WI Peer Coaching Collaborative:Helping Schools Develop a Culture of Professionalism

A research based framework of collaborative partnerships r601d76

Mary Lou Ley mley@charter.net

Peer Coaching

• Developing Local Capacity• Sustainable• Collaborative Communities• Enhancing / Assessing

teaching and learning• Intellectual Quality

Embedded in classroom practice

• Research based framework

Peer Coaching:

WEMTA Mary Lou LeyMarch 29, 2012

How is everyone else doing

coaching? How effective are

they?What do teachers

say works?

How do I replicate

coaching in my school?

What’s best for my

school?

professional development for changing teacher practice in lasting and measurable ways

Coaches often describe their work like this:

"I help teachers with technology".

Define what "help" is by replacing the word help with 1-3 words

• on our Coaching Help Wallwisher www.wallwisher.com/wall/coacheshelp

• On a post it and turn this in.

Coaches Help

Today's Session

Discover what kinds of coaching models exist in Participants' schools ranging from informal to structured.

Brief overview of 3 Models recommended by ISTE and the research supporting them ( ISTE Whitepaper, The Power of Coaching 2011)

Explore programs from the WI Peer Coaching Collaborative including District Programs, Consortia, or statewide

Share examples from other parts of US and internationally with virtual guests from AZ, Oregon, Ho Chi Minh City University - Vietnam

Present Coaching Framework and Tools used to "help" coaches coach

What coaches have to say about coaching Share some of our data findings on how effective the Peer

Coaching Program has been in WI Create a Coaching Network of coaches in WI

Who are We? What do We Do? Coaches? Teachers? LMSs? Administrators?

1. What is your current position and when did you start?

2. What was the situation like when you first started and What did you see as the change challenge?

3. How did you go about addressing the challenge in your first year? What reactions, obstacles, etc. did you face and how did/are you handling them?

4. When did you first get positive breakthrough? What are the indicators of success?

5 What are the issues for the immediate future?

As a group, debrief and identify two or three ‘change challenges’. Place on index card turn in. (2 minutes)

Peer Coaching Intro Activity: Letter off A, B, C Interview each other as per the questions below

(short quick responses 3 minutes per interview):

Computers and Teaching

Following the introduction of computers in US classrooms in the early 1990’s, there were few teacher professional development programs available to help teachers use this new technology in their efforts to improve student learning, (West, 1990; Yost, et al. 2004).

The critical issue at the time was if teachers understood how the technology contributed to classroom instruction.

Shift Happens - Sometimes

PD began to shift beyond hardware and software use to emphasize the instructional purpose of the technology and the impact on education (Makrakis, 1991),

Educators, Technology and 21st Century Skills: Dispelling Five Myths:A Study on the Connection Between K–12 Technology Use and 21st Century Skills

The key message of the survey findings is that teachers’ technology habits make a difference in their perceptions of student outcomes.

Myth 1

Myth 2

New World - New Education

Educators share a passion to prepare our students to be successful, to achieve their potential, and contribute positively for a better world.

But the world has changed. To prepare our students for success in the new world, education must change.

College and Career Readiness

Think creatively Interact effectively with others

Reason effectively Produce results

Make decisions Adapt to change

Solve problems Manage goals and time

Communicate clearly Use and manage information

Collaborate with others Be flexible

Analyse media Work creatively with others

World’s Most Effective Schools Study

PISA OECD Program for International Student Achievement

Findings from the Top Achieving Schools

“The only way to improve outcomes is to improve instruction.” ◦ Barber & Mourshed 2007 p.26

“The quality of the education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.” p16

Richard Elmore: School Reform from the Inside Out 2004

Ambitious and challenging practice in classrooms occurs …in proportion to the number of teachers who are intrinsically motivated to question their practice on a fundamental level and look to outside models to improve teaching and learning.

At the peak of reform periods this is roughly 25% of the teaching population p.28

AFT-NEA study on Teacher Use of Technology in the Classroom 2008

100% of teachers have access to computers and internet

50% are adequately prepared to integrate technology .

1/3 of educators ask students to use technology in problem solving and research

“In the 21st century, students must be fully engaged. This requires the use of technology tools and resources, involvement with interesting and relevant projects, and learning environments—including online.

... In the 21st century, educators must be prepared to use technology tools; they must be collaborators in learning—constantly seeking knowledge and acquiring new skills along with their students. ”

— Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, March 3, 2010

It is not (never was) about technology.

