the power of instructional support: using existing …...the power of instructional support: using...

The Power of Instructional Support: Using Existing Systems to Change Teacher Behavior in Kenya

Evelyn Jepkemei, PhD

Tusome Early Grade Reading Activity

Teachers’ Advisory Centers (TACs) established in 1963:

Background of Coaching in Kenya

2

TAC Tutors (now

Curriculum Support

Officers: CSOs) in

charge of zones (15-30

schools)

Assess needs and

train teachers in

zones

Provide professional

guidance to teachers

Collect a variety of

resources for

teachers’ reference

Assess learning

outcomes at zonal

level

They were mostly

primary school

teachers promoted

for long service

The Education Structure

3

Ministry of Education

Made up of 9 directorates

Directors in counties Sub-County

Directors

Several Semi-autonomous

special agencies

Directors in counties

Staffing Officers and Sub-

County Directors

Teachers and Curriculum

Support Officers

Teachers’ Service

Commission

CSO Responsibilities

Regular CSO duties CSO duties under Tusome

Offer training and coaching

focused on instruction

Support reflection meetings

Make daily visits to schools

Hold feedback sessions with

teachers

Upload data to a cloud-based

server

Administrative

duties60%40%Support for

instruction

A wide range of other duties:

Limited ability in coaching

4

Public Schools and Low-Cost Private Schools

5

Coaches

Are hired by project

Give full-time support to low-cost

private schools

Are full-time coaches

Have some experience in

coaching

Serve public schools

Have redefined responsibilities

Handle administration and school

inspections

Have no experience in coaching

CSOs

Tusome Scope, 2017

6

19.1 million

Books delivered

to schools

3.6 million

Children

98,089

Teachers

23,523

Head teachers

1,270

CSOs and Coaches28,345

Schools

1,230

National education

leaders

Key Elements of Tusome

Instructional coaching

1:1 books

Teacher training

Teachers’ guides

7

Lesson Observations Routine

8

Focused on instructional

approaches

30 minute lesson

observations

3 pupil fluency

assessments

10- to -15 minute

debrief

Data uploaded from tablets

Over 18,000 visits per

month

Tusome Coaching Strategy

Guskey’s (1986) model of

teacher change

Monitoring fidelity to teachers’

guides (Piper & Zuilkowski, 2017)

Focus on volume of visits

Project staff monitor coaches

Cognitive – research-based

practice in teaching

Less depth in reflective teaching

and coaching

9

ICT Support: The Tablet Program

Invigorates accountability

Gives access to data on

• Implementation index (GPS)

• Transport reimbursement

Captures data on fluency rates

Allows data sharing by

government and other stakeholders

Produces data for incentive-based

transport reimbursement

10

Supporting Teachers

11

The Tusome Dashboard

http://ntp.tangerinecentral.org/_csv/report/group-national_tablet_program/00b0a09a-2a9f-baca-2acb-c6264d4247cb,c835fc38-de99-d064-59d3-e772ccefcf7d/2016/7/YmFyaW5nbw==.html

Challenges

CSOs with

limited prior

exposure to

mobile

technologies

Multiple

administrative

tasks for CSOs

Variation in

take-up by

CSOs

National-scale

support –

disparities

across zones

Working through

the government

structure

13

Staffing

challenges

Attrition

through

retirement

Conclusion

14

The coaching program…

Is critical for effective teaching

Improves learning outcomes

Allows a transition to more collaborative

coaching – e.g., peer coaching via WhatsApp

Reinforces weak pre-service training for

teachers

Lessens coaches’ administrative duties

Involves capacity concerns

Has cost and sustainability considerations

15

Thank you

ejepkemei@tusome.rti.com

References

Dubeck, M. M., Jukes, M. C., & Okello, G. (2011). Early primary literacy instruction in

Kenya. Comparative Education Review, 56(1), 48–68.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/660693

Guskey, T. R. (1986). Staff development and the process of teacher change.

Educational Researcher, 15(5), 5–12.

http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/0013189X015005005

Knight, J. (2007). Instructional coaching: A partnership approach to improving

instruction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Piper, B., & Zuilkowski, S. S. (2015a). Assessing reading fluency in Kenya: Oral or

silent assessment? International Review of Education, 61(2), 153–171.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11159-015-9470-4

Piper, B., & Zuilkowski, S. S. (2015b). Teacher coaching in Kenya: Examining

instructional support in public and nonformal schools. Teaching and Teacher

Education, 47, 173–183. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2015.01.001