ETO’s Way of Work Instructional Coaching Essentials

1. ETO’s Way of Work Instructional Coaching Essentials Education Transformation Office (ETO)

2. Effective coaches have to care deeply about teachers and students, and they also clearly have to communicate to others that they care. Each one of you holds the “KEY” to success.

3. Norms • Silence cell phones, please no text messaging or internet use • Participate and share • Listen with an open mind • Ask questions • Work toward solutions • Use time effectively

4. Group Objectives: • Have a thorough understanding of coaching responsibilities • Develops a sense of instructional urgency school wide • Develop coaching calendar based on school needs • Understand the purpose and components of an effective log • Gain an understanding of how to complete the coaching cycle with the guidance of administration to improve instructional capacity.

5. Role of the Coach, Way of Work and Setting Expectations of an Instructional Coach

6. Who is an Effective Instructional Coach?

7. Who is an Effective Instructional Coach? • An educator who has: • Been a successful teacher in their subject area • A proven track record of student achievement • The ability to mentor, inspire and motivate adults • A vision and is willing to change and adapt to the needs of the students and teachers • Pedagogical knowledge, content expertise interpersonal capabilities

8. Who is an Instructional Coach?

9. An on-site professional developer who partners with educators to identify and assist with implementation of proven teaching methods

10. An Instructional Coach… • Provides initial and ongoing professional development for classroom teachers via Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) such as: study groups, Lesson Study and daily follow up support. • Plans, develops and/or prepares Professional Development, lessons for modeling, coaching sessions, etc… • Assists teachers in analyzing data and then modelseffective instructional strategies that target students’ needs.

11. An Instructional Coach… • Co-teaches in classrooms to increase instructional density to meet the needs of all learners. • Mentorsteachers in classrooms which includes observing and providing feedback. • Collaborates with teachers regarding lesson planning, grouping for instruction, intervention strategies, and other topics related to reading. The constant in all of these activities is that they lead to better instructional practices and higher student achievement… Enrique A. Puig & Kathy S. Froelich, 2010, The Literacy Coach: Guiding in the Right Direction (2nd ed.)

12. ETO Expectations of the Coach • Keeps a weekly log of their work and develops a strategic weekly coaching calendar with the school’s leadership team. • Spends a majority of the school day in direct support of classroom instruction. • Keeps a “Record of Services Binder” documenting support services

13. Instructional Coaches are not expected to… • Be assigned as a regular classroom teacher • Perform administrative functions that would confuse his/her role for teachers • Spend a large portion of time administering or coordinating assessments, as these tasks prohibit the coach from impacting classroom instruction and therefore student achievement • Model in a class where the classroom teacher is NOT an active participant

14. Active Role Passive Role Activity Do a quick write: Make a list of active roles that coaches play. Then with your group decide on the most strategic roles and fill in the hand-out provided. As a group make another list on the other side of the paper of the opposite action of that role. (Passive vs. Active)

15. Active Role Passive Role • Coach waits to be “invited” into classrooms • Keeps little documentation about the use of time • The use of time is left to the coach’s sole discretion • Establishes a schedule for in-classroom coaching • Keeps a log of coaching activities and meets with the administration to reflect on the work. • Works with the principal/assistant principal to establish priorities for the use of coaching time

16. Active Role Passive Role • Works with the schools’ leadership team to develop the coaching calendar and keeps a log as a reflection of the work. • Meets with administration to discuss the progress of the teacher as a result of the coaching support. • Uses the coaching log as a self reflection to be highly effective. • No documentation of the coaching process is provided or shared. • Logs are seen as compliance and contain a laundry lists of tasks completed vs. actions taken to build instructional capacity and not used as a method to grow professionally.