Ask yourself what happens to student learning when: a teacher does not have a (teaching) plan that they are

able/required to follow? the “plan” is outdated/has been used for the last 5 years? teachers (across grade levels and subject areas) teach in

isolation of each other? teachers have forgotten, are not interested in, don’t have

time for, or are not supported in their own learning? collaboration and communication among administrators and

teachers in order to pursuit of the common goal called student learning is out of sync or non existent?

teaching means covering lessons, units, objectives and standards and does not involve teaching for understanding?

Never Was About Technology Langwitches Blog

“poor teaching + technology =

expensive poor teaching” Connor Bolton

Preparing Teachers

What professional learning will help teachers adapt and adopt innovative learning activities?

What professional development changes teacher practice in lasting and measurable ways

Research Findings  On the job, job-embedded training Long-term, ongoing Focused on classroom activities Highly collaborative environment Structured to offer chances to learn from

others from work of the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) (Sparks

2002), Michael Fullan (2001), North Central Regional Laboratory (NCREL) (Sparks & Loucks-Horsley, 1989), and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) (2003, July).

Research: Collaboration

Top performing school systems understand that to improve instruction you need to use the following interventions:

Coach classroom practiceMove teacher training to the classroom

Develop stronger school leadersEnable teachers to learn from one another

Barber & Mourshed 2007

Relationship between Training and Impact on Teacher Practice

(Joyce & Showers, 1994; Showers, Murphy & Joyce, 1996).

The context of the classroom

CollaborationNo more workshops after school out of

the classroom contextTaking teachers out of the context of their

classroom can only inform instruction. It does not change practice.

Must occur in context of their school relevant to the student needs in their classroom

Focus on Systemic ReformMichael Fullon

“Six Secrets of Change”Secret #2: Connecting Peers with Purpose1st time research shows when teachers

collaborate on a regular basis student achievement goes up.

What is important here is not just the peer interaction. It’s what peers are interacting about.

What they should be interacting about is two things.

First, they should be interacting on the data and how well students are doing

And second, they should be interacting around the instructional practices that get results.

Collaboration is Essential

“It is time for our education workforce to engage in learning the way other professionals do – continually, collaboratively, and on the job – to address common problems and crucial challenges where they work.”

Former N. Carolina Governor James Hunt (Darling-Hammond, ,2009, p.2

Jim Collins: Good to Great

"Leaders are ambitious 1st and foremost for a cause, for the work, for the company not him or herself and they have the will to do whatever is necessary to make good on the ambition for that cause "

The most effective PD was:1. Technology-rich,2. Delivered through a coaching model, and3. Enhanced by the power of community and social

learning.

ISTE surveyed PD models that integrate context, collaboration, and technologyIn analyzing successful programs three essential concepts emerged.

1. Context. Coaching practices must be in context with what can be used immediately.

2. Relevance. Coached information must be highly relevant to the lessons currently being taught.

3. Ongoing. Coaching support must be provided on a day-to-day basis where teachers can practice newly learned skills and ensure the highest potential for success.

(Wong & Wong, 2008).

For coaching to yield the greatest opportunity for success, it must incorporate three essential components:

Richard du Four

The Importance of Community“To create a professional learning

community, focus on learning rather than teaching, work collaboratively, and hold yourself accountable for results.”

Three Coaching models That Provide Highly Effective Professional Development

The principles of the ISTE NETS requires the inclusion of one or more of three different collaborative-oriented coaching initiatives: cognitive coaching, instructional coaching, and peer coaching.

ModelOne: Cognitive Coaching

Cognitive Coaching Based on 4 propositions:

a set of strategies, a way of thinking, or a way of working that invites self and others to shape and reshape their thinking and problem solving capacities (Costa & Garmston, 2002).

1. Thought and perception produce all behavior.

2. Teaching is a constant decision-making process.

3. To learn something new requires engagement and alteration in thought.

4. Humans continue to grow cognitively

Example: Missouri’s Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies (eMINTS)

Model Two: Instructional Coaching

Big Four Framework 7 practices that ICs use

Help schools focus identifying teaching practices that are likely to have a positive effect on the way teachers teach and the way students learn.

The Big Four framework for instructional excellence is built around 4 aspects of teaching:

1. Classroom management 2. Content planning, 3. Instruction, and 4. Assessment for learning.

Example: The Kansas Coaching Project

1. Enroll. The teacher chooses whether or not she or he would like to collaborate with the coach.

2. Identify. The teacher chooses the teaching practice that he or she would like to learn with the coach.

3. Explain. The coach and teacher have a shared understanding of the teaching practice and have agreed upon an observation protocol or checklist describing the components of the teaching practice.

