Learning Forward
Equity and excellence in teaching and learning.
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A dashboard view of coaching
Digital log zooms in on coaches' daily activities
By Lauren B. Goldenberg, Violet Wanta and Andrew Fletcher
Categories: Coaching, Data, Research, Resources, TechnologyDecember 2019
Vol. 40, No. 6
Early literacy is the foundation of academic success and predicts outcomes far beyond elementary school. So when only 30% of 3rd graders in New York City public schools scored proficient on the state test in 2014, district leaders began targeting improvements in literacy instruction in grades K-2. In 2016, the New York City Department of Education rolled out a major investment in early literacy called Universal Literacy. The district placed nearly 500 reading coaches in almost 700 schools to provide job-embedded coaching for K-2 teachers. Coaches, who report to the district’s early literacy office and work in close collaboration with principals and teachers, focus on research-aligned reading instruction and are at the heart of Universal Literacy’s approach to increasing the percentage of children reading at
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An example of how one coach uses the log
Toward the end of an eight-week coaching cycle, the reading coach worked with a 1st-grade teacher on implementing targeted word-work within guided reading groups. A small group of students sat on a rug in the front of the room, practicing “tapping” out the individual sounds in words like “red” and “ham” while sorting the cards into two columns (short a and short e).
Using side-by-side coaching, the reading coach provided quiet instructions to help the teacher get the most out of her time with this small group of students.
At the end of her day, the reading coach completed the digital daily coaching log. When she recorded her work with the 1st-grade teacher, she noted the reading content (e.g. phonemic awareness, phonics); research-based pedagogical practices (guided reading, centers/stations), and instructional coaching activities (side-by-side coaching).
At a later date, she might use the log’s data dashboard to reflect on her work across all 1st-grade teachers in terms of reading content and pedagogical practices, as well as noting how much she has worked with each teacher.
We created the digital daily coaching log to do two things: track the everyday activities of reading coaches and collect data to inform practice and policy.
References
Bean, R.M., Draper, J.A., Hall, V., Vandermolen, J., & Zigmond, N. (2010). Coaches and coaching in Reading First schools: A reality check. The Elementary School Journal, 111(1), 87-114.
Deussen, T., Coskie, T., Robinson, L., & Autio, E. (2007). “Coach” can mean many things: Five categories of literacy coaches in Reading First (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2007-No. 005).
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, and Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest.
Elish-Piper, L. & L’Allier, S. K. (2011). Examining the relationship between literacy coaching and student reading gains in grades K-3. The Elementary School Journal, 112(1), 83-106.
Foorman, B., Beyler, N., Borradaile, K., Coyne, M., Denton, C.A., Dimino, J., … & Wissel, S. (2016). Foundational skills to support reading for understanding in kindergarten through 3rd grade (NCEE 2016-4008). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.
Kane, B.D. & Rosenquist, B. (2019). Relationships between instructional coaches’ time use and district- and school-level policies and expectations. American Educational Research Journal, 56(5), 1718-1768.
L’Allier, S., Elish‐Piper, L., & Bean, R.M. (2010). What matters for elementary literacy coaching? Guiding principles for instructional improvement and student achievement. The Reading Teacher, 63(7), 544-554.
National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction: Reports of the subgroups (NIH Publication No. 00-4754). Washington, DC: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Thaler, R.H. & Sunstein, C.R. (2008). Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Yeager, D., Bryk, A.S., Muhich, J., Hausman, H., & Morales, L. (2013). Practical measurement. Stanford, CA: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Categories: Coaching, Data, Research, Resources, Technology
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