17. Active Role Passive Role • Provides explicit explanations and demonstrations of effective instruction on a regularly scheduled basis (explicit instruction, implementation of the instructional framework, active learning strategies, higher order questioning, varied instructional strategies, effective vocabulary instruction, etc.) • Little if any classroom modeling and demonstration are provided; prefers to be a ‘walkthrough’ expert and primarily observes classroom teachers

18. Active Role Passive Role • Afraid of resistance and seeks to avoid resistant teachers; sees resistant teachers as the “principal’s problem.” • Coaching and professional development experiences are not tied to data and student work. • Accepts resistance as normal and knows to work closely with resistant teachers • Analyzes data and student work with teachers to assist in planning instruction and professional development

19. Active Role Passive Role • Demonstrates superior questioning strategies for teachers as a lever for school wide change • Builds capacity at the school by broadening leadership beyond the principal and the coach • Demonstrates limited understanding of why questioning strategies are a critical component in teaching • The principal and the coach provide most of the school’s leadership Steckel, B. (2009). Fulfilling the promise of literacy coaches in urban schools: what does it take to make an impact. The Reading Teacher, 63(1), p.14.

20. Way of Work for Instructional Coaches • Work with teachers to plan, implement and to reflect on instruction using the Florida Continuous Improvement Model (FCIM) Plan, Do, Check and Act. • Assess student needs using data • Focus instruction on the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS) and Common Core Standards • Refine teacher understanding of the areas where students are struggling or succeeding • Customizes instruction for student achievement

21. Way of Work for Instructional Coaches • Model best practices in professional development sessions and classroom modeling sessions. • Meets regularly with the leadership team to analyze data and assists the team in developing and implementing a strategic action plan and content based initiatives for the year to improve student achievement. • Assist teachers in setting goals, interpreting formative and summative assessments, and monitoring growth towards the goal.

22. Way of Work for Instructional Coaches • Work with teachers to ensure that research based programs and instructional strategies are implemented with fidelity. • Provide daily coaching and mentoring support to all teachers including ESOL and ESE. • Implement/Facilitate the Lesson Study process. • Assist with the facilitation of the Literacy Leadership team to build a school wide culture of literacy across all content areas. • Attend coaching professional development to aid in increasing knowledge in best practice strategies in all content areas.

23. Classroom Walk Through What is it? An observation technique that allows the observer to record “snapshot” information on the effective elements of a classroom including instructional strategies, standard-based objectives, aligned instructional materials, level of cognitive interaction, classroom displays and resources, student engagement, and more.

24. Classroom Walk Through Continues… Why do it? Research shows that the classroom walk through provides a powerful tool for instructional leaders to gather information for the purposes of coaching, program planning, and professional development. The visit also helps teachers improve their instruction and identify the best teaching practices at your school Kane, T. J., Taylor, E. S., Tyler, J. H., & Wooten, A. L. (2011). Evaluating teacher effectiveness: can classroom observations identify practices that raise achievement? Education Next, 11(3).

25. Walkthroughs are an initial tool • Coaches need to go beyond being an observer. • After needs are established either by the coach or administration a coaching cycle needs to be implemented. • Coaches should always been seen as a willing participant in classroom instruction and support to the classroom teacher.

26. Coaches ICADS Meetings Will Include… • Powerful, proven practices • Walkthroughs • Interventions & enrichment professional development • Continuous training in the coaching continuum • Continuous training in data analysis • Job-embedded professional development • Effective dialogue • Reflections • Networking • Continuous training in refining common planning and the lesson study process

27. Coaching Logs • The cornerstone of the ETO way of work • The PMRN Log is required by the state for funding (Reading Coaches Only) • The ETO Log is utilized as a reflection of your work and impact as a coach to improve classroom instruction and as a tool to use in the Strategic Leadership Coaching. • It is not a reflection on what the teacher did or didn’t do. • The log should not be a list of things you have done throughout the day. Steckel, B. (2009). Fulfilling the promise of literacy coaches in urban schools: what does it take to make an impact. The Reading Teacher, 63(1), p.14.

28. Coaching Logs • You will submit your coaching log every Friday to the administrator. • The administrator will write a reflection about your work, suggest next steps and assist you and the other coaches in developing the next week’s calendar. • The administrator will email the logs and the next week’s calendar to the Instructional Supervisor assigned to your school by Friday PM.

29. Strategic Leadership Coaching Model

30. Use of a Coach’s time • How do we ensure the coach’s time is used for maximum benefit? • What do you believe are the most important ways coaches spend their time?

31. Discuss with your table group • What do you consider to be direct instructional support of teachers? • What percentage of the coaches’ time will be spent providing direct support?

32. What percentage of the coaches’ time will be spent providing direct support? Eighty percent of your time should be spent providing direct, instructional support to classroom teachers.