4. Modeling: “You Watch Me” The teacher is ready to begin teaching with the new practice.

5. Observe. The teacher is comfortable with the coach observing the classroom practice.

6. Explore. The teacher is encouraged to continue using the teaching practice and has identified an area where he or she can improve the way the practice is implemented.

7. Refine. The learned teaching practice becomes habitual for the teacher.

Model Three: Peer Coaching

Collaboration among teachers is key to improving academic achievement,

There are five stages to the model:

Three primary pillars: Communication and

collaboration skills needed to build trust and effective collaboration

Strengthen coaches’ lesson design skills to help colleagues to improve learning activities

Understand best practices in technology integration

Stage 1: assess: determining the teacher’s technology skills and instructional strategies. This information helps the coach and teacher to define a lesson or project that the teacher can successfully implement, or to identify the kind of coaching, resources or skills the teacher might need.

Stage 2: Set goals. Setting reasonable and realistic goals that are linked to the school’s educational goals and curricular standards is a critical first step in establishing a solid coaching relationship

Stage 3: Prepare. Participants learn to use a learning activity checklist to evaluate the strength of a proposed lesson, project or unit.

Stage 4: Implement activities. Coaches often find that the teachers they work with benefit from seeing their coach model a technology-rich lesson or team teach a lesson or project with their coach.

Stage 5: analyze and Debrief. One of the strengths of peer coaching is that it provides for structured opportunities for reflection that help teachers improve their instruction. The peer coaching program provides coaches with a variety of tools to gather input, debrief participants, and analyze results.

Example:Currently there are trained coaches in 47 countries,11 U.S. States and 30+ WI school districts in the WI Peer Coaching Collaborative.

Peer Coaching Program Goals

• Help teacher leaders develop skills needed to serve as peer coaches for colleagues

• Engage all students in powerful, technology rich learning which will prepare them for their future

• Assist schools to build the capacity to meet their own professional development needs.

Dr. Vou, Ho Chi Minh City University, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam;“In the new context here, parents and companies that hire

graduates both have higher demands. We are trying to find a way to make our classes more student-centered. At the same time we are trying to integrate technology better…Peer Coaching has provided us with a framework for how to integrate information and communications technology (ICT) into classes. How will we know if a certain teaching activity in a certain class is good or not? Peer coaching has helped with answering this question,” says Nguyen Ngoc Vu

“Vietnamese administrators appreciate Peer Coaching because it saves professional development money. We have made a big investment in equipment in recent years—but we find that teachers do not know how to use the equipment. We find that Peer Coaching is a good way to help teachers learn how to use technology effectively in teaching,” says HCMCUE’s Vu.

National and International Programs States, Consortia, Universities, Regions, Disticts, and a few lone wolfs

According to Les Foltos, the approach used by Peer Coaching draws on the advice of classroom teachers and research. Classrooms teachers suggested they would learn best from a trusted colleague who was just down the hall when needed. “Peer Coaching is designed

to help these trusted colleagues develop the communication, collaboration and lesson design skills they need to be successful as Peer Coaches.”

In short Peer Coaching is designed to help coaches be effective collaborators.

Les Foltes International Trainer for Peer Coaching, Peer Ed, Seattle WA

Technology Coordinator Peer Coaching Facilitator, Apache Junction Unified School District, Arizona;

Tracy Watanabe

I’m a coach who coached another first grade teacher this year.I think a successful coaching program consists of:1. expectations/goals that are clearly defined, but leave room for

flexibility, i.e. giving the “what” but not the “how2. sharing of tools, methods, lessons learned and success stories

amongst peers3. a product or two that can be used again, or improved upon for the

following year4. a “maintained” website for collaboration, tool sharing, etc.5. feedback from knowledgeable folks, i.e. Andy, Mary Lou, etc.6. emphasis on tools we already have that can be used creatively,

i.e. publisher, ppt, etc.7. time with the mentee that is built into the district/school, schedule8. opportunities to see what other successful coaching programs

are/do9. opportunities to attend workshops, etc.These were present in our coaching program this year.

A Peer Coaches Reflection on Successful Coaching this Year:Nate from Superior

Structured Collaborative Conversations

Focus: What is the impact on student learning?

