Professional Development: Lessons for Literacy Coaches

1. Professional Development:Lessons 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: We’re just getting started. We’ll learn more about all of this. Together.

3. Research to Search! • Literacy Coaches • Teacher Learning • Professional/Staff Development • Reports from recent efforts

5. IRA’s 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 Carolina’s Reading Initiative(Morgan et al., 2003)

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)

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)

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 • Collect multiple data sources to evaluate the quality of the staff development • Rework the staff development sessions to respond to teachers’ needs • Reward teachers for participation • Be sensitive to other curriculum pressures • 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 don’t 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.