Literacy Coaching: Where are we? What’s next?
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Transcript Literacy Coaching: Where are we? What’s next?
Nancy L. Shanklin, EdD
Director, Literacy Coaching Clearinghouse,
- a joint project of IRA and NCTE –
www.literacycoachingonline.org
What are you thinking about?
Glad I had put aside money for this trip….
I wonder if I can attend any conferences next
year….
Will I have to let anyone go?
Is my position okay?
What must we cut to our program?
How can I use our moneys most efficiently and
effectively?
Instead, let’s take this time
to think boldly and creatively to:
Network practitioners & researchers
Analyze and share what is working
Problem-solve difficulties
Dream about the future
Plan next steps
Stay positive & hopeful
What do we know from the most
recent research on coaching?
Biancarosa & Bryk (2008)
Elish-Piper & L’Allier (2008)
Chicago Community Trust (2008)
Rubin (2008)
Sailor (2008)
Timperley et al (2007)
Others – Please see LCC website
http://www.iisrd.org/program_inquiry/publications.shtml
Assessed all students (K-3) attending 18 public schools
across 8 states in the Eastern U.S.
Literacy assessments on all students (K-3) in both fall &
spring for 4 years to assess change over time in literacy
Year 1 treated as a baseline
Systematic observation of teacher practice in years 2
through 4 to document changes
Monthly coach log reports on PD activities-who, what,
and how
Teacher surveys yrs 1 and 4 to assess individual agency,
school organizational properties, possible changes
The Literacy Collaborative
Student Assessments
Used parts of DIBELS in fall and spring,
grades K-2, and fall 3rd grade
Terra Nova in spring, grades 1-3
The Literacy Collaborative
Results
Value-added analyses demonstrate an overall
positive effect on children’s literacy learning
across schools
Considerable variability exists between schools
Some schools show 50% additional learning
over usual growth
Some show substantial increments to
average growth after two years
The Literacy Collaborative
Results
18.8% improvement at end of 2nd Year (.25 Effect Size)
27.5% improvement at end of 3rd Year (.37 Effect Size)
33.4% improvement at tend of 4th Year (.44 Effect Size)
By final year, 33.4% average increase in learning across
children, grades, teachers, and schools in that year over
baseline year.
L’Allier & Elish-Piper, (2007)
Elish-Piper & L’Allier, (2008)
Does Literacy Coaching Make a Difference?
12 LCs, 121 teachers, 3029 students
Data: Coaching logs and student test scores
Coaches spent 48% of time working with Ts
Total gains on DIBELS were significant for K-3
Number of coaching hours focused on
conferring was found to be statistically
significant in relation to students’ total gain for
K, 1, and 2
Relationship between LC & Student Reading
Achievement at the Primary Level
Appears Ss who need only some additional
support benefit more from coaching than
students who require substantial intervention
Results suggest that schools need BOTH
literacy coaches and reading specialists
(see Reading Teacher, May 2008, pp. 674-80)
Developed the Advanced Reading Development
Demonstration Project (ARDDP)
Target: Schools at low levels of reading achievement
Each university partnered with up to 10 schools
Focused on increasing teachers’ knowledge, assessments
that can inform instruction, infrastructure for T leaders
and T teams to work on building K-8 coherence
CPS committed to resources for positions and for PD in
the form of coursework leading to ILL Rdg Credential
Thus schools created school Lead Literacy Teachers (LLT)
By the end of Yr 5, there were better schools, higher Ss
performance, and a cadre of new school literacy leaders
Timperley et al, Coaching Through Feedback: A Close
and Critical Analysis
This New Zealand program has shown very positive
student achievement results reported in effect sizes
Assumption: The purpose of one-to-one coaching
conferences IS to improve teachers’ practices
Coaches were provided with training in principles and
practices off effective feedback process using
protocols of learning conversations
“Cycles of feedback” from the embedded research
iterations
Rubin, R. (2008). Literacy in Ingles y Spanish:
Professional development in early childhood on the
Texas-Mexico border
140 educators & 600 children
12 all-day PD sessions & a minimum of 24 hours of
individual on-site mentoring
Significant differences found when compared to a control
group that did not receive professional development or
mentoring
Significant differences on standardized assessments of
educator knowledge, classroom environment, instruction,
& educator behavior
Improvements passed on to children in the classrooms of
educators who participated in the program
Sailor, M. (2008). Support for Improvement of
Practices through Intensive Coaching (SIPIC)
2 year study of 120 classroom teachers (grades 2-8) in 4
school districts in a metropolitan area in South Texas
Teachers learned to teach sub-routines involved in cognitive
reading strategies
One group received a traditional workshop and the treatment
group received classroom-based PD & support by reading
coaches
Used pretest-posttest control group design and a multilevel
modeling analytic strategy
The treatment group outperformed the traditional workshop
group in all teacher observation and student achievement
measures
LCs can Change Teacher Practice &
Student Achievement:
Middle and High School Level
Boatright, E. (2007)
Marsh, J. et al (2008)
Cantrell & Hughes et al (2008)
Boatright, E. (2007)
External coach’s work with English/LA teachers of one HS
that became 3 small schools
Observed 3 coaching cycles at each school for a total of
18 days, 6 additional days observed Ts
Coach worked with Ts to examine student data; did
modeling in classrooms
Ts changed their views about students’ intellectual
abilities
Veteran teachers were hesitant to coach beginning
teachers; all more receptive to critical comments from
external coach
Marsh, J. et al, (2008). Supporting Literacy
Across the Sunshine State: Florida MS Coaches
MS reading coaches from 8 districts over 06-07
While coaches were asked to work with all teachers,
they worked extensively with reading teachers in the
MS
Coaches indicated a need for PD around adult
learners, working with special education & English
Language Learners, & literacy across content areas
A coach was associated with small but significant
improvement in average annual gains in reading for 2
of the 4 cohorts analyzed
Cantrell, S & Hughes, H. (2008). Teacher Efficacy
& Content Literacy Implementation
Measures the self-efficacy and group efficacy of 22
6th and 9th grade content Ts
Quantitative results show the largest gain occurred in
Ts’ sense of personal efficacy
Collective efficacy was significantly related to the
spring implementation
A primary barrier to teachers’ sense of efficacy was
time: to develop skills, to implement, and to
collaborate with colleagues
Ts affirmed feedback and support from coaches was
essential
What elements seem to be in place in
effective coaching programs?
