Nancy L. Shanklin, EdDDirector, 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 & researchersAnalyze and share what is workingProblem-solve difficultiesDream about the futurePlan next stepsStay 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 baselineSystematic observation of teacher practice in years 2

through 4 to document changesMonthly coach log reports on PD activities-who, what,

and howTeacher surveys yrs 1 and 4 to assess individual agency,

school organizational properties, possible changes

The Literacy CollaborativeStudent 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 CollaborativeResults

Value-added analyses demonstrate an overall positive effect on children’s literacy learning across schools

Considerable variability exists between schoolsSome schools show 50% additional learning

over usual growthSome show substantial increments to

average growth after two years

The Literacy CollaborativeResults

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 studentsData: Coaching logs and student test scoresCoaches spent 48% of time working with Ts Total gains on DIBELS were significant for K-3Number 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 achievementEach university partnered with up to 10 schoolsFocused 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 border140 educators & 600 children12 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 schoolsObserved 3 coaching cycles at each school for a total of

18 days, 6 additional days observed TsCoach worked with Ts to examine student data; did

modeling in classroomsTs 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 CoachesMS reading coaches from 8 districts over 06-07While 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 timeTime spent conferring between teacher and

coach makes a difference

What elements seem to be in place in effective coaching programs?

Administrative support is importantCoaches and teachers need to believe

that they can impact students’ learningResults 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 TurnoverStudent TurnoverAdministrative Turnover & Support“Silver Bullet” Mentality

What do we need to do?(as practice)

Get the word out more about positive resultsOffer better training for coachesOffer more support at the building and district levelsAccept that accountability measures are appropriateHelp districts to evaluate and refine their coaching

programs

What do we need to do?(in research)Better assessments of teacher change in instructionBetter assessments of student learningStudies that compare different coaching programs

used to enact evidenced-based literacy instructionStudies 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 LiteracyAssessmentInstruction in the Content DisciplinesWritingDifferentiated InstructionClassroom CoachingFacilitating Adult LearningBuilding Capacity Within a School

Emphasis in these areas will continue to increase

Increasing student achievementImproving teacher qualityCreating, using, and analyzing literacy

assessmentsDeveloping and working toward higher state

standardsAdding more early childhood educationIncreasing adolescents’ literacy and workforce

readiness

What are IRA & NCTE trying to do? Track where there may be moneys for coach

positions – especially watch Title IA comprehensive education bill is being introducedIRA 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 fundFunds for Higher Education and teacher programs27 months in which to use

Wording in Title IEstablishing 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 IEstablishing 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 IProviding 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 workCollect information on how long-term

professional development can make a difference

“Coaching” as a VerbDoing Professional

Development SessionsLeading Data Analysis

SessionsLeading Study GroupsFinding ResourcesConversations “On-the-

Fly”

Organizing Peer-Coaching Assisting with Action

ResearchDoing Modeling and

Demonstration TeachingLeading Teaching Labs or

Lesson StudyCoaching Cycles: Pre,

During, Post

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 ChristiI hope that we can engage in honest, important

dialogue over the next few daysIRA & NCTE are working hard to support coachingNew briefs and tools – Would you like to submit?Literacy Coaching Clearinghouse resourceshttp://www.literacycoachingonline.orgHow can the LCC continue to best serve your needs?