instructional coaching: principles & practices

Instructional Coaching: Principles & Practices

Jim Knight

University of Kansas

Center for Research on Learning

[email protected]

www.instructionalcoach.org

What questions will we explore?What is the challenge we face in

schools?What are the components of coaching?How do successful programs take a

paradoxical approach to change?What is the partnership approach?


But first…Why we came to study Instructional Coaching… a little back ground information


What is the Center for Research on Learning?

Founded in 1978Mission: Dramatically improve the

performance of at-risk students in grades 4-12 through research-based

interventions$80+ million dollars of contracted R&D International Professional Development

Network275,000 teachers in 3,500 school

districts


The Strategic Instruction Model (SIM)

SIM is an integrated model of research-validated practices to address many of the needs of diverse learners. It has been under development for 25 years at the University of Kansas-Center for Research on Learning.These research-validated practices revolve around improving academic achievement through the implementation of

Content Enhancement Routines to help teachers promote greater understanding, remembering, and use of critical content and

The Learning Strategies Curriculum to increase student learning.

CRL


Topeka, Kansas Public Schools Home of Brown v. Board of Education 34% do not graduate from high school 61% receive free/reduced lunch 19 % qualify for special services Topeka has #1 crime rate in U.S. cities under 200,000 population


What is Pathways to Success?

Instructional Coaches Writing Strategies Reading Strategies Learning Strategies Content

Enhancement CHAMPs START ON Time

Possible Selves Strategic Tutoring Telementoring College Information Campus Visits Family School

Coordinators Other Interventions


What is the

challenge we

all face?


There is urgent political

pressure to improve instruction


Comments for 2004 Maryland Special Education Administrator’s Conference

Every school board member has come to me and asked me how we’re going to meet AYP. My superintendent has told me that we’re going to meet AYP. And yet, we had six schools last year who failed to make AYP ... This causes a lot of anxiety. I feel the pressure. This is real. I know that there are people who are literally worried that they may be fired because of AYP…


I think there is some value in looking at AYP; it does help us focus on what we have to be doing. That’s how as a county we will be able to measure whether we’re making a difference. But I worry about the urgency it brings with it. It’s intense. Everyone wants results now! … I’m desperately concerned about the amount of time it will take to turn this around. You can’t turn the titanic around in one minute.


There is moral

pressure to improve instruction

A closer look at word level reading…

Their peaceful drifting halted suddenly with the

approach of a mother and her two small children.

The appearance of humans often signaled fine dining

for the hungry flock. As if attached by some

invisible string, the whole flock immediately set sail

in the direction of the oncoming trio. At the pond’s

edge, the geese scrambled out of the water in waves

and scattered over the bank. Their smooth, graceful

glide across the water became a clumsy, stiff-legged

waddle. The children squealed with delight as the

geese moved closer, drawn by the trail of crackers

laid down by the mother.


Most of us share similar goals

We want kids who … love learning see their potential have achievable, challenging goals have the skills, strategies, knowledge and

whatever else they need to achieve those goals


There is

pressure to improve the way we interact with

each other


We have never wanted to be alone. But today, we are alone. We are more

fragmented and isolated from one another than ever before.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu describes

it as “a radical brokenness in all of existence.”

Meg Wheatley, Turning to one another


But change

personally and

professionally

is difficult.


And the personal experience of

change is

complicated


Let’s talk about changeIdentify:

A change that you have experienced (personally or

externally motivated) that was successful A change that you have experienced (personally or

externally motivated) that was not successful

What are the reasons why one succeeded and

one didn’t Discuss your reasons with others and identify 1-3

common themes across all of your experiences


Change is Complex(Prochaska, 1994)

Pre-contemplationContemplationPreparationActionMaintenanceTermination


I’ve interviewed more

than 150 people

regarding professional development in schools from more than ten states in a wide variety of schools


School culture

can stop

change dead in its tracks!


Moving/Stuck Schools(Rosenholtz, 1991)


There are other common

reasons why change is difficult


People can be irrationalDecisions can be made poorlyPersonalities can get in the

way State, district, school, classroom goals can

be out of alignment Any change can be difficult to accept


Schools engage in self-

destructive behavior


Attempt, Attack, Abandon Cycle

AttackAbandon

Attempt


“as the number of changes multiplies, and as the time demands increase, people

approach a dysfunction threshold, a point where they lose the capacity to implement changes”

--Darryl Conner, Managing at the speed of change


What are the barriers to change you are

experiencing in your school(s)?


Leading change is like

herding cats


QuickTime™ and aYUV420 codec decompressor

are needed to see this picture.


Instructional Coaching

addresses both the

personal and

professional complexities


How do we define Instructional Coach?


What is an Instructional Coach?

an on-site professional developer who partners with educators to

identify and assist with implementation of proven teaching

methods


An Instructional Coach

Is on siteIs a professional developerPartnersIdentifiesProven teaching practices (research-

based)Assists


What is an instructional coach?

Please watch this clip and consider two questions 1. What behaviors (if any) does he exhibit

that are appropriate for interactions with the teachers you know?

