Literacy Planning

How Coaches can guide the way to school

change.

Rebecca DerengeWest Virginia Department of Education

Goals of Presentation

What’s this coaching role?

Keys to successful leadership and coaching

Issues we face

Where do we begin?

What Leadership Roles Are Part of Your Responsibility?

Resource to teachers, parents, and other professionals Share ideas and materials with

teachers? Plan with teachers for classroom

instruction? Discuss needs of students with special

educators? Meet with parents and do workshops

for them?

What is Leadership?

A position with authority

Traits (caring, charismatic)

Set of behaviors

Coaching: Is this different from the leadership role of

the reading specialist?There is an acknowledgement that the literacy coach is to work with teachers.May or may not work with studentsSeen as responsible for professional developmentMost continue to lead by “influence”

Forms of Coaching

Level 1 – informal; helps to develop relationships Informal conversations, study groups,

assisting with assessment

Level 2 – more formal, begins to look at areas of need and focus Co-planning lessons, team meetings

Level 3 – formal, more intense Classroom visits; co-teaching lessons

Know Your Responsibilities

Is there a job description?Has everyone seen it – and have you had opportunity to discuss it with teachers, etc.?Was principal involved in developing it or at least supports it?Is it reasonable in terms of workload, etc.?

Work with the Principal

Principals can “make or break” the coaching position. Must understand the

role

Must value the role

““Current difficulties in Current difficulties in reading largely originate reading largely originate from rising demands for from rising demands for literacy, not from literacy, not from declining absolute levels declining absolute levels of literacy”of literacy”

Report of the National Report of the National Research CouncilResearch Council

Know your Research! Is the Research Based in Science?

• Was there an independent evaluator?

• Use of experimental design: control group?

• Use of standardized tests to measure growth?

• Gains sustained over time?

• 3 or more years?

Where to begin the planning process?

At the beginning!

As a beginning Coach, set both your short and long-range personal goals

Form a Literacy Planning Team (by invitation)

Create a Staff Survey

The Literacy Planning team will set goals for the school in terms of Literacy

Develop a menu of services

So What is a Literacy Team?

A Literacy Team could include:

• Classroom Teachers

• Administrators

• Counselors

• Parents

• Special Educators

• Librarian

• Coaches and/or Specialists

What is the role of a literacy team?

• To begin and keep conversations going

• To assess and understand the current reality at your school

• To set priorities

• To establish and carry out staff development

• To create both a short and long-range literacy plan

• To monitor your program and student performanceAdopted from the work of John O’Flahavan, University of Maryland

Working with Groups

Create Team Power: No one of us is as smart as all of us!Create a Clear Purpose and VisionDevelop Skills (Build Bench Strength)Keep the accent on the positive!

Blanchard, K., Bowles, S., Carew, D. & Parisi-Carew, E. (2001). High Five! The Magic of Working Together. HarperCollins Publisher, New York.

CREATING THE STAFF SURVEYDesign questions to fit the needs of the school(s) you’re assigned.

Ask questions that are a direct result of looking at both formal and informal needs.

CREATE A MENU OF SERVICES

The “Menu of Services” could include:

• Research Based Learning Strategies (before instruction)

• Research Based Learning Strategies (during instruction)

• Research Based Learning Strategies (after instruction)

• Cooperative Learning

• Non-fiction Book Talks

Getting to Know you (Building Trust)

Characteristics that help to develop trust:

Being a good listener Acting in a nonjudgmental

way Keeping commitments Being interested in the

person

Getting to Know You (Building Trust continued)

Start with the teacher’s agenda!Maintain confidentialityStay away from evaluating teacher’s performanceRespect ideas and views of teachers

Concerns from WV Coaches

• Need for principal trainings to emphasize importance of their support

• How to conduct study groups

• Time management

• That they aren’t abandoned

• Opportunities to network

GOOD LUCK

Coming events:

October 28, 2004 – Tamarack – Beckley -Robin Fogarty – “Literacy Matters”

November 9, 2004 – Marriott – Charleston - Jane Hill – McREL – “Teaching Reading in Social StudiesQuestions? rderenge@access.k12.wv.us or 304-558-7817 x 348

Some days………….

Coaching can seem like herding cats………..

monitoringmonitoring is the key to is the key to successful implementation successful implementation

of any plan.of any plan.

Remember