INCREASING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF LITERACY

COACHES

INCREASING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF LITERACY

COACHES

The South Carolina Program of Professional Development for K-12 Literacy Coaches: A State and

IHE Work Together

The South Carolina Program of Professional Development for K-12 Literacy Coaches: A State and

IHE Work Together

South Carolina ProgramSouth Carolina Program

Where we started The design of the professional

development and coaching Lessons we have learned Where we are now

Where we started The design of the professional

development and coaching Lessons we have learned Where we are now

Learning Beliefs

Practice Knowledge

Voice

Key Characteristics Reflection Experimentation/Inquiry Collaboration: Dialogue Validation Scaffolding

SCRI Framework Cohort

Professional Community

Study Group

Classroom

Where we started

Evolution of Change in TeachingEvolution of Change in Teaching

Change in Teaching

Theoretical Constructs & Personal Knowledge

Practical Knowledge & Experience

DemonstrationConversationReflectionProblem-solvingReasoningObservationCoaching

Cycles of use New Ideas & Procedures

Participation in the professional community

Participation in the professional community

Change evolves as professionals connect, construct meaning together, and engage in conversations that deepen their knowledge and their relationship.

All too often in our schools today, students, parents, teachers, and administrators feel a deep absence of authentic relationships in which they are trusted, given responsibility, spoken to honestly and warmly, and treated with dignity and respect. (Poplin & Weers, 1993, p. 19)

Change evolves as professionals connect, construct meaning together, and engage in conversations that deepen their knowledge and their relationship.

All too often in our schools today, students, parents, teachers, and administrators feel a deep absence of authentic relationships in which they are trusted, given responsibility, spoken to honestly and warmly, and treated with dignity and respect. (Poplin & Weers, 1993, p. 19)

Research on Teacher ChangeResearch on Teacher Change

Joyce, B.R. & Showers, B. (1983). Power in staff development through research on training. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

• 5% of learners will adapt new skills into their practice as a result of theory• 10% will adapt new skills into their practice with theory and demonstration• 20% will adapt new skills into their practice with theory and demonstration, and practice within the training• 25% will adapt new skills into their practice with theory and demonstration, practice within the training, and feedback• 90% will adapt new skills into their practice with theory and demonstration, practice within the training, feedback, and coaching

The design of the professional development and coaching

The design of the professional development and coaching

An investment: Building teachers’ knowledge and decision-making power

An investment: Building teachers’ knowledge and decision-making power

Professional Development Plan SCRIProfessional Development Plan SCRI

Teacher 1... Teacher 10Principal

Literacy Coach 1

Teacher 1... Teacher 10Principal

Literacy Coach 2

Teacher 1... Teacher 10Principal

Literacy Coach 20-22

State Department 1-6 3-4 Regional Coaches

Teaching Team 1-6

Teacher 1... Teacher 10Principal

Literacy Coach 1

Teacher 1... Teacher 10Principal

Literacy Coach 2

Teacher 1... Teacher 10Principal

Literacy Coach 20-22

State Department 1-6 3-4 Regional Coaches

Teaching Team 1-6

Phase I SCRI had 1800+ classroom teachers impacting approximately 36,000

Professional DevelopmentProfessional Development

•Literacy Coaches (four schools)

Three years of university coursework (27 grad. hours)

Monthly 2 days;1 regional day

Summer 1 week EOY; 3 days BOY

Yearly conference

•Teachers & Principal--school based volunteer study groups

Three years of university coursework, two times per month for two hours each meeting (9 grad. hours)

Yearly conference

Professional DevelopmentProfessional Development

• Foundations of Reading (3 hours)

• Developmental Reading (3 hours)

• Assessment and Instructional Decision-making (6 hours;1-on-1, small group)

• Language Arts in the Elementary School (3 hours)

• Methods of Teaching Writing (3 hours)

• Inquiry in Elementary Curriculum (3 hours)

• Field Study Seminar & Advanced Field Study Seminar (6 hours)

What We LearnedWhat We Learned

Teaching team needs to live by “less is more” (when it comes to initial content)

SCRI model needs to be changed so that coaches live what they are learning before teaching it to others

Teaching team needs to help coaches more with coaching

Coaches need to help teachers envision new practices Administrators need to provide considerable support to

coach Administrators need to “seize the moment” and use

SCRI as a catalyst for re-inventing school as a learning community

Teaching team needs to live by “less is more” (when it comes to initial content)

SCRI model needs to be changed so that coaches live what they are learning before teaching it to others

Teaching team needs to help coaches more with coaching

Coaches need to help teachers envision new practices Administrators need to provide considerable support to

coach Administrators need to “seize the moment” and use

SCRI as a catalyst for re-inventing school as a learning community

Professional DevelopmentProfessional Development•Literacy Coaches (1 school)

Four years of university coursework (30 grad. hours)

One year paired with partner teacher (no study group)

Monthly State Study;1 regional day

Summer 1 week EOY; 3 days BOY

Yearly conference

Coaching Course at end of first year of state study

•Teachers--school based study groups

Three years of university coursework (9 grad. hours)

Yearly conference

Professional DevelopmentProfessional Development•Coaching Course--45 hours across 9 days

•Topics we study

Building Community

Teacher’s as Learners

Building Trust

Belief’s and Practices and Continuing to Grow

Coaching Strategies

Creating and Sustaining Lift

Internal Change Forces

Organizing for and Managing Change

Standards and Study Groups

Professional DevelopmentProfessional Development• Structures we use in the course

Video Coaching Rounds

Book Clubs

Panels (Coaching lessons learned; Organization, Planning and Management; Working with Administrators)

Mini-conferences

Demonstration Lessons

Lesson Observations using One Way Glass

Read Alouds

Exit Slips, Coaching Notebook, Coaching Reflection

Where we are nowWhere we are now We have 181 school based Literacy Coaches and 25 Regional

Literacy Coaches in 9 different cohorts We started off with 6 cohorts of 20 each (3 year model)--Phase I We added 2 cohorts with SC Reads(4 year model)--Phase II We added 2 subsequent cohorts K-5--Phases III & IV We added 2 cohorts SC Reading First; two cohorts of

interventionists (85 total) with 4 Regional Literacy Coaches We added 2 middle school cohorts--Phases I & II We have 1 high school cohort--Phase I There are 20 continuing contact coaches from Phase I To date, approximately 4000 teachers have participated in SCRI

study groups, thus SCRI has served an estimated 60,000 students in the state

We have 181 school based Literacy Coaches and 25 Regional Literacy Coaches in 9 different cohorts

We started off with 6 cohorts of 20 each (3 year model)--Phase I We added 2 cohorts with SC Reads(4 year model)--Phase II We added 2 subsequent cohorts K-5--Phases III & IV We added 2 cohorts SC Reading First; two cohorts of

interventionists (85 total) with 4 Regional Literacy Coaches We added 2 middle school cohorts--Phases I & II We have 1 high school cohort--Phase I There are 20 continuing contact coaches from Phase I To date, approximately 4000 teachers have participated in SCRI

study groups, thus SCRI has served an estimated 60,000 students in the state