Student Work:Is the tangible bridge between student and

teacherProvides concrete evidence of what the

teacher intended and student learnedOffers a baseline for improvement of

teaching and learning

The Quality of our Coaching =The Quality of our Conversations

Communication & Collaboration Skills

Collaboration Communication Skills: Challenges

Teachers have limited experience engaging in professional dialogue about their teaching and student learning

Conversations tend to be more “show and tell” or offering help and easily tangential

Research suggests these kinds of conversations do not improve practice

Research: 2006 study by W. David Stevens at the Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago

Indentifies two patterns of conversation: Supportive practices and Developmental practices

Supportive practices include teachers offering advice, suggesting approaches to tasks or concerns, and generally helping with daily classroom work. These occur informally and affect only one or a few teachers

Developmental practices, on the other hand, are interactions that spur improvements in overall instruction and change classroom practices. These require collective and structured efforts.

Coaches need to assist teachers in looking for evidence of:

Intended – what students should learnEnacted- what teachers teachAssessed –what is assessedLearned –what students learn

Focus on quality indicators that most lessons need improvement:

Task: Setting, Audience, Product; Opportunities for collaboration. Use questions to clarify the task (REAL Problem, Purpose, Product, Audience)

Standards: (21st Century, AASL, and Academic you intend to assess) only 2or 3

Student Steps and Teacher Notes: Cohesive - Detailed, clarifies the product, adds scaffolding tools where needed.

Assessment: How will you assess the standards you listed? Rubric? Checklist? Test? How will you assess product and process? Formative Feedback (that helps move student to the next step)

Technology: Adds value to the teaching and learning; Reason for using technology (i.e Communication? Collaboration? Co- Create? Contribute?)

Resources: Curricular, Web site, information, electronic and non electronic; how to cite.

Professional growth occurs when we engage in conversations around evidence of quality in teaching and learning.Anchored in common definitions of quality

indicatorsFocus on the collaborating teacher’s work.

Factual evidence of how they are currently teaching and integrating technology

Asking questions around the intended and enacted curriculum, assessment of student performance, and impact on learning.

Ask probing questions that allow the teacher to think more deeply about their work

Becoming a good coach takes time and opportunities to reflect with other coaches.

Year 1 Coaches: Year 2 Coaches

Focus on being “Nice” to build trust and acceptance

HelpfulFocus on Technology

ToolsTend to coach more

“informally” No structured time or

process

Focus more on learning outcomes

Find technology to align with learning

Coach using more protocol structured conversations

Ask more probing questions

Meet on a regular basis

Two Case Studies:Reflection on Coaching

Table of Elements Edgar Allen Poe

Use GlogsterLevel of Thinking?Impact on Student

Learning? During Learning?

What improved?

PowerPointLevel of Thinking?Impact on Student

Thinking? During Learning?

What improved?

Tools and Resources

Effective Integration Effective Coaching

Lesson Improvement Templates

Learning Activity Checklists

Lesson Improvement Comparison Chart

Technology tools and resources

Coaches Handbook

Coaching ProtocolsCollaboration LogsPlanning GuidesWows and Wonders

ProtocolsCoaching self-

reflection rubrics

Impact of CoachingImpact on Lesson Quality

Program Results

71% of participants felt the coaching program overall made a significant level of impact on changing instructional practice

Understanding of how technology can be used to improve academic curricula

Expertise in using technology to promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills among students

Ability to integrate technology in ways that engage students in learning

Awareness of web based resources

Lessons demonstrated a significant increase in the cognitive level of the tasks students were asked to perform, real world connections, and an increase in use of technology.

Change in Lesson Quality

Level 1 low Level 2 Minimal Level 3 High Quality0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Baseline Post

Comparison of change in levels of lesson quality

baseline to post

Improvement in Quality of Lessons

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Con

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Overa

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1.5

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Baseline Post

Average Level of Quality In-dicators

(1-low,3-high) in Lessons

1. When the larger values of the organization and those of individuals

and groups mesh.  Purpose/ Focus

2. When information and knowledge about effective practices are widely

and openly shared. Criteria for Quality

3. When monitoring mechanisms are in place to detect and address ineffective actions, while also reinforcing and consolidating effective practices. 

Reflection/Feedback

Purposeful peer interaction works effectively under three conditions

Capture Growth

What would be evidence that change is happening?

Doing More with Less

With finite teacher time and resources for professional development, school leaders are challenged to provide effective professional development to improve teachers’ 21st century teaching skills. Build internal capacity.

Our Goal

professional development for changing teacher practice in lasting and measurable ways

Your Story:

What are the implications of these ideas for the classroom?

Your school?The district?The state?What are the implications of these ideas

for education in the U.S. and the world?

Begin the Conversation:www.coacheshelp.wikispaces.com

Something that affirmed what you know/believe.

Something you passionately agree with.An action you will take today that will

lead to action tomorrow and then after.