Partnership Agreement Map: Coach and Principal

Basic Agreements / Design Issues
What roles do I take on? / What are the specific roles and job responsibilities I will take on?
How and when will we communicate? / How will we implement whole group, small group, and in-class coaching?
How will I tell you about my work? / How will we decide which teachers I work with and the focus of the work?
How will we inform staff of the coaching vision and coaching work? / How will we collect data to show the impact of the coaching work on student learning?
How will we handle conflict? Work with staff not fully engaged with coaching? / What resources and materials are available to me?
What are the important dates I should have on my calendar? / Will we have an instructional coaching team? If so, who will be members of the team?
How will I get feedback on my coaching work?

Adapted by S. Stanton from the work of National Staff Development Council, Katherine Casey (2006), Diane Sweeney (2009)

Partnership Agreement Map

Elementary School Sample

2008-2009

Basic Agreements / Design Issues
What roles do I take on?
· Curriculum training and support: Units of Study, Making Meaning, Phonetic Connections, Benchmark Bookroom, Sourcebook Spelling
· Planning member of the School Improvement Team
· Reading and writing assessments: scheduling, data collection, planning from the data / What are the specific job responsibilities I will take on?
· Units of Study ½ day training during Aug. pre-service
· 1 staff meeting per month for writing training
· Facilitate grade level collaboration meetings (Mon-Thur)
· Facilitate grade level CAST meetings (one/trimester)
· Engage in coaching cycles with teachers
How and when will we communicate?
· Weekly: Wednesday at 12:00 noon
· Email communication / How will we implement whole group, small group, and in-class coaching?
· Whole group: Writing in-service and staff meetings
· Small group: Grade level collaboration and CAST
· In-class: Volunteers and follow-up sessions from grade level work
How will I tell you about my work?
· During our weekly meetings
· Copies of my monthly staff newsletter
· Publishing my coaching calendar / How will identify which teachers I work with and the focus of the work?
· Focus:
o Writer’s workshop structure
o Writing curriculum: Units of Study
o Reading comprehension, particularly expository text
o Teacher requested focus as long as it is in alignment with the School Improvement Plan
· Who:
o First & Second year teachers and teachers new to our school
o Volunteers
o Classrooms where the student data shows the greatest need

Partnership Agreement Map

Elementary School Sample

2008-2009

Basic Agreements / Design Issues
How will we inform staff of the coaching vision and the coaching work?
· Initial presentation during August pre-service
· Follow-up letter and request for coaching form first week of September
· Monthly coaching newsletter for staff, including request for coaching forms
· Posted calendar (hard copy & electronic) for staff to access
· When appropriate, invite staff members who have participated in coaching to share the work and the value with other staff members / How will we collect data to show the impact of the coaching work on student learning?
· Results-Based Coaching Tool
· Coaching Interaction Log
· Reading and writing common assessments
· Report card and progress report data
· Staff survey - April
How will we handle conflict? Work with staff not fully engaged in coaching?
· Wednesday meetings – or sooner if urgent
· Open and honest discussion
· Proactive communication
· Active listening
· Suspend judgment
· Focus on students and student learning
· Open invitations for coaching
· Coach across all 3 venues / What resources and materials are available to me?
· Weekly meeting time
· Cognitive Coaching
· Coaching and Language Arts Coordinators
· TOSAs
· PD Conferences
· Staff Development Library
· www.choiceliteracy.com
· District sponsored study groups for coaches
What are the important events that I should have on my calendar?
· Wednesday meetings
· Workshop and early release days
· District training days
· Cognitive Coaching
· Open House and Curriculum Night / Who are instructional coaching team members?
· Literacy Coach
· Principal
· Shannon Stanton, Instructional Coach Coordinator
· Marcia Woehlbrandt, Director of Professional Development

Getting Student-Centered Coaching Up and Running

Principal is responsible for: / Coach is responsible for:
Principal and coach calibrate their view of coaching and the coach’s roles and responsibilities
Principal and coach define student-centered coaching for teachers and invite their participation
Principal and coach commit to weekly or biweekly planning meetings
Principal works with teachers to develop a school wide goal for teacher learning that is based in data / Coach sets the coaching focus with teachers who are ready to go with one-on-one coaching
Principal spends time in classrooms on a regular basis / Coach and teachers create a set of agreements for working together in one-on-one coaching and small groups
Principal sets the expectation for teachers to participate in large group, small group, and one-on-one professional development / Coach monitors and develops relationships with all teachers
Principal develops a schedule that makes time for job-embedded professional development in the large group, small groups, and one-on-one / Coach builds a schedule that makes an impact with students and teachers through one-on-one coaching cycles and small group coaching cycles
Principal manages through issues around climate and culture and sets a tone that all teachers are expected to engage as learners / Coach and teachers measure impact at the end of one-on-one and small group coaching cycles

www.sparkinnovate.com

Planning for Coach/Principal Meetings

Advice from the Field

Example 1:

Simona Funk, Instructional Coach, Glenridge Elementary School

Both of us bring agenda items to the meeting. We schedule meetings by having me (the coach) sign up in his (the principal) planner. If he wants to meet with me he puts a note in my box that says “see me” with the topic listed and then I use both of our planners to coordinate a meeting. We often don’t discuss agenda items ahead of time, thus if it is an issue that needs more thought we schedule another meeting date for a few days away. As far as tracking what we talk about ahead of time, in my planner and his I often list the topic(s) of discussion. Both of our planner books are the days of the week listed with time in 15 min. increments. So in the slot where I am planning to meet with him I indent and list the purposed topics. Often at these meetings, I get a list of follow – up tasks. I often write those in the “Saturday section” of my planner so that I have my list for the week right there in front of me.

