Menu

FOCUS

How ‘tugboat coaching’ propels one district forward

By Joellen Killion, Jeanne Spiller and Brenda Kaylor
April 2022
The instructional coaches in Kildeer Countryside School District 96 (KCSD 96), outside Chicago, are like tugboats, a key part of a maritime navigation system. Just as tugboats nudge and guide barges and ships that need steering assistance to navigate tricky waters, the coaches nudge and guide educators to navigate toward school and student learning goals. Just as tugboats read and respond to currents, weather, and load, the coaches read and respond to students’ and schools’ needs and progress. And as tugboats coordinate with other tugboats to reach the same destination, the coaches collaborate with one another within and across schools and with other parts of the guidance system (district and school improvement plans, student data systems, curriculum, human resources, professional learning, and leadership), to maintain

Read the remaining content with membership access. Join or log in below to continue.

Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

Log In
   

References

Dyer, K. (2015, September 17). Research proof points: Better student engagement improves student learning. Teach, Learn, Grow: The Education Blog. NWEA. www.nwea.org/blog/2015/research-proof-points-better-student-engagement-improves-student-learning/

Hattie, J. (2008). Visible learning. Routledge.

Kagan S. & Kagan M. (2015). Cooperative learning. Kagan Cooperative Learning.

Kraft, M. & Blazar, D. (2017). Individualized coaching to improve teacher practice across grades and subjects: New experimental evidence. Educational Policy, 31, 1033-1068.

Kraft, M., Blazar, D., & Hogan, D. (2018). The effect of teacher coaching on instruction and achievement: A meta-analysis of causal evidence. Review of Educational Research, 88(4), 547-588.

Kraft, M. & Hill, H. (2020). Developing ambitious mathematics instruction through web-based coaching: A randomized field trial. American Educational Research Journal, 57(6), 2378-2414.

Marzano, R. & Pickering, D. (2011). The highly engaged classroom: The classroom strategies series. Marzano Research Laboratory.


Image for aesthetic effect only - Joellen-killion-250x300-1
+ posts

Joellen Killion is a senior advisor to Learning Forward and previously served as the organization’s deputy executive director. Killion has over 30 years of experience in planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of professional learning at the school, system, and state/provincial levels.

Image for aesthetic effect only - Jeanne Spiller
+ posts

Jeanne Spiller is assistant superintendent of Kildeer Countryside School District 96 in Buffalo Grove, Illinois.

Image for aesthetic effect only - Brenda Kaylor
+ posts

Brenda Kaylor is senior consultant with Just ASK Publications and Professional Development.


Search
The Learning Professional


Published Date

CURRENT ISSUE



  • Recent Issues

    TACKLING TURNOVER
    February 2023

    With educator shortages and turnover on the rise, this issue explores the...

    DISRUPTING INEQUITY
    December 2022

    Overcoming barriers to equity takes deep listening, learning about self...

    TEACHING IN TURBULENT TIMES
    October 2022

    Professional learning can help educators navigate the competing...

    NURTURING NEW TEACHERS
    August 2022

    New teachers have unique professional learning needs and challenges. When...

    Skip to content