2. What behaviors (if any) does he exhibit that are not appropriate for interactions with the teachers you know?

What Are the Components of Instructional Coaching?


Instructional CoachingEnrollIdentify ExplainModel (You watch me)Observe (I watch you)Explore (Collaborative Exploration of Data)SupportReflect


Your learning experiencePeriodically, we’ll stop so that you can check

your understandings with your groupAlso with your group, identify strategies,

tactics, methods or other ideas that a coach might use to be more effective when implementing this practice

Write down what you have learned on a “post-it” note and add the “post-it” to the appropriate flip chart


Enrolling teachersLarge-group presentationSmall-group presentationInterviewsInformal conversationsPrincipal (or other) referral


Identify Teaching Practices

ThroughTeacher-coach conversation

(either formal or informal)Coach observationReferral


Big Four

BehaviorContent KnowledgeInstructionFormative AssessmentQuestions we use to shape our thinking,

not questions we ask our collaborating teachers.


Explaining InterventionsRead, re-read, read againUnderline, mark with post-itsTake notes, draw mind mapsWrite scripts, presentationsUse stories, analogies, punchy

phrases,


Model(You watch me!)

Goal: To show a teacher exactly how to implement a particular intervention

Be fully aware of critical teaching practices you need to model

Ensure that teacher knows the purpose of the model lesson Provide concrete description of what you’ll be doing Clarify roles for behavioral management

Co-construct an observation form Ensure your collaborating teacher knows how to use the

form

“Cue, Do, Review” Checklist

Teacher:__________Unit Content: ____________ Date: ____________ Teacher ID #:__________School: ____________ Module: ____________

TEACHING BEHAVIOR OBS. COMMENTS CUE

Name the device

Explain how it will help them learn

Specify what they need to do

DO: LINKING STEPS

Walk through the device

Involve students

Shape student responses

Evaluate student understanding

Re-instruct if necessary

REVIEW:

Ask questions about information

Ask questions about how the device works

OBSERVATION FOR M

Teacher:__________Unit/Content: ____________ Date: ____________School: ____________ Module: ____________

TEACHING PRACTICE OBS. COMMENTS


Observe(I Watch You!)

Coach uses the observation form to watch for data related to: Critical teaching behaviors Fidelity to scientifically proven practices Student behavior and performance Additional specific teacher concerns

OBSERVATION FOR M

Teacher:__________Unit/Content: ____________ Date: ____________School: ____________ Module: ____________

TEACHING PRACTICE OBS. COMMENTS


Explore(Collaborative Exploration of Data)Based on the partnership principlesCoach and teacher identify what data will

be gatheredCoach uses the observation formThey engage in dialogue about the data


Many a relationship has been damaged and a work setting poisoned by perfectly delivered constructive feedback…

“The helping hand strikes again!”

How the way we talk can change the way we work (Kegan & Lahey, p.128)


Top-down Feedback

Uses

data

to

shape

Coach

The

Teacher


Assumptions behind top-down feedback

The first is that the perspective of the feedback giver (let’s call him the supervisor) – what he

sees and thinks, his feedback-is right, is correct. An accompanying assumption is that there is

only one correct answer. What you put these two assumptions together, they amount to this: the supervisor has the one and only correct view of

the situation. (We call this “the super vision assumption”; that is, the supervisor has super

vision.) (p.128)


Partnership Feedback (C.E.D.)Reinke, (2005)

dialogueTeacher Coach

data


SupportObservations, data, feedback may turn the

collaboration in a new directionCoach’s goal is to provide as much

support as necessary, but no more


ReflectionWhat was supposed to happen?What happened?What accounts for the difference?What should be done differently next time?


Instructional CoachingEnrollIdentify ExplainModel (You watch me)Observe (I watch you)Explore (Collaborative Exploration of Data)SupportReflect

What Does The Research Say?


Instructional Coaching(Knight, 2005) (n = 82)

0102030405060708090

Implementation rate aftersummer workshops fall 2004

Training (Joyce &Showers)InstructionalCoaches


Table one: Teachers’ perceptions of the value of observing Instructional Coaches modeling practices(n = 107)

Do teachers think watching a coach model practices made it easier to implement?

6.51

Do teachers think watching a coach model practices increased their fidelity to instructional practices?

6.4

Do teachers think watching a coach model practices made them more confident about implementing?

6.22

Do teachers think they learned other teaching strategies while watching a coach model?

6.13

Do teachers think coaches have enough content knowledge to model all the instruction in teachers’ classes.

3.18


Teacher Interviews

13 teachers were interviewed in 2004-05Each teacher identified modeling as a

central part of their learning with the coach


Time to reflect

Identify one idea you want to act on:

What do you feel?

What do you think?

What are you going to do?


So how do we

make it happen?


