SPECIAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTIONAL

COACHES“Establishing a Culture of Professional Collaboration that

Results in Increased Student Academic Success”

School Improvement

Focus• Reduce the achievement gap

for students with an IEP by providing targeted skill instruction that is differentiated for each student

• Provide research-based and evidence-based professional development

• Continue implementation of the PLC framework

• Align the Iowa Core Standards• Integrate the Characteristics of

Effective Instruction to • support teacher effectiveness • enhance student learning

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Special Education Teachers

Learning Environment

Collaboration

Specially Designed Instruction

Assessment

Planning for Effective

Instruction

Student Achievement

School Improvement Focus“Change is difficult because it

requires us to change habits and create new routines. If teachers are emotionally fatigued by the

pressing immediacy of their professional life and overwhelmed

by innovation overload, they struggle with change. However,

teachers need to learn and implement better instructional

practices if schools are going to get better.”

Knight

The CoachingRollercoaster

2011-2012Hungry for

Change

Coaching Positions are Introduced

EXCITEMENT

GOT THE JOB!

Hurray!

What did I get myself

into?

Questions

Anxiety Overwhelmed

Training

Felt Supported

First Week Out“What do you

do again?”

Got our First Followers- Surviving

Word is Getting Out!

Seeing Progress!

January…

Things are Really Taking

Off

WHAT DO COACHES DO?

What It Is What It Is NotEnrolling teachers, identifying teacher's goals, listening,

asking questions, explaining best special education instructional practices, providing feedback

Acting as an administrator who evaluates teachers

Adhering to 7 Partnership Principles (equality, choice, voice, reflection, praxis, dialogue, reciprocity)

Someone assigned to come in to "fix" a teacher; a "listen and learn" approach

Conversations are "student centered" and "teacher centered"

Conversations are "coach centered"

Facilitating teacher reflection and change Quick fixes and ready answers

Empathetic, "no-fault" listening Judging or blaming

Role of an Instructional Coach

Partnership Principles

Equality

Choice

Voice

Reflection

Dialogue

Praxis

WORK SO FAR IN CRCollaboration Around the Four PLC

Questions

Facilitate Collaboration

Organize and facilitate building level collaboration between special education teachers

Use the PLC questions to guide these meetings

PLC

• Daly’s 5 Hypothesis about why students’ don’t learn

• Instructional Planning Form

• Change the goal

• Data Collection Forms

• Scaffolded “I Can” Statements

• IEP GoalsWhat do we

want our students to

know?

How will we know that they know

it?

What do we do if they

don’t know it?

What do we do if they DO know

it?

Ele

men

tary

S

pE

d P

LC

PLC

What do we want our

students to know?

PLC: Pierce Elementary

Scaffolded “I can” Statements

Progress on District Standards

PLC

How will we know that they know it?

PLC at Gibson Elementary

The team is looking at a student's

progress monitoring graph.

Members of the group include 2 Special Ed teachers, the Sped

Facilitator. the Special Ed Consultant, and

the Special Ed Instructional Coach.

PLC5 Hypothesis about Why Students

Aren’t Learning • They do not want to do the task.

• They have not spent enough time doing the task.

• They have not had enough help to do the task.

• They have not had to do the task that way before.

• The task is too difficult

(Daly, Witt, Martens, & Dool, 1997 p. 556)

What do we do if they

don’t know it?

Instructional Planning Form

• Used when current instructional program is not being successful

• List important components of a student's current instructional program

• Guide discussions of what can be changed

• Tracking various strategies used throughout the year.

• Whole group instruction to keep track of instructional changes

PLC• CELEBRATE!

• Challenge student with new skill

• Amend IEP to increase goal

What do we do if they DO

know it?

WORK SO FAR IN CR1:1 Coaching Visits

Coaching Components Enroll: Begin the coaching relationship

Identify: Identify the goal

Explain: Explain the strategy

Model: Model the instruction (you watch me)

Observe: Watch the teacher do the instruction (I watch you)

Explore: Analyze and discuss the data from the observations, determine next steps

Support: How can I help? (modeling, observation etc.)

Reflect: One idea to act on What are you feeling, thinking, going to do?

Enroll: Begin Coaching Relationship

What it may look like:

• What can I help you with?• Tell me what’s working in

your classroom • What obstacles stand in your

way?• May I observe your students

to get to know your class better?

Example Teacher Request Form:

Identify: Identify the Goal

Teaching Practice• 5 Characteristics of Effective

Instruction• Reflection Guide: Best Practice Guide

for Special Education Teachers

Student Need Area(s)• PLC Questions

• Sharon Walpole’s flowchart• GWAEA Reading Diagnosis Guide• Phonics Screeners• Moby Math• NTC Analyzing Student Work • Curriculum Options

Use these tools to target specific skills and differentiate

instruction.

Explain: Explain the Strategy

• Job embedded PD and Job Alike PD

• Research on best practices• Ensuring fidelity and

integrity of the strategy

What it may look like:

Model: Model the Instruction (You Watch Me)

Observe: Watch the Teacher Do the Instruction

• Teacher teaches a lesson and coach observes• Uses a data tool to focus the observation

What it may look like: Sample Observation Forms:

• NTC observation forms • Seating charts• Selective scripting • Content strategies and

alignment form

Explore: Analyze and Discuss the Data from the Observations;

Discuss Next Steps

Support: How Can I Help?

Reflection : One Idea to Act On • What are you thinking? • What are you feeling?• What are you going to do?• Coach and teacher think

about what the data is telling them

• Determine next steps for targeted skill instruction that differentiates for individual students

WORK SO FAR IN CRGathering and Using Our Data

Data Collection

FormGoogle Form Helps to Track

• Literacy Supports• Math Supports• Behavior Supports• General IEP

Supports• Classroom Supports• Professional

Development• Co-Teaching

Supports

Type of Support

Time

Coaching Components

• Collaborate:• Administration• AEA• Other coaches

• Identify PD opportunities

• Reflect on our own practice

Using Our Data

WORK SO FAR IN CRStudent Case Studies

H

W

Coaching References• Hall, P. A., & Simeral, A. (2008). Building teachers' capacity

for success a collaborative approach for coaches and school leaders. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

• Killion, J., & Harrison, C. (2006). Taking the lead: new roles for teachers and school-based coaches. Oxford, OH: NSDC.

• Knight, J. (2007). Instructional coaching: a partnership approach to improving instruction. Thousand Oaks, CA: NSDC.