Like a Gardener Coaches Tend to the Green

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Like a Gardener Coaches Tend to the Green

• Peggy Murray
• Austintown Local- District Coach
• Michele DiMuzio
• NEOSERRC- Instructional Coordinator

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Agenda

• Introductions
• District at a Glance
• OISM Timeline
• Role of OISM District Coach
• Support for District Coach
• Lessons Learned
• Research on Effective Change
• Words of Wisdom

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• Whos here?

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What do you know about OISM? Think- Pair- Share
Foot Path- No Experience
Gravel Lane- Little Experience
Highway- Some Experience
Super Highway- Much Experience
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• Enrollment 5000
• 8 Buildings
• 5 Elementary Schools (K-3)
• 1 Intermediate School (4-5)
• 1 Middle School (6-8)
• 1 High School (9-12)
• Diverse Population
• 30 Economically Disadvantaged
• 88 White, 7 African American, 5 Other
• 16 Students with Disabilities

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Austintown Local at a Glance

• District is rated Effective
• Excellent Rating
• 5 Elementary Schools
• 1 High School
• Effective Rating
• 2 Middle Schools
• DI Status for not meeting AYP for SWD in reading
• Awards and Recognitions

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Austintown Local at a GlanceOISM Implementation
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Role of District Coaches
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The Power of Coaching( of Staff Demonstrating
Mastery and Application)from Joyce and Showers,
1995
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Internal DistrictOISM Coach Rationale

• Building Leadership Teams need structures in
  place to assist, prompt, encourage, and monitor
  progress as they develop, implement, and evaluate
  OISM
• District coaches support these functions inside
  the district, supporting implementation of OISM
  that is a contextual fit within the district and
  building(s)

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District Support for Coaches

• Selecting the right people for the job
• Provide access to training and networking
• Allow flexibility and time to complete the job
  responsibilities
• Provide representation on the District Leadership
  Team
• Promote communication between coaches and central
  office

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District Coach Responsibilities

• Providing training
• Facilitating problem solving
• Knowing research base for OISM
• Managing multiple tasks
• Accessing resources and connecting people
• Actively engaging in partnership with SERRC
• Coordinating evaluation activities
• Analyzing data in the OISM framework
• Integrating initiatives

• Attending ongoing professional development and
  networking events
• Engaging in ongoing reflection, feedback,
  professional learning
• Facilitating the establishment/continuance and
  functioning of building leadership team
• Meeting with building leadership teams regularly
• Capacity building within each building

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S3- Stretched, Stressed Slipping
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Reality Sets In

• Negative
• No home
• Mandate by district
• Leadership change
• Support system not in place
• No office time
• Sole ownership
• Building Leader and District Coach
• So new- cant delegate
• Building plane and flying it at the same time

• Positive
• Grade level meetings
• Using data to make decisions
• Ongoing support for teachers

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Survival Plan

• Fight
• Plan for 2007-2008 Year
• New Role of District Coach
• Building Coach
• Schedule
• 4-1 Plan
• Weekly Collaboration
• Flight- Resignation

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The Team Approach
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Research findings on effective change consultants
(Fixsen et al., 2005)

• Consultants viewed as competent by those who they
  are helping are seen as
• Knowledgeable
• Skilled
• Able to teach what they know to others
• Supporting practice during initial implementation
• (higher levels on these ratings related to better
  consumer outcomes)

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Understanding Personal Concerns in change

• Remember, change only occurs when individuals
  change behaviors
• Reactions are normal, can be anticipated
• Listening for concerns and relating to this model
  can help to reframe reactions are not
  resistance but are understandable within this
  framework
• Research links strategies to concerns/needs

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Responding to Personal Concerns

• Concerns
• Self Concerns
• Looking at change from personal perspective how
  affects user
• Task Concerns
• Interested in how to learn about and master the
  change, how to incorporate new skills and reach
  fluency
• Impact Concerns
• Interested in effect on learners, sharing with
  others

• Strategies
• Needs information, examples, seeing in practice,
  discussion, concerns validated, understood,
  responded to
• Needs practice opportunities, on-site feedback
  and coaching, networking opportunities
• Provide opportunities to celebrate, share,
  network, publicize results

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Leadership!
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Leadership behaviors (Fullan,2005)

• Resilience
• Flexibility
• Persistence
• Adaptability
• Passion
• Commitment
• Respect for others opinions
• Tact in conflict management
• Will to persevere (uncertainty and chaos are
  predictable!)

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Scaling Up Innovations (Rand, 2004)

• Initial implementation, with training and
  support, can occur within 2 years
• Stabilization of innovation typically takes up to
  6 years
• Scaling up requires extensive implementation
  support and building capacity at all levels

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Stay focused on whats important!
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Remember a Few Survival Strategies (Toll, 2005)

• Remember to breathe
• Have hope
• See the good
• Take care of yourself

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To be a coach you need to
Stay strong
Pull the weeds
Put up with a lot of fertilizer
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References and Resources

• Fixsen, D. Naoom, S.F., Blasé, K., Friedman, R.M.
  Wallace, F. (2005). Implementation research A
  synthesis of the literature. Available at
  www.nirn.org
• Fullan, M. (2005). Resiliency and sustainability.
  Educational Leadership, 59, 16-20.
• Graden, J.L., Stollar, S.A., Poth, R.L. (in
  press). The Ohio Integrated Systems Model
  Overview and lessons learned. In S.R. Jimerson,
  M.K. Burns, A.M. VanDerHeyden (Eds.), The
  handbook of response to intervention. NY
  Springer
• Hall, G.E., Hord, S.M. (2001). Implementing
  change. Boston Allyn Bacon.
• Joyce, B. Shower, B. (1995). Student
  achievement through staff development. NY
  Longman.
• NASDSE. (2004). Scaling up Experiences of state
  departments of special education. Available at
  www.nasdse.org
• Rand Corporation. (2004). Expanding the reach of
  education reforms. Available at www.rand.org
• Stollar, S.A., Poth, R.L., Curtis, M.J., Cohen,
  R.M. (2006). Collaborative strategic planning as
  illustration of the principles of systems change.
  School Psychology Review, 35, 181-197.
• Toll, Cathy A. (2005). The Literacy Coachs
  Survival Guide. Newark International Reading
  Association