CoachingAlicia Sullivan, M.S.Cristina Villanueva, M.S. Gary Duhon, Ph.D.

What is Coaching?

Coaching is…• “a method of transferring skill and expertise from

more experienced and knowledgeable practitioners of such skill to less experienced ones” (Hargreaves & Dawe, 1990)

Coaching is a set of responsibilities, actions and activities . . . not a particular person.

• “Coaching is the active and iterative delivery of:▫(a) prompts that increase successful behavior, and▫(b) corrections that decrease unsuccessful behavior”

(Horner, 2009)• Coaches have changed from “experts” to “thought

partners” (Eggers & Clark, 2000)

General Coaching Model•1. “Setting the foundation by defining the

context, establishing the contract, and building a working alliance” ▫Building rapport

•2. “Assessing the individual”•3. “Strategizing the engagement and developing

a plan based on assessment feedback and goals” •4. “Implementing the plan”•5. “Evaluating the intervention and reassessing

the initial target areas”

Liljenstrand & Nebeker, 2008

Types of Coaching• Business coaching• Career/job coaching• Challenge coaching• Change/capacity coaching• Collegial coaching• Executive coaching• Instructional coaching• Life coaching• Peer coaching• Sports coaching• Technical coaching

Who provides coaching?• Coaches come from a variety of different educational

disciplines▫ Ranging from high school graduates to PhD’s

• Coaches in the psychology field tend to be hired by organizations▫ Rely more on their academic training when coaching, attend

coaching specific certifications or licensure▫ They view coaching as a mere extension to their regular

services• Coaches in the field of OTH, BUS, or EDU appear to be

hired mainly by individuals receiving coaching services and seem to be more involved in the personal coaching market.

• Liljenstrand & Nebeker, 2008

Is Coaching Effective?

Research on Coaching Effectiveness•Lack of empirical research (Bartlett,

2007; Silver et al., 2009)•But what there is indicates that coaching

is effective▫Hendrickson et al. (1993)▫Haan, Duchworth, Birch, & Jones, 2013

Effective Professional Development•Examine goals and performance•Decisions on what needs to be learned•Contextualized learning in schools•Collaborative problem solving•Ongoing and sufficient support•Rich information•Opportunities to develop theoretical

understanding•Training that is part of a comprehensive

reform processHawley & Valli, 1999, as cited in

Batt, 2010

Coaching vs. Didactic Training• “Traditional ‘stand-and-deliver’ presentations rarely

affect measurable, sustained change in student learning” (Walpole, 2005, as cited by Denton & Hasbrouck, 2009)

• “In traditional forms of professional development… teachers are passive participants in the learning. Such modes of professional development have been found to be largely ineffective (e.g., Darling‐Hammond & McLaughlin, 1995). ▫In contrast, learning though collaboration has been

identified as a characteristic of effective professional development (Fullan, 1995)” (Lynch & Ferguson, 2010)

Training Methods and Impact Upon Participants

Gravois et al., 2002

Training Outcomes Related to Training Components

Training Outcomes

Training Component

Knowledge of Content

Skill Implementation

ClassroomApplication

Presentation/ Lecture 10% 5% 0%

PlusDemonstration 30% 20% 0%

Plus Practice 60% 60% 5%

Plus Coaching/ Admin SupportData Feedback

95% 95% 95%

Joyce & Showers, 2002, as cited in Horner, 2009

Why Do Coaching Models Work?•Coaches…

▫Have credibility and experience with the target skill(s)

▫Meet repeatedly (e.g., monthly or bi-monthly)

▫Respond to needs & strengths▫Adjust the intensity according to need▫Provide supportive and specific feedback

about practices▫Offer coaching in context

Cappella et al., 2012

Internal vs. External Coaches

•Definitions▫Internal coaches – “employed in the school

where they provide support” School-based and/or full-time at one school

▫External coaches – “employed outside the schools where they provide support (e.g. by district, region, state)” (Horner, 2009) District-level and/or serve multiple schools

Internal vs. External Coaches

Internal Coach External Coach

Advantages• Knowledge of school

• Staff relationships• Regular access

• Independent • Outside perspective

• Multiple schools experience

Disadvantages• Conflicting roles• Narrow range of

experiences

• Limited knowledge of school• Limited relationships• Less frequent access

•Unaware of politics in school

Horner, 2009

Special Concerns Associated with External Coaches

•Sustainability (Cappella et al., 2012)▫Coach needs to get whole school on board in

order to have the school sustain the implementation of the program when a particular administrator leaves

