Transcript Lessons from Professional Development

Professional Development:
Lessons for Literacy Coaches
Sharon Walpole
University of Delaware
Our Goals and Strategies
1.
Review research related to our work in
professional development

2.
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.
Research to Search!
Literacy Coaches
 Teacher Learning
 Professional/Staff Development
 Reports from recent efforts

IRA’s Reading Coach (2004)
Strong
Knowledge
Base
Experienced with
In-class Coaching
Experienced
Teacher
Experienced with
Collaborative Curriculum Design
Strong
Presenter
How do the coaches with whom
you will be working measure
up to these standards? What
can we do to support their
growth?
South Carolina’s Reading Initiative
(Morgan et al., 2003)
Vision
Reality
Observe, demonstrate,
study groups
Regional coaches for
institutes and support
Substitute? Testing
proctor? Lunch monitor?
Literacy content, but not
coaching content
Collaborative study
groups for knowledge
School and district
support
Many teachers
uncomfortable
Varied support; varied
beliefs
3-year time frame
Varied acceptance by
teachers
How can we maintain the vision for our
Literacy Coaches?
Research to Search!
Literacy Coaches
 Teacher Learning
 Professional/Staff Development
 Reports from recent efforts

A teacher change process
(Guskey, 1986)
Change teachers’
beliefs and attitudes
PD Target
Areas
Study study outcomes
Change teachers’ practices
How can we help Literacy Coaches
negotiate tensions between changes
in practices and changes in beliefs
and attitudes?
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
What implications do these stages of
expertise have for Literacy Coaches?
How can we help them?
Grade-Level Differences at Expert Level
(Block, Oakar, & Hurt, 2002)
Teacher’s Role
Lesson
Characteristics
Motivation
Strategies
Classroom
Qualities
Reteaching
Strategies
Relating
Strategies
How can we help Literacy Coaches
learn to balance and adjust their
strategies for different grade levels?
Research to Search!
Literacy Coaches
 Teacher Learning
 Professional/Staff Development
 Reports from recent efforts

Research on Math and Science
(Birman et al., 2002)
Form
Duration
Teacher networks and study
groups
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
How can we communicate this
understanding to our Literacy
Coaches? What obstacles are they
likely to face?
From Staff Development to Student Learning
(Guskey & Sparks, 1996)
Administrator
Knowledge/Practice
Content
Process
School Culture
Supervision/Evaluation
Context
Teacher
Knowledge/Practice
Quality of Staff
Development
Connections with
Families
Parent
Knowledge/Practice
Parent
Education
School Policies
Improved
Achievement
Areas for Planning
Content
Process
Context
Quality of Staff
Development
So what can we do to attend to
content, process, and context
variables with our Literacy Coaches?
Impact of Quality Staff
Development
Administrator Knowledge/Practice
School Culture Supervision/Evaluation
Quality of Staff
Development
Teacher Knowledge/Practice
Connections with Families
Parent
Education
Parent Knowledge/Practice
So what can we do to help our Literacy
Coaches to maximize the impact of
their staff development?
Impact of Changes in Knowledge and
Practice
Administrator
Knowledge/Practice
School Policies
Teacher
Knowledge/Practice
Parent
Knowledge/Practice
Improved
Achievement
So what can we do to help our Literacy
Coaches to maximize the impact of
changes in knowledge and practice?
From Staff Development to Student Learning
(Guskey & Sparks, 1996)
Administrator
Knowledge/Practice
Content
Process
School Culture
Supervision/Evaluation
Context
Teacher
Knowledge/Practice
Quality of Staff
Development
Connections with
Families
Parent
Knowledge/Practice
Parent
Education
School Policies
Improved
Achievement
Research to Search!
Literacy Coaches
 Teacher Learning
 Professional/Staff Development
 Reports from recent efforts

An REA Staff Development Model
(Mesmer & Karchmer, 2003)
Reflection on
Data with Peers
Staff Development
in each area
Coaching &
Modeling
Lessons they Learned
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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
What can we do to help our Literacy
Coaches to benefit from these
lessons?
REA in Georgia
Individual Support
Small Group Support
Whole Group Support
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

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

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
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
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
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
At all three levels, remember the
loop
Provide support
Choose a Focus
Connect to
Practice
Build Knowledge
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.