Understanding the Impact Coaches Have on Teachers

and Schools

Initial Findings on the Qualities and Dispositions that Contribute to

Coaches’ Effectiveness

Guiding Question for the Formative Evaluation

What are we learning about the impact of effective coaches that

can inform and improve in-school coaching district-wide?

What We Are Learning about Coach Impact from a Sample of Effective Coaches

Kinds of impact: the impact these coaches have on teachers is consistent with the literature

Quality of impact: coaches in the study have a consistently positive impact on the teachers we have observed them working with

Characteristics of effective coaches: coaches draw on a range of qualities and abilities to have a desired impact

How impact is achieved: the strategies these coaches use to accomplish their goals are responsive to specific challenges

*These last two themes are the focus of this presentation*

Looking Ahead to the Final Report

The final report will focus on individual coach cases to:

• Identify nuances in the kinds of impact coaches have on teachers

• Identify indicators coaches use to assess teachers’ progress

• Examine if, how, and in what ways coaches have an impact on schools

• Illustrate how coaches have an impact on teachers and schools, given the contexts and conditions under which they work

• Consider how coaches’ impact is perceived and assessed by various school-level stakeholders

Focus and Uses of this Presentation

Characteristics of effective coaches– Identifying the qualities of the sampled coaches that

contribute to their ability to impact teachers can help ISIC think about how to support less experienced and/or less effective coaches in their professional development

Creative ways effective coaches find to face challenges presented by teachers and schools– Examples of coaches’ creative problem-solving that could

serve as cases for training other coaches

External Evaluation Methodology

Coach sample• Sampled from “effective” set chosen by planners

2 in-school (SCRMA)6 roving (3 SCRMA; 3 CWS)

– 2 coaches withdrew (both roving SCRMA)

Data points• 5 coach interviews throughout school year• Observations and 2 interviews with 3 teachers per coach

at each chosen school• Interview with principal at chosen school• Lead coach focus groups and shadows/interviews• Additional roving SCRMA interviews

Data for this Presentation

3 periodic coach interviews with 6 coaches

2 periodic coach interviews with 1 coach (who later withdrew)

Some teacher observations and interviews

Some principal interviews

• We are still conducting fieldwork for the latter two categories

Methodological Note

Two of eight coaches withdrew from the study• Both are roving SCRMA coaches• We are in the process of conducting exit interviews

with them• We will be analyzing these interviews to determine if

coach type may have been a factor contributing to their withdrawal

Characteristics of Effective Coaches

Expertise of many kinds

Adaptability to changes in teachers and school contexts

Ability to facilitate reflection (with teacher, with self)

Ability to work in different school cultures

Complex logistical skills

Creative formative assessment skills

Expertise

Coaches displayed expertise in the following areas:• Understanding and delivery of programs• Classroom management• Working with adult learners• Building and maintaining rapport with

teachers

Expertise in the Program

Program expertise included:• Clear understanding of program components

and delivery• Expertise in content area• Expertise in the pedagogy employed by the

program

Many coaches are experts in multiple programs

Expertise in the Program

Examples• One teacher stated that she need only

reference a chapter and section within the curriculum and her coach knows exactly what she means

• Some coaches reported that they provide professional development in the supported program(s) in settings other than the schools they serve

Expertise in Classroom Management

Coaches reported and were observed keeping students engaged and on-task

Coaches integrated modeling of classroom management with coaching of the programExample: Coach describes how she modeled

enthusiasm for the content as a way for the teacher to engage students and move them along into group work before they become bored and restless

Expertise in Working with Adult Learners

Coaches served as teachers/mentors to their teachers• Modeled and talked through new techniques• Seized on teachable moments in conferences and in

classroom sessions• Used supportive language and constructive

questioning to encourage teachers’ learning

Coaches effectively role-switched back and forth from teacher role to coach role

Expertise in Working with Adult Learners

ExampleCoach: Now how are you going to do the active engagement for them?

Which is usually when they talk to each other.

Teacher: Yeah, right. Maybe I’ll just have them write their own – just do one box and then a couple of bullets and then have them with their elbow partner discuss it for like 2 minutes or something.

Coach: Or, what you can do is have one person say his or her thesis statement and the other person can say . . .

Teacher: The reasons?

Coach: Yeah. They just can repeat it. They can say the thesis statement is . . .

Teacher: Oh, I see what you mean.