•Schools will need to be effective in organizing personnel and resources to facilitate assisting, maintaining, and training—both initial training and continuing development

Characteristics of CoachesRoles and Skills

Coaches•Maintain a defined role so they can…

▫Facilitate Training & updating in the area in which they

provide support Good use of time management Team processes Establishment & maintenance of positive

relationships▫Communicate

Effectively Understand confidentiality & ethicsHasbrouck & Denton, 2005, as cited in Denton & Hasbrouck, 2009;

Haan, Duckworth, Birch, & Jones, 2013

Coaches are▫Experts in

Problem-solving Data collection Goal-setting Intervention development Designing & providing professional

development Supporting sustaining, school-wide student

success

Effective Coaches are…

CommunicatorsContent

KnowledgeExperts

Facilitators

Coach

• Faculty• Administrator• District Coordinator• Community

• OTISS expert• Behavioral ‘expert’•Instructional ‘expert’• Link to resources

• Team meetings• Activities at trainings• Implementation – ‘Positive Nag’

What roles do you hold at your site?

•Explicit roles▫Job title

•Implicit roles▫What else am I asked to do

•How do these roles support or undermine my ability to Facilitate, Communicate, gain and demonstrate expertise?

Coaching•Involves active collaboration and

participation to, ▫Build local capacity

Become unnecessary, but remain available▫Maximize current competence

Never change things that are working Always make the smallest change that will

have the biggest impact▫Focus on valued outcomes

Tie all efforts to the benefits for children•It is not simply group instruction

Coaching also…

•Emphasize accountability •Measure and report everything•Build credibility through:

▫Consistency▫Competence with behavioral and academic

principles/practices ▫Relationships▫Time investment

What do you do?•How do you facilitate your team?

•How do you communicate with your team?

•How do you share information to your team to build their skills?

•What do you need to build your coaching skills?

Responsibilities of CoachesRole and Function

Coaches’ Goals are to•Assist school team with implementation •Ensure fidelity of implementation•Serve as a resource for team

Responsibilities•Coaches provide assistance by

▫Attend site team meetings▫Encourage and model effective problem

solving within the team▫Help develop tools/ resources/ guidelines for

future implementers▫Provide ideas for fresh or alternative solutions▫Acknowledge progress and encourage

continuation of effective implementation▫Support in the development of plans—

specifying goal and steps to achieve goal

Responsibilities•Coaches ensure fidelity by

▫Monitor team progress (implementation, use of database, communication with faculty, etc.)

▫Review data▫Monitor accuracy and consistency▫Report to district coordinator

•Coaches provide resource by▫Providing or securing training in needed

areas of implementation▫Finding answers to difficult questions▫Provide resources, or access to resources

Early Implementation Support is Key

•Helps maintain momentum•Helps with team process•Coordinates information and

communication•Provide reinforcement thru praise, &

celebration•Provide or obtain critical

information/technical support. •Active problem solving•All staff trainings/orientation•Development and use of data for decision-

making

Coach must be Problem Analyst•Identify problems early•Use data on a regular basis (every two

weeks) to monitor key indicators, and identify problems before they become difficult

•Refine a problem statement to a level of precision that will allow functional solutions

•Use data to identify possible solutions

Questions to Ask•Evaluate performance

▫How do our data compare with last year?▫How does our data on current functioning

compare with our goals?

Questions to Answer• Do we have a problem?

▫If a problem is identified, then ask: What is the data we need, to make a good decision?

• The statement of a problem is important for team-based problem solving. ▫Everyone must be working on the same problem with

the same assumptions.• Problems often are framed in a “primary” form that

creates concern but is not useful for problem-solving. ▫Frame primary problems based on initial review of data▫Use more detailed review of data to operationally define

the problem.

Expected Outcomes of Effective Coaching

•Implementation accuracy & fluency of evidence-based practice

•Maximum student outcomes•Durable & generalizable implementation•Implementation-outcome accountability

Sugai, 2011

Evaluation of Outcomes•Compare data before and after changes

and •Review the identified problem•To determine if

▫Changes were made consistently?▫Changes address the problem?▫There was an impact?

If so, evaluate changes and impact•Identify next step. (Continue, modify,

discontinue etc.)

Evaluation of Outcomes•Scoring Rubrics for Implementation

▫OTISS Fidelity Assessment

•Objective measure of overall degree of implementation▫It serves as the initial assessment and the

measure of progress

Facilitating Lasting Change• Clear expectations from the principal/admin that

OTISS is important• A community of practice in which teachers feel

empowered to seek and provide help to their peers• Research results that clearly link an instructional

practice with improved student outcomes• Resources that support implementation (e.g.,

materials)• Flexibility to modify a practice to fit the needs of

teachers and students.• Lather, rinse, repeat…

Klingner, 2004

Pros and Cons of Coaching•List the three most challenging aspects of coaching

▫In general▫At your site

•List three positive aspects of coaching▫In general▫At your site

•Review the list and ask the groups to discuss strategies for overcoming the challenges.

Your Next Step???• Acknowledge/reinforce principal & team for progress

since training• Communicate with the team/leadership & ask

• What is planned? • Is assistance needed?

• Prompt team to:• Meet & review action plan with staff – are we on track?• Review school data• Plan update to faculty of progress/outcomes to date • Schedule next team meeting

• Monitor completion of team action plan• Document team & coaching accomplishments, speed

bumps, challenges, solutions

Horner’s (2009) “Lessons Learned”• “Implementation cannot be faster than your

school staff capacity to implement”• “Teams need to be taught how to analyze and

use data”• “Emphasis on directing resources to need and

removing competing activities”

Examples

•Florida’s Positive Behavior Support Project

•New Hampshire Department of Education•Northern Suburban Special Education Dis

trict•University of Oregon Effective Behavioral

& Instructional Support Systems

References• Bartlett II, J. E. (2007). Advances in coaching practices: A humanistic approach to coach

and client roles. Journal of Business Research, 60, 91-93.• Batt, E. G. (2010). Cognitive coaching: A critical phase in professional development to

implement sheltered instruction. Teaching and Teaching Education, 26, 997-1005.• Cappella, E., Hamre, B. K., Kim, H. Y., Henry, D. B., Frazier, S. L., Atkins, M. S., &

Schoenwald, S. K. (2012). Teacher consultation and coaching within mental health practice: Classroom and child effects in urban elementary schools. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0027725

• Denton, C. A., & Hasbrouck, J. (2009). A description of instructional coaching and its relationship to consultation. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 19, 150-175.

• Eaken, G. J., & Hagemeier, C. (2011, February). Sustaining positive behavior supports using school psychologists as coaches. Presented at the National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention in San Francisco, CA.

• Gravois, T. A., Knotek, S., & Babinski, L. M. (2002). Educating practitioners as consultants: Development and implementation of the instructional consultation team consortium. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 13, 113-132.

• Haan, E, Duckorth, A., Birch, D., & Jones, C. (2013). Executive coaching outcome research: The contribution of common factors such as relationship, personality match, and self-efficacy. Consulting Psychology Journal, 65, 40-57.

• Hargreaves, A., & Dawe, R. (1990). Paths of professional development: Contrived collegiality, collaborative culture, and the case of peer coaching. Teaching & Teacher Education, 6, 227-241.

References• Hendrickson, J. M., Gardner, N., Kaiser, A., & Riley, A. (1993). Evaluation of a

social interaction coaching program in an integrated day-care setting. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 26, 213-225.

• Horner, R. (2009, March). The importance of coaching in implementation of evidence-based practices. Presented at the Effective Behavioral & Instructional Support Systems Conference in Eugene, OR.

• Klingner, J. K. (2004). The science of professional development. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 37, 248-255.

• Liljenstrand, A. M., & Nebeker, D. M. (2008). Coaching services: A look at coaches, clients, and practices. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 60, 57-77.

• Lynch, J., & Ferguson, K. (2010). Reflections of elementary school literacy coaches on practice: Roles and perspectives. Canadian Journal of Education, 33, 199-227.

• Silver, M., Lochmiller, C. R., Copeland, M. A., & Tripps, A. M. (2009). Supporting new school leaders: Findings from a university-based leadership coaching program for new administrators. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 17, 215-232.

• Sugai, G. (2011, June). Coaching for implementation: Best practices perspective. Presented at the Kentucky PBIS Institute Conference in Louisville, KY.