Instructional coaching

EISD Instructional

Coaching: Creating

A Culture August 17, 2016

Elgin ISD

Objectives Identify the characteristics of an

effective instructional coach Identify how instructional coaches build

teacher capacity Review the EISD instructional coaching

matrix for 2016-2017

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Research on Instructional Coaching Effectiveness

Elgin ISD

Source: University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning

Research on Instructional Coaching Effectiveness

Elgin ISD

Research on Teachers Here’s what we know:• Teacher expertise accounts for more difference in student

performance—40 percent—than any other factor. Ferguson (2001)

• Students who have several effective teachers in a row make dramatic achievement gains, while those who have even two ineffective teachers in a row lose significant ground. Sack (1999)

• Based on research in Texas, the importance of having an effective teacher instead of an average teacher for four or five years in a row could essentially close the gap in math performance between students from low-income and high-income households. Hanushek, Kain, and Rivkin (2001)

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Research on Teachers Continued:• The difference in teacher effectiveness is the

single largest factor affecting academic growth of populations of students. Sanders (2000)

• The differences in impact by the most effective teachers, the top one-sixth of teachers, can be 9 months or more, essentially a full year of learning. Rowen, Correnti, and Miller (2002)

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Research on Teachers Two Final Points to Consider:#1 - Good instruction is 15 to 20 times more powerful than family background and income, race, gender, and other explanatory variables. Hershberg (2005)

#2 - “It’s People, Not Programs” – Todd Whitaker There are really two ways to improve a school significantly:Get Better Teachers.Improve the teachers in the school.

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Instructional Coaching Builds capacity for effective instructional practices within specific content areas.

Creates a partnership approach with teachers.

Creates a culture of teacher learning in schools.

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GoGoMoWhat are the characteristics of an

effective instructional coach, what do they need to know and be able to do?

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How can EISD Instructional Specialists Build a Coaching Culture?

Make connections and build relationships – every person has their own story and their why.Build trust with teachers.Always begin with the positive. “Raise the praise – minimize the criticize.” – Todd WhitakerBe supportive, but don’t enable or condone ineffective behaviors.Work with the teachers as colleagues.

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How can EISD Instructional Specialists Build a Coaching Culture?

Active listening when working with teachers

Acknowledging upfront to have some - but not all - of the answers

Reflection – individually and with the teacher on teacher’s performance and specific needs

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How can EISD Administrators Build a Coaching Culture?

Create a shared vision for the school Develop your campus instructional framework Develop a shared understanding of all

teachers’ needs Support the coaching role of the campus &

district instructional specialist by communicating expectations to the staff

Include campus instructional specialists in leadership meetings where possible

Elgin ISD

How can EISD Administrators Build a Coaching Culture?

Create a shared vision for the school Develop your campus instructional framework Develop a shared understanding of all

teachers’ needs Support the coaching role of the campus &

district instructional specialist by communicating expectations to the staff

Include campus instructional specialists in leadership meetings where possible

Elgin ISD

Hierarchy of Instructional Practices

Level One: Classroom Management

Level Two: Clear Understanding of Content &

Targets

Level Three: Instructional Basics

Level Four: Assessment Literacy

Level Five: Instructional Proficiency

Elgin ISD

Source: Jim Knight, KU Center for Research & Learning


Level One: Classroom Management

Students can not learn if they are not on task. Teachers need to be

able to keep the classroom a safe, productive learning

community for all students. Specialists can teach teachers

how to clarify and reinforce behavior expectations through interventions such as CHAMPS,

Conscious Discipline, etc.

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Level Two: Clear Understanding of Content & Targets

Once teachers’ classrooms are under control, teachers’ need to

be sure they are teaching the right content, and that they have a

deep, correct understanding of the content. For that reason, coaches need to know how to access state standards for courses, and how to

help teachers translate those standards into lesson plans.

Coaches can help teachers to unpack standards and clearly

explain them as learning outcomes for students.

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Level Three: Instructional Basics

This is about your instructional framework!

Teachers (a) provide an advance organizer, (b) use simple

content enhancements to make content more memorable, © model thinking processes, (d)

provide students with numerous opportunities for guided and

independent practice, (e) provide constructive feedback, and (f) structure activities so that students can generalize

their learning to other settings.

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Level Four: Assessment Literacy

Teachers need to know if their students are learning content, and they need to involve their students in the whole business of assessing learning. Students

can become very motivated when they know how well

they’re doing, when they’re getting frequent constructive

feedback on their progress, and when they know what they still have to do to improve. Coaches

can help with data meetings, goal setting, and formative

assessment strategies.

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Level Five: Instructional Proficiency

Once teachers have their classrooms under control, are

clear on their content and content targets, use

instructional basics fluently, and are assessment literate,

they then can begin to explore any number of ways to

demonstrate instructional proficiency. Coaches, at this

point, can teach teachers about some additional Content Enhancement Routines,

Discovery Learning, Socratic Dialogue, Story

telling, Partnership Education any number of

cooperative learning approaches, and so forth.

Elgin ISD


Better together!