Instructional coaching has become increasingly popular as a support to teachers for the last two decades. Most schools and districts have created coaching positions and have defined coaching in a variety of ways. Some coaches are assigned to a single school while others move between 2 or more schools. Some coaches are assigned to work with a specific group
of teachers such as new teachers or teachers in need of remediation; while others have been given a specific curricular focus such as literacy, technology, blended learning, or math. In most cases, the person that initially started the coaching concept in a school or district is long gone, but, the position is well established and the definition has morphed across the years with change of leadership, district and school goals and initiatives.
Much has been written on the coaching role and the steps to effective coaching. Most systems have established instructional coaching at some level. Without thoughtful and cohesive structures, the value and utility of a coach becomes obscured. When district is looking carefully at their data, hiring and deploying coaches based on student achievement data, with a belief that student achievement will improve significantly when instructional strategies match student learning needs, coaching becomes a vital part of the success of the district. A system that regularly evaluates programs has the ability to determine a need and pivot supports to identified needs. Instructional coaching must be outcomes-based. When less attention is focused on the utility of instructional coaching within the organizational structures of the school or district to move student learning forward, this potential resource remains in the shadows . In order for instructional coaching to be highly-impactive, three components are necessary:
Professional Learning Goals:
The role of the instructional coach is to support the Tier 1 Tier 1 (grade-level or core) implementation of the school and district instructional goals. After careful review of student growth data, the school or district determines the Professional Learning goals to close the gap between student learning and pedagogy. When the focus remains on acceleration of student learning, professional learning goals align to the areas of student growth that will be addressed during the school year. While all teachers will develop their own professional learning goals and can elect to benefit from coaching support, the primary assignment of the instructional coaches' time should be centered on the academic needs of the students and the pedagogical and curricular changes that are needed to make significant academic gains through acceleration.
We must assume that a student that is not rapidly progressing will need a different instructional experience. A system that focuses on the "broken child model" (if the student is not progressing, it is the student that is broken, not the instruction) will not improve outcome in the same way as a system that focuses on aligning pedagogy to student need. The process of identification of student need and the alignment of pedagogy to need is a complex process. By providing access to targeted professional learning and focus on classroom implementation, the school or district can create a learning environment, where instructional coaches are a key element of teacher support.
2. Agreements regarding the instructional coach's role:
Once the needed focus on Tier 1 has been determined, it is vital to bring together the coaches, the principals and other relevant school and district leaders to define the parameters of the coaches' role in the school. When a coach is tasked with administrative tasks and sits in on an abundance of school and district meetings, the impact on pedagogy in the classroom is diminished. The principal and the district coaching administrator become key actors in determining the degree of effectiveness of the coach.
How many hours will the coach be working in the school?
What is the school implementing in the year? Is it optional?
How many classrooms will the coach be supporting?
What are the goals and expectations for implementation?
How will the principal communicate expectations to the coach?
Can a teacher or principal request coaching?
How will the principal address concerns about coaching?
What data will the coach and principal review? How often
Are teachers required to work with a coach?
What if the coach is not being allowed into classrooms?
Under what circumstance might a school lose a coach?
Will the coach have a role in PLCs?
How often will the coach meet with the district coaches?
How often will the coaching supervisor meet with the coaches at the school?
Have teachers reviewed the student growth data to understand the role of the coach?
Will the coach work with new teachers as well?
A clear understanding of the professional learning goals, the timeline for implementation, and the desired outcome in each classroom must be shared by all involved in the instructional process. A principal should work with the coach to lay out a year-long professional learning plan for the school that is aligned to or supported by the district plan. The principal determines the access and the impact the instructional coach has in the classroom.
3. Data collection and consistent reporting:
The district coaching coordinator creates a coaching data protocol that is reported to principals and district leadership. The aggregate data of the coaching program will determine the successes and needs for improved impact. By aggregating the data and noting the aspects of coaching that are going well or a school that is enjoying particular success,
Number of hours each week in the school
Type of work (PD, modeling, video, resources, PLC, observation, etc)
Coaching goals
Number of teachers coached
Implementation progress data
Student learning gains
Quarterly, annual summaries
Progress toward the school and district goals
This data is reported by the coach or the coaching coordinator regularly to the principal and to district leadership. It is important that the coaching data be built into regular district curricular conversations and reported in a variety of settings. These practices will ensure that instructional coaching will be a central part of the professional learning and implementation process. School improvement relies on a change in pedagogy that aligns to the acceleration of student learning.
Professional Learning plans must include the instructional coaching component that is well-designed, clearly articulated and intertwined in the implementation. Such a plan will result in a change in pedagogy and improved learning gains for students. A well designed instructional coaching program, as an integral component of the professional learning structure, is fluid and continually reviewed to ensure that teachers have the level of support needed to refine pedagogy and accelerate student growth.
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