Coaching Within a Statewide Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Steve Goodman miblsi.cenmi.org December 6, 2010

Presentation Description This session will focus on use of coaches to develop competencies around effective practices at the school and district levels. Discussion will address specific practices of coaching at different levels of the school system and ways to support coaches.

MiBLSi is accomplishing its mission of helping schools implement Multi- Tiered System of Support (MTSS) with a two-pronged approach: 1.Working with school building teams to implement effective MTSS practices 2.Working with school districts/ISDs to, in-turn, work with their schools teams to implement effective MTSS practices. Building local implementation capacity

How do you define coaching within your project? Your Turn

Coaching Purpose within MiBLSi Enhance the implementation fidelity of Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) Establish capacity for efficient and sustainable implementation of MTSS To impact student outcomes in meaningful ways

Coaching for Competence refers to an ongoing professional development process designed to… Ensure Implementation and Fidelity –Acquire and improve the skills and abilities needed to implement an Evidence-Based Practice with fidelity or another well-defined innovation with as intended –Generalize new and fragile skills to real world settings (classrooms, hallways, team meetings) Develop Professional Judgment –Developing a conceptual understanding of the core elements of the Evidence-Based Practice processes or the core elements of the practices associated with the intervention (focus on function of key program features)

Functions of Training, Coaching, and Technical Assistance Training –Specific sessions with formal activities designed for skill development Coaching –Ensuring transfer from training to practice –On-site skill development, enhancing the skills through prompting and reinforcement Technical Assistance –An expert with specific technical/content knowledge provides information to address an identified need with customized solutions.

Do your coaches also serve the functions of trainer and content expert? Do you see differences in these functions? Your Turn

Individual vs. Systems Individual coaching (sometimes referred to instructional coaching) –Enhancing the skills of the individual performer (teacher, principal) around MTSS practices for fidelity and effectiveness Systems coaching (e.g., team coaching) –Enhancing the skills of individuals within a group (team) around their collective practices for implementing/managing MTSS

Provides guidance, visibility, funding, political support for MiBLSiStudentsStudents Building Staff Building Leadership Team LEA District Leadership Team Across State Multiple District/Building Teams All staff All students Multiple schools w/in local district Who to Coach… How is support provided? Provides guidance, visibility, funding, political support Provides coaching for District Teams and technical assistance for Building Teams Provides guidance and manages implementation Provides effective practices to support students Improved behavior and reading ISD Leadership Team Regional Technical Assistance Michigan Department of Education/MiBLSi Leadership Michigan Multiple schools w/in intermediate district Provides guidance, visibility, funding, political support MiBLSi Statewide Structure of Support It is important to identify the unit of implementation that will be coached

Intensity of Supports Based on Need and Experience Skills NewEstablished Context New High Level Intensity Mid-level Intensity Familiar Mid-level Intensity Low Level Intensity from K. Blase, How much to Coach…

Building Team Local Education Agency Team Intermediate School District Team State Education Agency Team Practices (Intervention) Supporting Infrastructure (Implementation) Grade Level Team What to Coach: Unit of Implementation Teacher Contextual Focus Unit of Implementation

What to Coach: Stages of ImplementationFocusStageDescription Exploration/Ado ption Decision regarding commitment to adopting the program/practices and supporting successful implementation. InstallationSet up infrastructure so that successful implementation can take place and be supported. Establish team and data systems, conduct audit, develop plan. Initial Implementation Try out the practices, work out details, learn and improve before expanding to other contexts. ElaborationExpand the program/practices to other locations, individuals, times- adjust from learning in initial implementation. Continuous Improvement/R egeneration Make it easier, more efficient. Embed within current practices. Work to do it right! Work to do it better! Should we do it!

