also with your group, identify strategies, tactics, methods or other ideas that a coach might use to be more effective when implementing this practice • Write down what you have learned on a “post-it” note and add the “post-it” to the appropriate flip chart www.instructionalcoach.org

41. Enrolling teachers • Large-group presentation • Small-group presentation • Interviews • Informal conversations • Principal (or other) referral www.instructionalcoach.org

42. Identify Teaching Practices • Through • Teacher-coach conversation (either formal or informal) • Coach observation • Referral www.instructionalcoach.org

43. Big Four • Behavior • Content Knowledge • Instruction • Formative Assessment • Questions we use to shape our thinking, not questions we ask our collaborating teachers. www.instructionalcoach.org

44. Explaining Interventions • Read, re-read, read again • Underline, mark with post-its • Take notes, draw mind maps • Write scripts, presentations • Use stories, analogies, punchy phrases, www.instructionalcoach.org

45. Model(You watch me!) Goal: To show a teacher exactly how to implement a particular intervention • Be fully aware of critical teaching practices you need to model • Ensure that teacher knows the purpose of the model lesson • Provide concrete description of what you’ll be doing • Clarify roles for behavioral management • Co-construct an observation form • Ensure your collaborating teacher knows how to use the form www.instructionalcoach.org

48. Observe(I Watch You!) • Coach uses the observation form to watch for data related to: • Critical teaching behaviors • Fidelity to scientifically proven practices • Student behavior and performance • Additional specific teacher concerns www.instructionalcoach.org

50. Explore(Collaborative Exploration of Data) • Based on the partnership principles • Coach and teacher identify what data will be gathered • Coach uses the observation form • They engage in dialogue about the data www.instructionalcoach.org