SURVEY of MS & HS LITERACY COACHES

1. SURVEY of MS & HSLITERACY COACHES Nancy L. Shanklin,Univ. of Colorado-Denver & HSC Michelle Jones, PEBC Anne Patterson, PEBC Study sponsored by CCIRA

2. Survey • Zoomerang, open late March – May, 2005 • 127 Completed • 87% Female; 13% Male • 96% Caucasian; 4% Minority • 28% Suburban, 26% Suburban/Rural Mix 20% Urban, 6% Rural

3. Size of schools • 250-500 Students 25% • 501-750 Students 27% • 751-1000 Students 13% • 1001-1500 Students 12% • 1501-2000 Students 16% • 2001-2500 Students 4%

4. 24. For how many years have you been an educator? • 3-5 6% • 6-8 6% • 9-11 13% • 12-15 13% • 16-20 18% • 21-25 19% • 26+ 26%  

5. Grade Levels of Secondary Literacy/Instructional Coaches • Middle School 35% • High School 39% • Middle and high school 6% • Elementary and middle (Gr. K-8) 17% • Elementary, middle, high (K-12) 4%

6. Nature of Coaching Positions • Full-time Literacy/Instructional Coach 60% • .5 Literacy/Instructional Coach 18% • Other 21%

7. In charge of how many schools? • One School 75% • Two Schools 15% • Other 10%

8. How did you obtain your position? • My principal asked me 27% • I was chosen by a 20% building committee • I responded to a position 38% announcement to work in a school new to me • Other 15%

9. How is your position funded? • District Supported 66% • Title I Funded 10% • Federal or State Grant 6% • Other 19%

10. What is your preparation to be a coach? • Undergraduate minor in reading 8% • English/LA teacher with an interest in adolescent literacy, but no formal training 20% • Other content or specials teacher with an interest in adolescent literacy, but no formal training 14% • Extensive district professional development training in literacy prepared me for this role 49% • Some coursework in adolescent reading/literacy at the MA level 25% • MA and endorsement in reading at the K-6 level 13% • MA and endorsement in reading at the 7-12 level 13% • Other, Please Specify 29%

11. Construction of Your Coaching Role • 100% self-constructed 14% • 75% self-constructed; 25% prescribed 18% • 50% prescribed; 50% self-constructed 45% • 25% self-constructed; 75% prescribed 16% • 100% prescribed 6%

12. The people you are coaching are: • Primarily Volunteers 46% • Primarily Required 54%

13. Number of study groups, department meetings, & inservices you present per month • 0-2 33% • 3-4 31% • 5-6 15% • 7-8 10% • 9-10 11%

14. Total Time per Coaching Session (Planning, Preconf., Obs., Postconf.) • 1-2 Hours 65% • 2-3 Hours 26% • 3-4 Hours 9%

15. Number of Ts Coached Per Week • O-2 46% • 3-5 32% • 6-8 17% • 9-11 2% • 12-15 2% • 16-20 1%

16. Additional Duties –as many as apply • Attending district meetings 94% • In charge of professional development 71% • Administering literacy assessments 67% • Data analyst 67% • On school decision-making team 61% • Doing ILPs/CBLA 58% • Ordering materials 58%

17. Additional Duties –as many as apply • CSAP organization 48% • Doing data entry 46% • Prep school accountability report 34% • In charge of book/resource room 33% • Substitute teaching 28% • Parent liaison 22% • Lunch or recess duty 12% • Other, Please Specify 25%

18. What support from other teachers? • Commitment to examining & 67% improving teaching if a coach works with you • Valuing of coach's work to 67% improve student achievement & not other school tasks

19. What support from administrators? • Included in professional development planning at the building level 81% • Not in evaluative role that teachers distrust 76% • Commitment that job is to help with instruction in literacy 71% • School culture of reflective practice & change 58% • Money for material purchases 55%

20. What support from administrators? • Consistent follow through on professional development meeting agendas 51% • Clear blocks for time to work with teachers in study groups 46% • Support in work with resistive teachers 46% • Building-wide expectations that you are coaching during certain specific times 28%

21. What support at the district level? • Instruction in doing coaching of adults 77% • Professional work on vision for secondary literacy at classroom, building, and district level 75% • Given district materials to use 75% • Information on CBLA 73% • Differentiation 60%

22. What support at the district level? • Professional development on secondary literacy strategies 58% • Instruction in best quality professional development 57% • Information on other mandates 56% • Participate in study group yourself 52% • Instruction in working with adults 49%

23. What support at the district level? • How to meet needs of English Language Learners 43% • Specific literacy intervention programs 43% • Working with resistant colleagues 41% • How to assist teachers with classroom management 33% • Learn how to manage time and job 28%

24. In what areas are you well prepared? • Secondary Literacy Strategies 41% 35% • Secondary Literacy Assessment 31% 33% • Change Processes 28% 39% • Application of Literacy Strategies 25% 40% to content areas • Adult Learning 25% 38% • Groups Process and Conflict Resolution 22% 37% • Secondary Literacy Interventions 21% 36%

25. How do you know if you have been effective? • Teachers seek me out • I see teachers making changes in their teaching • Test scores have increased • Administrative feedback • Students tell us they know what to do

26. What evidence are you asked to keep re: effectiveness of your work? • 20% indicated none was required; though may did some documentation on their own • Weekly calendar of coaching sessions, PD presented, meetings attended, people contacted, etc. • Notes from coaching sessions • Notes, handouts, and evaluations from PD sessions given • Monthly self-reflection given to principal

27. What worries you most about your job? • Not having enough time • Administrative support that reinforces the importance of using best practices and continual reflection on teaching • Funding

28. In what ways have you impacted student learning? • Greater motivation due to differentiated instruction • More students are reading independently • There are more student-centered classrooms • When students were interviewed, 100% could identify a lesson or assignment where they used a strategy in a content class that they had learned in reading class

29. IMPLICATIONS • Mirrors other research findings (Roller, 2006; Smith, 2006) and the LCC Blog • Points to need for building and district level planning and support • Supports the need for “considerations” under the Models Button of the LCC website • www.literacycoachingonline.org

30. http://www.literacycoachingonline.org About UsQualificationsBriefsLibraryModelsLinksBlogForumsEvents

31. Select ResourcesUse the boxes below to select from our libraryShow Newest ResourcesShow All • People • Show All People • Literacy Coaches/Specialists • Teachers • Administrators • Students & Families • Departments of Education • Policy Makers • Practices • Show All Practices • Books • Tools • Federal Programs • University Programs • Related Knowledge Bases • Gr. PreK-12 • Gr. PreK-5 • Gr 6 - 12 • Research • Show All Research • Potential Questions • Research on Literacy Coaching • Literacy Coaching Evaluation Research • Research Foundational to Literacy Coaching • Research Design

32. LibraryResources • Allen, J. (2006). Becoming a literacy leader: Supporting learning and change. Portland, ME: Stenhouse. • Literacy Specialist Endorsement • Bean, R. (2004). The reading specialist: Leadership for the classroom, school, and community. NY: Guildford Press. • Flaherty. J. (2005). Coaching: Evoking excellence in others. Boston, MA: Elsevier. • Gottesman, B. (2002). Peer Coaching For Educators. (2nd Ed.). NY: Rowman & Littlefield Education. • Sweeney, D. (2003). Learning along the way: Professional development by and for teachers. Portland, ME: Stenhouse. • Toll, C. (2007). Lenses on literacy coaching: Conceptualizations, functions, and outcomes. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc.