Introduction to Strong Educator Support System

Strong Educator Support System is About… … supporting efforts to improve teaching and learning through instructional coaching, professional learning, and supportive personnel evaluations. … ensuring inclusive opportunities for professional development.

Why is a Strong Educator Support System Important? Advance Organizer: Be thinking about… Why is creating a strong educator support system needed for school transformation?

Research Support Strong Educator Support System Literacy coaching has demonstrated increased learning of 16% over baseline average after one year, and 27% after two years of implementation. Learning Forward’s Coaching Academy is strongly associated with three states’ improved high school graduation rates and student achievement. Educational personnel evaluation systems that primarily build educator capacity and effectiveness are both comprehensive and specific, and they focus on the teacher’s growth in various instructional strategies.

How?: Creating Strong Educator Support Systems Practice 1: Ensure all educators have access to instructional coaching. Practice 2: Empower teachers to guide individual and collective professional learning needs. Practice 3: Make sure professional learning is inclusive and available to all interested parties. Practice 4: Use school-wide data to guide decisions about professional learning. Practice 5: Ensure personnel evaluations are supportive and focused on improving teaching and learning.

Application: Strategies for Practice Implementation Practice 1: Ensure all educators have access to instructional coaching. Instructional coaching should include opportunities for reflection, demonstration, support, and feedback. Instructional coaching does not need to be full-time role. Consider other resources that may meet this need such as teacher leaders, mentors, district- level coaches, and peers. Develop a process for teachers to request instructional coaching. Develop guidelines for identifying the need for instructional coaching.

Ensure all Educators Have Access to Instructional Coaching Broadening View of Instructional Coaching Creating an Inviting and Trusting Culture for Coaching How can teachers lead the coaching process – identify outcomes they want from the experience? How can we think of each teacher as a coach to another? If we have designated instructional coaches, how can we most effectively use their time and expertise?

Application: Strategies for Practice Implementation Practice 2: Empower teachers to guide individual and collective professional learning needs. Formatively gather input from teachers that informs professional development planning. Ensure professional learning is aligned with collective vision of the school, families, and community. Provide opportunities for staff to choose among a variety of professional learning opportunities.

Develop a Teacher-Led Process to Guide Professional Development Planning How can needs assessments be used to prioritize and plan? Formatively Evaluate Needs and Next Steps Provide Choices

Application: Strategies for Practice Implementation Practice 3: Make sure professional learning is inclusive and available to all interested parties.

Make Sure Professional Learning is Inclusive and Available to All Interested Parties Inclusive Professional Learning Availability to All Interested Parties

Application: Strategies for Practice Implementation Practice 4: Use school-wide data to guide decisions about professional learning. Use SWIFT-FIT and SWIFT-FIA data to identify priorities and areas for improvement and plan professional learning to address identified needs.

Use School-Wide Data to Guide Decisions About Professional Learning Use SWIFT-FIT and SWIFT-FIA data

Application: Strategies for Practice Implementation Practice 5: Ensure personnel evaluations are supportive and focused on improving teaching and learning. Use multiple sources of evidence for personnel evaluations. Provide feedback that is specific, positive, and that has a growth orientation.

Provide Specific Feedback on Strengths and Areas of Improvement How can our evaluation process be linked directly to our vision? How can we strengthen feedback so it is positive, specific, and growth oriented?

Application Return to WHY: Why is creating a strong educator support system important? What DOES the educator support system currently look like at our school? What COULD the educator support system look like at our school in the future? What will it take?

SWIFT Center produced this presentation under U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs Grant No. H325Y OSEP Project Officers Grace Zamora Durán and Tina Diamond served as the project officers. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the Department of Education. No official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product, commodity, service or enterprise mentioned in this publication is intended or should be inferred. This product is public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted. Please cite as: SWIFT Center. (2015). Strong educator support system. SWIFT Feature Introduction Guide PPT#1. Lawrence, KS: Author.