Coaching at the Classroom Level Who provides coaching? Who coaches the coaches? Peer coaching Reading consultant Behavior consultant Teacher consultant Psychologist Social Worker External Coach

Providing Conceptual Feedback Whenever possible, coaching should involve providing “Conceptual” feedback regarding the “Big Ideas” of the practice or intervention Make the general point first then illustrate it with examples from data sources (Practice Profile rubric data, permanent products, student data, observational data)

Coaching at the School (Building) Leadership Team Level Who provides coaching? Who coaches the coaches? Peer coaching Reading consultant Behavior consultant Teacher consultant Psychologist Social Worker External Coach

Implementation Guide (Practice Profiles) Identifies critical components For each critical component: –Identifies gold standard –Identifies acceptable variations in practice –Identifies ineffective practices and undesirable practices Adapted from the work of W. David Tilly III, and Heartland Area Education Agency 11, Iowa

Practice Profile: Building Leadership Team Example 18

Coaching at Building Level Focus on building capacity within district and across school buildings. May serve as a district or building level coach. May provide support to team leaders to develop skills and capacity. May provide support to other coaches at the building level. Provide communication link between district leadership team and building leadership teams.

Coaching at the District Leadership Team Level Who provides coaching? Who coaches the coaches? MiBLSi Technical Assistance Partner (TAP) District Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) coordinator MiBLSi TAP Coordinator MiBLSi Director/Assistant Director Intermediate School District (ISD) MTSS coordinator

Practice Profile: District Leadership Team Example 21

Coaching Activities at District Level Monitor the functioning of the Implementation team Prompt effective meeting mechanics, maintaining focus on “big idea”, using data, creating an action plan, acknowledging progress Addressing any road block team is experiencing –Multiple conversations at one time, decisions made without consensus or input, dismissing a task as “completed” without any evidence, conversations straying to variables beyond their control etc.

Coaching at the Intermediate School District Leadership Team Level Who provides coaching? Who coaches the coaches? MiBLSi Technical Assistance Partner (TAP) Intermediate School District (ISD) Multi- Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) coordinator MiBLSi TAP Coordinator MiBLSi Director/Assistant Director

Coaching at Intermediate School District Level Focus on building capacity at the district level, and potentially, across districts. May provide support to District-level coaches to develop skills and capacity in their role. May provide a more objective view, at times. Communication beyond the district level, connection with state.

Guided Notes for District Meeting

Guided Notes Coaching Checklist

Who provides coaching in your project? Your Turn

Supporting Coaching Application of Implementation Drivers –Selection –Training –Coaching –Information –Materials

Coaching Selection –Identification of coach is embedded in application process… –Description of what a coach does Works with the schools over the course of the three years of participation, attend meeting, attend training. –Description of possible individuals who provide coaching function Typically a professional who already works in a training or consultation role (Psychologist, Social Worker, Teacher Consultant, Reading Specialist) –Background knowledge in reading or behavior support.

Example Coach Job Description from MiBLSi

Training Coaches Annual state coaches conference Regional coaches meetings Sessions at state implementer’s conference

Coaching Coaches

Providing Information, Tools, and Resources Professional Learning unit of project provides staff to develop materials and provide support Section on Website Coaching tools and manual created Work with districts implementation teams/leadership to create a coaching structure

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Coaching introduction and expectations

Data-Based Decision Making: Facilitator Guide Guiding Questions for Team Guiding Questions for Facilitator 38

Coaching Newsletters

School Implementation of SWPBS Coaching Support Plan A tool for coaches to help schools achieve two goals 1.School will meet the TIC criteria of 80% or more of items achieved by the end of this school year 2.Every school will have the procedures and materials in place for full PBS implementation

What are ways that your project works to develop coaching capacity (e.g., data system, information, resources, incentives) to support implementers? Your Turn

Investing in Coaches: One School Example Average Major Discipline Referrals per Day per Month Coach returns from leave One School’s Example

Comparison of Schoolwide Evaluation Tool (SET) Scores after training and after MiBLSi Implementation (with coaching supports)

Effects of Coaching on PBIS Team Implementation Checklist Results