Example 2:

Susan Fish, Instructional Coach, Carriage Crest Elementary School

We have a protected, dedicated meeting time that can also be flexible, depending on our schedules. It is on the weekly calendar, Outlook, and our PDA's!

I usually set the initial agenda; however, we often plan for our next meeting from the previous agenda. I always leave room for Susanne to input her own agenda items. At the end of each meeting, we review what we will focus on at our next meeting. As the agenda is tied to the roles of the coach, it is very easy for her to see what has been accomplished, what concerns are emerging, and what both of us need to accomplish at the meeting. I send these documents to her a couple of days before we meet so that she has time to review them. I also color-code important events, upcoming questions, and significant topics of discussion. There are times during the weekwhen she will ask me to place something on the agenda for our next meeting.

I use two basic documents which I have created for our meetings. One of these is based on "The Nine Roles of the School-Based Coach" and the other is a weekly schedule of how I will be meeting these goals. The "Nine Roles" document also includes "Progress Towards Goals" and the key accomplishments, and "Challenges to Accomplishing Goals." I also include an agenda that delineates my responsibilities and those I desire of my principal. We review these documents at our weekly update meetings and discuss each one. Often times, these spark connected conversations and questions.

Video Observation

Participants:

Shannon Stanton, Principal

Alyssa McCaslin, 5th/6th grade teacher and school math cadre representative

Lynette Vogeley, Primary support center teacher and administrative intern

Context:

Alyssa and Shannon are planning for staff development on the Common Core State Standards for math. The school district has provided some guidance and materials. Alyssa and Shannon are planning on how to take that information and deliver it in a meaningful and productive way for staff.

Observation Lens:

Notes and Noticings / Thoughts and Questions

Results-Based Coaching Tool

Teacher’s Name: / Coach’s Name:
Coaching Cycle Focus: / Dates of Coaching Cycle:
______to ______
beginning date ending date
What is the student learning goal for this coaching cycle? What data is this goal based on? / What instructional practices were determined by the coach and teacher to most likely produce the desired student learning goal? / What coaching practices were implemented during this coaching cycle? (check all that apply) / As a result of the coaching cycle, what instructional practices is the teacher now using on a consistent basis? / What is the evidence that students accomplished the desired learning goal?
Student Learning Goal:
Baseline Data:
______% of students were able to do______
as determined by the
______
assessment.
Number of Students______ /  Demonstration Teaching with a prebrief, lesson and debrief
 Co-Teaching with a prebrief, lesson and debrief
 Collaborative Planning
 Analysis of student work
 Teacher Observation with a prebrief, lesson and debrief
 Study group to discuss professional text that aligns to the student learning goal
 Critical Friends Group that aligns to the student learning goal
 Other:______/ Post Assessment Data:
______% of students were able to do______
______
as determined by the
assessment.

Results-Based Coaching Tool for Small Groups

Teachers’ Names: / Coach’s Name:
Purpose for the Group Work / Dates of Small Group Coaching Cycle:
______to ______
What did we learn from analyzing the student work? / What is our goal for student learning? / How will we extend our learning as a group? / As a result of the small group coaching cycle, what instructional practices are the teachers planning to use? / What is the evidence that students accomplished the desired learning goal?
What student work did we examine?
What did we find?
Pre Assessment Data:
______% of students were able to do______
______
as determined by the
assessment. / Student Learning Goal: /  Text-Based Collaboration
 Problem-Based Collaboration
 Observation- Demonstration
 Observation- Peer-Based
 Video
 One-On-One Coaching
 More examination of student work
 Other:______/ Post Assessment Data:
______% of students were able to do______
______
as determined by the
assessment.

Coaching Entry Plan: The First Year

From: Student-Centered Coaching: A Guide for K-8 Coaches and Principals, Sweeney, 2010

Time of Year / Common Challenges for New Coaches / Support for New Coaches / Implications for Me: “To Do” lists, Possible Activities, and Staying Healthy Strategies /
Fall: August –November / Early in the year, most new coaches are transitioning away from the classroom, and often worry about how to most effectively spend their time. October is the toughest month for new coaches, as they gradually become more concerned regarding how to make an impact on student learning. / At this stage, new coaches benefit from collaborative learning and coaching observations. Topics can include the following:
· Collaborating with the school leader
· Fostering relationships with teachers
· Engaging teachers to participate in the coaching
· Creating openings for coaching through small-group collaboration
· Using data and student work as the foundation for one-on-0ne and small group coaching
· Putting a schedule together for coaching cycles (individual and small group)
· Measuring the impact of coaching on student learning

Time of Year / Common Challenges for New Coaches / Support for New Coaches / Implications for Me: “To Do” lists, Possible Activities, and Staying Healthy Strategies /
Winter: November – February / By now, most coaches have an established schedule that commonly includes teachers who are the early adopters. Coaches recognize the need to develop strategies for gaining entry with teachers who have not yet engaged.
This is a great time for coaches to focus on coaching cycles before their work is interrupted by the spring testing season. / At this stage, new coaches benefit from continued collaboration with their colleagues, coaching observations, and one-on-one problem solving sessions. Topics can include the following:
· Developing strategies for working with a broad range of adult learners
· Connecting with teachers who haven’t engaged in a coaching cycle
· Redesigning the coach’s schedule to accommodate these teachers
· Continuing to refine coaching practices such as using student work
Spring: March – May / The spring testing season arrives and this often throws off the coach’s schedule. During this stage, coaches can focus on the grade levels that aren’t tested and support the testing in the other grades. / At this stage, new coaches benefit from continued collaboration with colleagues, coaching observations, and one-on-one problem solving sessions. Topics can include the following:
· Reflecting on the use of the Results-Based Coaching Tool and how their coaching has impacted both student learning and teaching practice
· Setting goals and planning for the next year