Expertise in Building and Maintaining Rapport/Trust

All coaches established and maintained rapport with the teachers we observed• Whether or not the relationship was congenial

• This finding may be a function of research methodology but is still noteworthy

Coaches identified some strategies they used to establish rapport and trust• Regular communication in-person and via e-mail

• Respect for teachers’ planning time

• Selective and improvised use of certain coaching tools

Adaptability

Coaches adapted to changes beyond their control including:• Changes in the schools they serviced• Changes in teachers they worked with

(decided by administration)• Changes in teachers’ focus

Coaches were able to adapt and continue to move teachers toward goals

Facilitating Teacher Reflection

Coaches were skilled in supporting teachers’ reflective practices as a facet of their learning• Many coaches stressed the importance of the post-conference

in this regard• Some coaches cited teacher “insights” that occurred during

reflection as evidence of impact

ExampleOne teacher told us that she observed her coach encouraging a student who thought he had done a problem incorrectly when in fact he had used a different method. She went on to say that seeing this prompted her to think about her own practices and to talk to her coach about how to encourage different approaches to problem-solving.

Reflective on their own Practice

Coaches talked about reflection• One coach reported how reflecting on her practice led her

to effectively change her strategies with a teacher

Coaches were observed or heard reflecting• Researchers heard coaches reflecting in the course of

interviews on the spot

– Example: Responding to questions with “That’s a good question…”

– Example: Reflective regarding questions about how they assess teacher progress

Understanding of and Ability to Work within a School’s Culture

Coaches made themselves part of the school fabric• We consistently observed comfortable

interactions between coaches and teachers, as well as coaches and administrators

– Both coaches who withdrew from the study made reference to difficulties in this area

Understanding of and Ability to Work within a School’s Culture

How coaches fit in looked different for each type of coach:• In-school coaches

– Part of staff, including voluntary “non-coaching” activities– Some had very close relationships with teachers and

administrators

• Roving coaches– Determined appropriate level of interaction– Adept at remaining unobtrusive while maintaining

supportive presence

Understanding of and Ability to Work within a School’s Culture

Example (Roving):One coach worked with a very hands-off principal by

communicating with him in writing and acting as a link between the principal and the teachers.

Example (In-School):“… one of the things they tell us is that they don’t want us spending our

time doing lunch duty. But guess what, it’s 20 minutes! So it’s not like I’m missing any instructional time…in addition to that the principal and the AP do two lunch duties. They gave me one… if the administration is doing it, I’m doing it. And it’s nice. I get to go for 20 minutes while the kids eat lunch…it is what it is.”

Logistical Skills

Coaches displayed skill in managing disparate schedules:• This management allowed them to maximize

coverage and use of the coaching sequence

Coaches also managed materials• Ordering• Distributing• “Sharing”

Formative Assessment Skills

Coaches engaged in the following assessment activities:

• Observed teacher practices– Formally (e.g., Selective Scripting tool)– Informally (e.g., personal notes)

• Assessed critical indicators of progress toward goals

• Made decisions about next steps based on assessment

Coaches’ Creative Problem-Solving

Coaches were asked if there were barriers to their work with individual teachers• Many coaches said no• Those who perceived barriers cited lack of time to work

with teachers

Our data reveal that coaches engaged in creative solutions to a range of problems or challenges• Coaches never identified these situations as challenges• A number of the solutions responded to episodic issues• A number of solutions were carried out at the school

level

Problem-Solving Example 1:Lack of Program Buy-in

“[I brought in samples] from another school that was doing Writers Workshop consistently…just three days a week. And my teachers were like, Oh my God I can’t believe how much they’re writing! And since then it’s interesting because they’re slowly doing it more.”

Problem-Solving Example 2:Coach Inexperience

One coach recognized her own lack of experience working with a specific grade level.

To address this the coach collaborated with her Area coach whom she knew had considerable experience with this age group.

Problem Solving Example 3:Sustainability

An in-school coach sought to create sustainability by:

• Training a teacher leader to be the “go-to” person next year

• Tailoring her coaching to slowly release teachers who had reached a certain level of autonomy

Problem-Solving Example 4:Lack of Continuity Among Grade Levels

A coach discovered that teachers in one grade level were concerned that students were not coming into their classes adequately prepared in math. – The coach organized vertical peer

observations among teachers in the two adjacent grade levels.

– She provided them with training and tools to observe and reflect on each other’s practice.

Problem-Solving Example 5: Time Limitations

A coach noticed that teachers in her school were unable to meet for more than 20-30 minutes during or after school due to other commitments.• In order to facilitate a session in which teachers could

reflect together, the coach worked with a principal to provide teachers with a stipend for an after-school meeting.