33. Coaches’ RecommendedTime Allocation Percent DistributionWhat portion of the coaches’ time will be spent in each of these roles? Consider Time Allocations

34. Calendars vs. Coaching Logs • Prioritizing Support • Teacher needs may be identified: • When analyzing data • From administrative walkthroughs (Tiering) • Classroom visits • Teacher requests • Developing Calendars • Consider time allocations • Coaching Cycle • What your week will look like • Testing Calendar • Holidays/Special Events • Modifying (be flexible) • Always have a plan B

35. Developing Calendars • Meet with the administration, discuss observations from administrative walkthroughs and needed support. • Prioritize teachers based on observation and data points. • Begin support with new teachers first. • Consider the coaching cycle and continuum while developing calendar. • Red Flags appear if only one part of the cycle is present.

36. Calendar to Logs • Thecalendar should be the starting point to strategically plan the work that will occur on a week to week basis • The log is an actual record and reflection of the work that occurred • The logbecomes a reflection piece for the coach and the leadership team to use as a guide to move to next steps. • The log should be a reflection of your impact as a coach, not on what the teacher did or did not do.

37. Elementary Calendar Template

38. Secondary Calendar Template Methods of Coaching M=Modeling; PR=Pre-Conference; O=Observation; CD=Coaching Debriefing; CT=Coteaching Lesson; CP=Common Planning; ML=Model Lesson; ED=Educational Discussion; GR=Gathering Resources; WT-Walkthrough; CE=Classroom Environment; DC=Data Chats; PPD=Providing Professional Development; RPD=Receiving Professional Development; LS=Lesson Study; CTC=Coach Teacher Conference; OT=Other

39. Reflecting on the teacher’s actions not on the coaches

40. PMRN Logs (Reading Coaches Only) Each coach is required to complete an electronic bi-weekly coaching log to the state that includes the following components: • List successes that have occurred in the last reporting period • Note any concerns that you would like to share with your principal

41. Record of Services Binder • Components • Weekly Calendar/Logs • Conference Forms • Professional Development Schedule, Agendas, Sign in sheets, etc. • Note Taking/Note Making • Lesson Study Log • Coach Created Materials • Supplemental/Modified Curriculum • Focus Calendars (Secondary Benchmarks) • Data Chats • (Students/Teachers)

42. Successes & Challenges • Take a few minutes and share with your group: • If you become a coach what will be your first steps working with your school? • What challenges do you think you would face as a new coach? • What solutions have you thought of to face your challenges as a new coach? • As a table group, write some of those thoughts on chart paper

43. ETO’s Instructional Review Process

44. Instructional Reviews • Instructional Reviews are conducted three times a year • Beginning of the Year, Mid year, and End of the Year • The School Leadership Team participates in the review process and collaborates with the ETO team to write the Instructional Review Action Plan for sustainability and improvement.

45. Instructional Strategies • ETO is based on the premise of improving the quality of instruction across all classrooms and improve student achievement for all learners. • Each content area has developed a set of instructional strategies/best practices/look fors that are supported by the administration, coaches and teachers to improve instruction. • After looking at the subject area specific strategies, work with a partner from another instructional area and discuss similarities and differences.

46. Instructional Strategies • The reviews will focus on the implementation of the subject area specific strategies. • Walkthroughs will be conducted by the coaches, administrators, ETO and State Support Staff. • Needs will be assessed collaboratively • The team will debrief as to the status of the Instructional strategies/Best Practices and next steps will be developed with the team

47. Consider this…. People accomplish more together than in isolation; regular, collective dialogue about an agreed-upon focus sustains commitment and feeds purpose; effort thrives on concrete evidence of progress; and teachers learn best from other teachers. We must ensure that these concepts operate to produce results. Schmoker, 1999, p. 44

48. Questions

49. ETO Curriculum Support Leads Pablo Ortiz, Assistant Superintendent Charmyn Kirton, Administrative Director David Moore, Administrative Director Candida Gil, Patricia Sosa, Giselle Dove, Tiffany James, (Elementary) Darliny Katz, Cecelia Magrath, Oksana Sosa, Melissa Martinez, Chanell Madison, Ron Marcelo, Gladys Barrio, Ingrid-Carias, Marion Chase, Tammy Southwood Smith (Secondary)