Professional Development: Lessons for Literacy Coaches

1
Professional DevelopmentLessons for Literacy
Coaches

• Sharon Walpole
• University of Delaware

2
Our Goals and Strategies

• Review research related to our work in
  professional development
• Sharon will describe some findings and then ask
  you to reflect on them
• Show our general professional development plan
  for GARF
• Mike will present the nuts and bolts of our plan
  and its relationship to research
• PS Were just getting started. Well learn
  more about all of this. Together.

3
Research to Search!

• Literacy Coaches
• Teacher Learning
• Professional/Staff Development
• Reports from recent efforts

4
(No Transcript)
5
IRAs Reading Coach (2004)
6

• How do the coaches with whom you will be working
  measure up to these standards? What can we do to
  support their growth?

7
South Carolinas Reading Initiative(Morgan et
al., 2003)
Vision Reality
Observe, demonstrate, study groups Substitute? Testing proctor? Lunch monitor?
Regional coaches for institutes and support Literacy content, but not coaching content
Collaborative study groups for knowledge Many teachers uncomfortable
School and district support Varied support varied beliefs
3-year time frame Varied acceptance by teachers
8

• How can we maintain the vision for our Literacy
  Coaches?

9
Research to Search!

• Literacy Coaches
• Teacher Learning
• Professional/Staff Development
• Reports from recent efforts

10
A teacher change process(Guskey, 1986)
PD Target Areas
11

• How can we help Literacy Coaches negotiate
  tensions between changes in practices and changes
  in beliefs and attitudes?

12
Development of Expertise(Block, Oakar, Hurt,
2002)
Novice teachers Set and follow rules
Advanced beginners Sometimes bend their rules
Competent teachers Set priorities, strategies, and choose methods
Proficient teachers Add expert intuition
Expert teachers Add automatic, flexible, responsive adaptation
13

• What implications do these stages of expertise
  have for Literacy Coaches? How can we help them?

14
Grade-Level Differences at Expert Level (Block,
Oakar, Hurt, 2002)
15

• How can we help Literacy Coaches learn to balance
  and adjust their strategies for different grade
  levels?

16
Research to Search!

• Literacy Coaches
• Teacher Learning
• Professional/Staff Development
• Reports from recent efforts

17
Research on Math and Science(Birman et al., 2002)
Form Teacher networks and study groups
Duration Long and intense
Collective Participation Colleagues from same school and same grade
Content Combination of knowledge and practice
Active Learning Observation, lesson planning, review of student work and data
Coherence Integrated into the whole school curriculum plan
18

• How can we communicate this understanding to our
  Literacy Coaches? What obstacles are they likely
  to face?

19
From Staff Development to Student
Learning(Guskey Sparks, 1996)
Administrator Knowledge/Practice
School Policies
Content
School Culture Supervision/Evaluation
Process
Teacher Knowledge/Practice
Context
Improved Achievement
Connections with Families
Quality of Staff Development
Parent Knowledge/Practice
Parent Education
20
Areas for Planning
Content
Process
Quality of Staff Development
Context
21

• So what can we do to attend to content, process,
  and context variables with our Literacy Coaches?

22
Impact of Quality Staff Development
Administrator Knowledge/Practice
Quality of Staff Development
School Culture Supervision/Evaluation
Teacher Knowledge/Practice
Connections with Families
Parent Education
Parent Knowledge/Practice
23

• So what can we do to help our Literacy Coaches to
  maximize the impact of their staff development?

24
Impact of Changes in Knowledge and Practice
Administrator Knowledge/Practice
School Policies
Teacher Knowledge/Practice
Improved Achievement
Parent Knowledge/Practice
25

• So what can we do to help our Literacy Coaches to
  maximize the impact of changes in knowledge and
  practice?

26
From Staff Development to Student
Learning(Guskey Sparks, 1996)
Administrator Knowledge/Practice
School Policies
Content
School Culture Supervision/Evaluation
Process
Teacher Knowledge/Practice
Context
Improved Achievement
Connections with Families
Quality of Staff Development
Parent Knowledge/Practice
Parent Education
27
Research to Search!

• Literacy Coaches
• Teacher Learning
• Professional/Staff Development
• Reports from recent efforts

28
An REA Staff Development Model(Mesmer
Karchmer, 2003)
29
Lessons they Learned

1. Collect multiple data sources to evaluate the
   quality of the staff development
2. Rework the staff development sessions to respond
   to teachers needs
3. Reward teachers for participation
4. Be sensitive to other curriculum pressures
5. Actively work with the state

30

• What can we do to help our Literacy Coaches to
  benefit from these lessons?

31
REA in Georgia
32
Choosing Whole Group Focus

• Issues that pertain to all (e.g., data analysis,
  school-level planning and scheduling)
• Good for short reviews of research, especially of
  areas that apply to all
• Introductory plans that are then taken to the
  grade levels

33
Whole Group Management

• Plan it carefully.
• Agenda, Handouts
• Procedure
• Time
• Physical setting
• Be thoughtful of weary teachers (e.g., movement,
  short group and individual tasks)
• Involve the administrators

34
Choosing Small Group Focus

• Keep attention on children at first
• What is it that we want children at this grade
  level to know and do?
• How will we measure it?
• What will we do if they dont know it?
• Shift attention to curriculum, especially
  curriculum specific to the grade level
• Make sure to plot the curriculum in large chunks,
  so teachers can plan

35
Choosing Small Group Focus

• Identify texts that address concerns for that
  group (self-reported or after data analysis or
  after observation)
• Book study groups keep teachers from feeling
  naked
• Book study groups keep them learning together
  rather than learning from you

36
Small Group Management

• Establish a procedure time, agenda
• Have it during the regular day, with a regular
  schedule
• Be proactive in keeping members on task
• Make the setting positive (chocolate)
• Keep minutes
• Use the parking lot

37
Choosing Individual Focus

• Use data (achievement or observation)
• Be specific about what needs to change
• Ask the teacher what type of support is best
  (e.g., modeling, reading, planning, visiting,
  being observed)
• Follow through immediately

38
At all three levels, remember the loop
39

• Birman, B.F., Desimone, L., Porter, A.C.,
  Grant, M.S. (2002, May). Designing professional
  development that works. Educational Leadership,
  28-33.
• Block, C. C., Oakar, M., Hurt, N. (2002). The
  Expertise of Literacy Teachers A Continuum from
  Preschool to Grade 5. Reading Research Quarterly,
  37(2), 178-206.
• Guskey, T. R., Sparks, D. (1996). Exploring the
  Relationship between Staff Development and
  Improvements in Student Learning. Journal of
  Staff Development, 17(4), 34-38.
• Mesmer, H.A., Karchmer, R.A. (2003). REAlity
  How the Reading Excellence Act took form in two
  schools. Reading Teacher, 56, 636-645.
• Morgan, D.N., Saylors-Crowder, K., Stephens, D.,
  DeFord, D.E., Hamel. E. (2003, October).
  Managing the complexities of a state-wide reading
  initiative. Phi Delta Kappan, 139-145.