Use observation forms or self-assessments to
track improvements in teacher instruction
Use measures of student achievement and
examine the data frequently
Use logs of how coaches spend their time
Time spent conferring between teacher and
coach makes a difference
What elements seem to be in place in
effective coaching programs?
Administrative support is important
Coaches and teachers need to believe
that they can impact students’ learning
Results are not always found in the FIRST
year; takes 3-5 years
Importance of Principal Leadership
to Coaching Efforts
Principals need to set the stage for literacy
coaches
Principals & coaches need to present clear
descriptions of coaches’ roles to faculty
The need to think about “phase-in” models of
coaching programs
Helpful to have PLC-like structures to support
looking at data and having critical talks about
instruction
What are problems encountered
in much of the research?
Teacher Turnover
Student Turnover
Administrative Turnover & Support
“Silver Bullet” Mentality
What do we need to do?
(as practice)
Get the word out more about positive results
Offer better training for coaches
Offer more support at the building and district levels
Accept that accountability measures are appropriate
Help districts to evaluate and refine their coaching
programs
What do we need to do?(in research)
Better assessments of teacher change in instruction
Better assessments of student learning
Studies that compare different coaching programs
used to enact evidenced-based literacy instruction
Studies that demonstrate the important role of
building and district administrators to coaching
initiatives
Studies that allow for cycles of iteration to improve
coaching programs, teacher instruction, and student
learning
8 Criteria for Literacy Coaches
Foundations of Literacy
Assessment
Instruction in the Content Disciplines
Writing
Differentiated Instruction
Classroom Coaching
Facilitating Adult Learning
Building Capacity Within a School
Emphasis in these areas
will continue to increase
Increasing student achievement
Improving teacher quality
Creating, using, and analyzing literacy
assessments
Developing and working toward higher state
standards
Adding more early childhood education
Increasing adolescents’ literacy and workforce
readiness
What are IRA & NCTE trying to do?
Track where there may be moneys for coach
positions – especially watch Title I
A comprehensive education bill is being introduced
IRA and NCTE are working to see that wording
about the need for literacy coaches gets into new
legislation
There will also be wording about the criteria that
good literacy coaches need to meet
To keep informed go to:
http://sites.google.com/site/iralatupdate/
What are the education elements of the
economic stimulus package?
Over $100 billion for two years
$48.6 billion to governors to be used for substitution
of state support for local schools
$13 billion for Title I ($10 for Part A and $3 for school
improvement)
$12 billion for IDEA
$ 5 billion for Secretary’s fund
Funds for Higher Education and teacher programs
27 months in which to use
Wording in Title I
Establishing a system for identifying and
training highly effective teachers to
serve as instructional leaders in Title I
schoolwide programs and modifying the
school schedule to allow for collaboration
among the instructional staff
Wording in Title I
Establishing intensive, year-long teacher training for
all teachers and the principal in a Title I elementary
school in corrective action or restructuring status in
order to train teachers to use a new reading
curriculum that aggressively works on improving
students’ oral language skills and vocabulary or, in
some other way, builds teachers’ capacity to address
academic achievement problems
More wording in Title I
Providing professional development to
teachers in Title I targeted assistance programs
on the use of data to inform and improve
instruction for Title I-eligible students
Using reading or mathematics coaches to
provide professional development to teachers
in Title I targeted assistance programs
How to take advantage of these funds?
IRA suggestions:
Build longer term programs around main
purposes of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
Tell administrators how these funds will work
Collect information on how long-term
professional development can make a
difference
“Coaching” as a Verb
Doing Professional
Development Sessions
Organizing Peer-Coaching
Leading Data Analysis
Research
Doing Modeling and
Demonstration Teaching
Leading Teaching Labs or
Lesson Study
Coaching Cycles: Pre,
During, Post
Sessions
Leading Study Groups
Finding Resources
Conversations “On-theFly”
Assisting with Action
Schools as settings for
intergenerational learning
50% of teachers drop out within the first 5
years
Seem not to work well if all are beginning
teachers or if all are seasoned teachers
Planning for reflection, growth, and change
IS the norm
Career Ladders that includes coaches
Urgency to keep pace in a
changing, world environment
So, is coaching nice, but not necessary?
OR
Is coaching crucial and works best when
schools can have well qualified people in
the role?
Our time here in Corpus Christi
I hope that we can engage in honest, important
dialogue over the next few days
IRA & NCTE are working hard to support coaching
New briefs and tools – Would you like to submit?
Literacy Coaching Clearinghouse resources
http://www.literacycoachingonline.org
How can the LCC continue to best serve your needs?