Take a paradoxical approach to

adaptive change


Effective change is paradoxical

Top-down AND bottom-upEasy AND powerfulSelf-organizing AND tightly managedGaining commitment by not

demanding commitment

Top-down & Bottom-up


Top down, by itself, doesn’t work

“the direct approach of naming the goal and mobilizing to achieve it does not, and cannot work in something as complex as change agentry”

Michael Fullan


Our theory

“There is nothing quite as practical as a good theory”

Kurt Lewin


We take a partnership approachOur work embodies the principles of

equality, choice, voice, reflection, dialogue, praxis, and reciprocity

“We want to be just like any other teacher in the school”


But…Bottom-up alone is not sufficient

Teachers may choose not to change when they need to improve

Strategies may not get cued in additional classrooms

There may be a lack of coherence in what is implemented in schools


So the principal …Remains the instructional leader (through

partnership)Assesses teachers’ use of interventionsLeads teachers to put interventions in their

personal development plansApplies pressure, but respects teachers’

professional discretion


How should coaches coach principals? Work from the partnership perspective Establish weekly one-to-one meetings with principals Draw up a weekly agenda addressing your most

pressing issues Educate principals about interventions each week Discuss individual teachers and teams Encourage school-wide implementation of interventions


Discuss with your partner

What can you do next week to start turning this paradoxical idea into an

action?

Easy and Powerful


Interventions that are embraced are powerful & easy

ideas, values, technologies that do the job with the least demand on psychic energy will survive. An appliance that does more work with less effort will

be preferredMihalyi Csikszentmihalyi

-this also applies to knowledge transfer in schools; interventions that are powerful and easy to use are going to be adopted by teachers


How do we ensure they’re powerful?

Using scientifically based interventions that achieved socially significant results

Targeting standardsTargeting teachers’ most pressing needsUsing checklists, in-class demonstrations,

and feedback to ensure that teachers learn research-based practices

Provide as much support as necessary & no more

Prepare materials

Simplify & translate teacher manuals (TPOV)

Use Observation forms

Model in the classroom

Observe and collaborate

How do we make it easy?




action?

Self-organizing & highly organized

Ideas Spread Like a Virus ( )


How do coaches spread healthy viruses in schools? Make sure that your first collaborations are extremely

well done (easy, powerful, validating) Partner with the principal to apply pressure and support

respectfully Communicate successes widely through the use of

newsletters and other forms of communication Identify teachers with informal power in the school


How do coaches identify teachers with informal power?Talk with principal and other leaders in the

schoolTalk with other teachersObserve interactions in

Staff lounge Team meetings Informal settings


How do Instructional Coaches build coherence?Build coherence after there is a critical

mass of support for teachersWork towards

Institutionalizing changes Teaching interventions across teams Creating leadership teams Incorporating interventions into School

Improvement Teams




action?

Not demanding commitment to get commitment


Our goal:internal commitment(Chris Argyris, 2000)

Anyone with power can demand commitment But, external commitment

is temporary leads to poor practices engenders resentment

Internal commitment can be permanent leads to high-quality practices engenders positive attitudes




action?

Partnership Principles

The theory behind coaching


Partnership Principles

EqualityPraxisDialogueChoiceVoiceReflectionReciprocity


Principles

“The principles you live by create the world you live in; if you change the

principles you live by, you will change your world.”

Blaine Lee, The Power Principle

But what about the research?

I’m so glad you asked!


Design

Table 1

Counterbalanced Design

Group First Session Second Session

Group A Visual Imagery Self Questioning

Training Model Partnership Learning Traditional Training

Group B Visual Imagery Self Questioning

Training Model Traditional Training Partnership Learning


Engagement Form

Number of Teachers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

(not engaging) (very engaging)

Figure 5 : Engagement Form/Median Scores

Traditional Training

Partnership Learning

30

25

20

15

5

0

10

35

(neutral)


Implementation Question**

Partnership Learning: 59

Traditional Training: 14

**Now that you have learned about two strategies, which of the two do you believe you are most likely to teach?


Moral purposeFullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change.

Moral purpose, defined as making a difference in the lives of students, is a critical motivator for addressing the sustained task of complex reform. Passion and higher order purpose are required because the effort needed is gargantuan and must be morally worth doing. (p.18).

When you lead people, you often begin with a desire to contribute to an organization or community, to help people resolve important issues, to improve the quality of their lives. Your heart is not entirely innocent, but you begin with hope and concern for people. Along the way, however, it becomes difficult to sustain those feelings when many people reject your aspirations as too unrealistic, challenging or disruptive. Results arrive slowly. You become hardened to the discouraging reality. Your heart closes up.

Heifetz & Linsky (2003) Leadership on the line.


Losing HeartHeifetz & Linsky (2003) Leadership on the line

Quality of Heart Becomes Dressed Up As

Innocence Cynicism Realism

Curiosity Arrogance Authoritative knowledge

Compassion Callousness The thick skin of experience

“As we try to improve, we are drawn to the large, dramatic, and splashy programs for change, but we are impacted more by the small and simple changes in our daily routines. We don’t change the world through epiphanies, but by doing lots of little things that add up to sustained transformation. Simple things are not always easy to change, but by improving one thing at a time, we make progress toward great things”

—Dave Ulrich, writing to his great-great-grandfather

From Bill Jensen, What is your life’s work?

instructional coaching: principles & practices

Documents

researchvalidated practices

integrated model of

instructional coaching

researchbased interventions

school districts

high school

student learning

components of coaching