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Coaching as a Tool for School Improvement: The SEA Role

Karen Laba

Center on Innovation and Improvement

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Welcome!

Purpose of the presentation Intended outcomes Brief overview

“If you don’t know where you’re going, you might wind

up someplace else.” Yogi Berra

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Coaching for School Improvement: WHY?

Local capacity limitations State capacity limitations Coherence

PLUS: “Sam said it was a good idea!”

Coaches who can outline plays on a black

board are a dime a dozen. The ones who win get inside their

players and motivate.

Vince Lombardi

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ESSENTIAL Coaching Function: Pressure and Support

“An outside school coach, properly prepared and sensitive to individual and whole-school concerns, can provide a balance of pressure and support to initiate

and sustain meaningful school improvement.” (Kostin and Haeger, 2006)

“properly prepared” “sensitive . . .concerns” “provide a balance of pressure and support . . .

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Coach’s Responsibilities

Locally defined responsibilities

State expectations Other considerations

A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what

they are.

Ara Parseghian, Notre Dame football coach

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Coach’s Responsibilities: State Expectations

What is the work? Continuous improvement –

school, LEA SIG implementation,

monitoring Other . . .

Varying Regulatory Environments, State Contexts !!

“Keep it simple. When you get too complex you forget

the obvious.” Al Maguire

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SEA Sponsors of Coaching

Some State sponsors of coaching for school improvement – Virginia Illinois New Hampshire Idaho North Dakota Vermont

Coaching within/ beyond Indistar

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SEA Role: Providing Guidance

Essential competenciesPersonal/ interpersonal,

professionalKnowledge, skills

Performance Expectations Advice on recruiting coaches Advice on contracting for

coaching services

"Good teams become great ones when the members

trust each other enough to surrender the Me for the We."

Phil Jackson

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PACESETTER SEA SHAREWhat are some examples of

guidance offered by Pacesetter (and other) states

around the qualities and competencies of school improvement coaches?

Finding good players is easy. Getting them to

play as a team is another story.

Casey Stengel

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SEA Role: Communicating Expectations

Consider Doug Reeves’ advice:“Effective coaching focuses on changing performance. Therefore, the first requirement of any coaching relationship is that the person receiving the

coaching must agree that a change in performance will be useful. Throwing coaches at teachers and principals who have not first agreed that improved

student performance is essential will be a waste of time and money.” (Reeves, 2009, p. 75)

SEA Expectations = (a) tasks (EASY !!) (b) purpose/ reason (HARD!!)Task expectations – checklists (Guide, pp. 44, 51, 52) Purpose expectations – How can the SEA communicate the need for “a change in performance”?

Typical – Federal and/or state accountability sanctionsOptimal – Inspire pursuit of excellence

“You get the best effort from others not by lighting a

fire beneath them, but by building a fire within.”

Bob Nelson, Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders.

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PACESETTER SEA SHARE

What are some ways SEAs are communicating

expectations – for both school improvement

tasks and the need for a change in performance?

Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to

do better.

Pat Riley, NBA Coach

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SEA Role: Monitoring Effectiveness

*What Gets Monitored Gets Done*

Monitoring Compliance measures – checklists, self-reportsIndistar® coaching comments – quality, frequency

Monitoring ImpactIntended outcomes/ audienceTrustworthy measures

Instructional practicesOrganizational structuresProfessional learning

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PACESETTER SEA SHARE

What are some ways SEAs are monitoring coaching, both for compliance and for impact?

“Look for players with character and ability.

But remember, character comes first."

Joe Gibb, NFL Redskins

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Coaching Tools and Resources

Coaching for School Improvement: A Guide for Coaches and their Supervisors www.centerii.org -- Coaching for School Improvement-- Coaching with Indicators-- Selecting and Supporting School Improvement Coaches-- Monitoring Coaching

Indistar® Blog http://indistar.blogspot.com/ Share your stories, strategies and coaching successes and challenges

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Feedback and Next Steps

Send comments, suggestions to Karen karenlaba@comcast.netand/or Marilyn Murphymurphyma@temple.edu

“I have a plan of action, but the game is a game of

adjustments.”

Mike Krzyzewski, Duke basketball