Professional Learning and Coaching
High-quality professional development (PD) is critical to ensure that all teachers and school leaders have what they need to be successful in their classrooms and schools. Effective PD can change mindsets and build new knowledge and skills necessary to provide students with effective instruction that positively impacts their literacy achievement.
Just like high-quality student learning, adult learning and PD should be intentional and designed to meet the individual needs of educators. PD opportunities should be ongoing, connected, and part of a long-term learning and improvement plan.
Coaching is one of the highest forms of evidenced-based professional development. Job-embedded coaching supports educators as they translate new knowledge and skills into new and/or improved classroom practice. Educators need support as they take new ideas, translate learning into actual practice, and change their own teaching behaviors and practices.
References
Literacy Coaching Clearinghouse, Bean, R.M., & DeFord, D., 2007, Do's and Don'ts for Literacy Coaches: Advice from the Field.
Carnegie Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy, 2010, Time to Act: An Agenda for
Advancing Adolescent Literacy for College and Career Success.
Learning Policy Institute, Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., Gardner, M., 2017, Effective Teacher Professional Development.
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Early Childhood Research and Practice, Doherty, et al., 2015, Enhancing Child Care Quality by Director Training and Collegial Mentoring.
Early Childhood Leadership Development Consortium, 2016, Early Childhood Leadership Consensus Statement.
Institute of Education Sciences, Improving Teacher Performance Through Instructional Coaching.
Review of Educational Research. Vol. 88, Kraft M. A., Blazar D., Hogan D., 2018, The Effect of Teacher Coaching on Instruction and Achievement: A Meta-Analysis of the Causal Evidence.
Harvard University, Graduate School of Education, Language Diversity and Literacy Development Research Group, Leading Literacy Improvement.
Lead for Literacy, 4 Reasons Literacy Leadership Matters.
American Federation of Teachers, Moats, Louisa C., 2020, Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science (2020): What Expert Teachers of Reading Should Know and Be Able to Do.
National Association of Secondary School Principals, 2005, Creating a Culture of Literacy: A Guide for Middle and High School Principals.
Ounce of Prevention Fund, Pacchiano, et al., 2016, Job-Embedded Professional Learning Essential to Improving Teaching and Learning in Early Education.
Reading Rockets, Shanahan, How can reading coaches raise reading achievement?