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Provide a coaches academy to increase impact of instructional coaching.
Many schools choose experienced teachers to serve as instructional coaches. Coaches are expected to help educators improve their performance, with the expectation that this, in turn, will improve student performance. Coaches often discover, however, that it is difficult to transfer their classroom knowledge and skills to working with their peers. Districts investing in coaches will benefit from ensuring that each coach completes a comprehensive coaching academy experience.

Resources required
A high-quality coaching academy includes face-to-face training, on-the-job feedback, and ongoing virtual technical assistance. Additional coaching support includes evaluation, developing structures that support coaches, and preparing principals to work effectively with coaches. The cost for such an experience includes the training, follow-up support, materials, and documentation of impact on student achievement.

Outcomes

• Coaches will understand the needs of adult learners and how change impacts them.
• Coaches will learn strategies to address teachers’ concerns about change.
• Coaches will develop a deep understanding of the multiple roles of coaches and will be able to address the challenges associated with each role.
• Coaches will understand how to contract with their principals and teachers regarding services to improve teaching and learning.

NSDC in the field

Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
NSDC began working with Fairfax County Public Schools in 2004, as the district prepared to hire 24 coaches to work in its low-performing schools. NSDC worked with Fairfax to design its coaching program, develop the job descriptions and expectations for coaches, and produce a plan for coaches’ professional development. Five years after the launch of the partnership, NSDC and Fairfax County Public Schools continue to work closely to ensure the success of the district’s coaches, with NSDC making 3-4 onsite visits a year to provide training and support for coaches and to help refine the coaches program evaluation process.

The relationship between Fairfax County and NSDC has had tangible benefits for students. At Graham Road Elementary School, what was once an underperforming school has been transformed into a Blue Ribbon school in just four years, thanks in large part to the collaboration amongst Principal Molly Bensinger-Lacy, Academic Coach Marie Parker-McElroy, teachers and school staff.

“Working with NSDC has helped empower me to facilitate change, handle conflict, to pack my toolbox so that I’m more comfortable with anything that arises,” says Parker-McElroy. “There have been great opportunities for professional growth. It’s unbelievable what the partnership with NSDC has meant to me over the last four years.”

Erie City School District, PA
In 2007, a committee of teachers and administrators from Erie City School District began meeting to identify and develop a coaching model for its K-8 instructional coaching initiative. The committee worked closely with NSDC to determine a definition of coaching, develop coaches’ roles and responsibilities, craft job descriptions, determine a hiring process, and design an implementation plan. The result was a coaching initiative designed with the specific objective of raising student achievement by improving the effectiveness of instruction.

In March 2008, the Erie Education Association launched its coaching initiative, which was funded through a $15 million, five-year grant from the GE Foundation. The program includes 19 coaches, working in math, science, language arts, early childhood and special education. In its first year of implementation, coaches have functioned as learning facilitators, classroom supporters, curriculum specialists, instructional specialists, and data coaches.

Memphis City Schools, TN
NSDC launched its coaches academy in Memphis City Schools in the summer of 2007, working with more than 300 teacher leaders from across the district. NSDC’s focus was to not only build the capacity of these coaches and leaders, but also to develop common language and understanding, enhance communication and collaboration skills, assist coaches in leading conversations about data, and build consistency of practice and expectations throughout the district regarding its coaching program.