
Joellen Killion
Joellen Killion (joellen.killion@learningforward.org) is a senior advisor to Learning Forward.
All Articles
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Focus on NSDC's standards: No. 1 resource has a human face
The Resources standard states: Staff development that improves the learning of all students requires resources to support adult learning and collaboration. As Killion writes, coaches are resources themselves, and they also provide resources. Explore how implementing this NSDC standard impacts the work of the school-based coach and the teachers he […] -
Selecting coaches: Hiring or selecting the right individuals to serve as coaches is critical to the coaching effort
Selecting coaches: Hiring or selecting the right individuals to serve as coaches is critical to the coaching effort By Joellen Killion , Cindy Harrison -
Focus on NSDC's Standards: How to spread the wealth of data
Today's schools are awash in data from a number of sources. However, not all teachers are accessing and using this data to guide instructional decisions. Learn how school-based coaches can assist teachers in accessing, analyzing, and acting upon data in this month's column from Joellen Killion. -
Focus on NSDC's Standards: Coaches help teachers collaborate
How do coaches support school-based teams? Explore the Collaboration standard from the coach's perspective. To be successful, teams generally need to develop skills in collaborative decision making, communication, and conflict resolution. Coaches can assist teams through skillful facilitation and modeling effective collaborative behaviors. -
Web of support
To increase student achievement, schools and districts are hiring teachers as leaders to support peers in improving teaching and learning. Their roles are variously called coach, school-based staff developer, instructional specialist, or program facilitator. These new school leaders are respected as competent teachers, have demonstrated their success with students, and […] -
Focus on NSDC's Standards: Coaches lead in everything they do
This month, read how coaches serve as leaders in their schools. The Leadership standard states: Staff development that improves the learning of all students requires skillful school and district leaders who guide continuous instructional improvement. Killion provides many examples of coaches as both formal and informal leaders. She also describes […] -
Focus on NSDC's Standards: Coaches zero in on quality teaching
Coaches, like teachers, rightly focus much of their energy on quality teaching. Improving teachers' classroom practices is a significant factor in raising achievement for all students. The dimensions of quality teaching are instruction, content knowledge, and assessment. Coaches have a wide range of strategies to assist teachers in strengthening all […] -
Focus on NSDC's standards: When there's equity, needs are met
Many interactions school-based staff developers have with the teachers they support are related to the Equity standard. In this article, read how coaches can provide three different types of support in schools. -
Focus on NSDC's Standards: Coaches boost knowledge and skills needed to work with families
Decades of research show that students will be more successful in school when teachers involve families in the educational process. Teachers have developed strategies for working with families largely through a process of trial and error. Coaches can fill a void here -- they can facilitate a more structured process […]