Effective curriculum coaching

1. Effective curriculum coaching Meredith Dunn Principal, Northern Elementary Melody Gallenstein Curriculum Coach, Northern Elementary September 2010

2. Our background Northern Elementary • Lexington, Kentucky • 500 students • 40% Caucasion, 40% African American, 20% Hispanic • 85% Free/Reduced Lunch • 10-15% Special Education (not including speech only) • 3-4 classrooms at each level • 4th and 5th grade – departmentalized • 2008-2009 CATS Index – 101 • Based on 08-09 Data – No Achievement Gaps • Leadership Staff: 1 Principal, 1 PSA, 1 Curriculum Coach

3. What is a curriculum coach anyway? • Role will look different depending on the needs of the students and staff in your building. • There is not an absolute right way to approach the coaching position but there are some ways to maximize the role. • Probably the trickiest position in the school to navigate. • Can be called Instructional, Academic, etc

4. Purpose • Ultimately, you want a Coach that can: • Influence school culture positively • Increase and encourage professional learning • Raise student achievement • Build capacity

5. The Role • The job of a Curriculum Coach is to raise the quality of the teaching and learning in every classroom in the school by building a culture in which: • Teaching is public and itself the focus of study among professionals • Planning for instruction is thorough and collaborative and digs deeply into the content • Conversation and questions about improving student results among teachers are constant, evidence-based, and non-defensive.

6. What is a curriculum coach anyway? • A Curriculum Coach wears many hats during any given day. The following 10 roles break down how a Coach might impact a school. • 1. Resource Provider • Websites • Instructional materials • Readings • Professional resources • Lesson/unit plans • Assessments

7. What is a curriculum coach anyway? • Instructional Specialist • Helps implement effective teaching strategies • Differentiating instruction • Planning lessons • Explore instructional strategies appropriate for the school • Design assessments • Highlight best practices in the classroom and in the profession

8. What is a curriculum coach anyway? • Curriculum Specialist • Understanding content standards • Linking curriculum together • Long range planning • Ensure consistent curriculum implementation throughout the school • Lead teachers to agree on standards • Use common pacing charts • Develop common assessment

9. What is a curriculum coach anyway? • Classroom Supporter • Help teachers implement new ideas • Modeling lessons • Coteaching • Observing and giving feedback • Enhance teachers self efficacy – believe in their own abilities and capacity to solve teaching and learning problems • Encourage reflection

10. What is a curriculum coach anyway? • Learning Facilitator • Facilitate professional learning opportunities among staff members • Help to create a community of learning • Facilitate Grade Level Meetings and Committees • Foster and environment where staff members regularly consult and ask each other for help. • Meet in regular groups to discuss how to improve instruction of specific concepts and skills

11. What is a curriculum coach anyway? • Mentor • For novice teachers • Acclimate new teachers to a new school • Advise new teachers about instruction, curriculum, procedure, practices, and politics

12. What is a curriculum coach anyway? • School Leader • Serving on a committee • School improvement team • Represent the school on district task forces • Shares the vision of the school • Aligns goals with that of the district and school • Shares responsibility for the success of the school • Possible Site Based Council Member

13. What is a curriculum coach anyway? • Data Coach • Lead conversations that engage teachers in analyzing data to drive classroom instruction • Disaggregate data • Help plan instruction based on data • Give feedback on structures that work and those that need to be revised • Help staff members use daily and weekly formative data about student learning to design reteaching and focus instruction on student needs.

14. What is a curriculum coach anyway? • Catalyst for Change • Never content with the status quo • Always looking for a better way • Coaches who take a catalyst role feel secure in their own work and have a strong commitment to continual improvement. • Pose questions to generate analysis of student learning • Can lead to sustainable improvement across the school and district

15. What is a curriculum coach anyway? • Learner • Model continual improvement • Demonstrate lifelong learning • Use what they learn to help all students achieve

16. Special ingredient • Building Relationships • Success of a Curriculum Coach depends very much on the personality of the person filling the role. Must be approachable. • Teachers MUST trust this person. • There cannot be a hidden agenda that the Coach tries to follow. The agenda is student achievement. • The Coach is not a teacher but is not technically an administrator either. • Principal/Coach Relationship

17. What to look for in hiring • A coach should emphasize these values: • Inquiry • Deep collaboration • Collective responsibility for student learning • Teacher as decision maker • Curriculum as a tool for good instruction; not as a prescription for instruction • Continual adult learning • Adult norms of dialogue and debate at the same time as sharing and mutual support

18. References • Saphier, J. & West, L. How Coaches Can Maximize Student Learning. Kappan December 2009/January 2010, pg. 46 - 50 • Harrison, D. & Killion, J. Ten Roles for Teacher Leaders. September 2007, Educational Leadership, Volume 65, Number 1, pg. 74-77

19. information • Meredith Dunn Principal, Northern Elementary meredith.dunn@fayette.kyschools.us • Melody Gallenstein Curriculum Coach, Northern Elementary melody.gallenstein@fayette.kyschools.us