Dr' Susan Wegmann, UCF

1
The Role of theReading/Literacy Coach

• Dr. Susan Wegmann, UCF
• Dr. Larry Bedenbaugh, FLaRE

2
What is a Reading Coach?

• The Just Read, Florida! office defined a
  reading coach as follows
• A reading coach is a professional development
  liaison within the school to support, model, and
  continuously improve SBRR Scientifically Based
  Reading Research instructional programs in
  reading to assure reading improvement for ALL
  students.
• Just Read, Florida! 2005-2006 K-12 Comprehensive
  Research-Based Reading Plan

3
Standards for Literacy Coaches

• Literacy coaches need to be skillful
• collaborators
• job-embedded coaches
• evaluators of literacy needs (and strengths)
• instructional strategists
• International Reading Association, 2006
• Standards for Middle and High School Literacy
  Coaches

4
10 Roles of Reading Coaches

• Resource provider the purpose is to expand
  teachers use of a variety of resources to
  improve instruction.
• Data coach the purpose is to ensure that
  student achievement data drives instructional
  decisions at the classroom and school level.
• Curriculum specialist the purpose is to ensure
  implementation of adopted curriculum.
• Instructional specialist the purpose is to
  align instruction with curriculum to meet the
  needs of all students.

Joellen Killion Cindy Harrison, 2006 Taking
the Lead New Roles for Teachers and School-based
Coaches
5
10 Roles of Reading Coaches

• Classroom supporter the purpose is to increase
  the quality and effectiveness of classroom
  instruction.
• Mentor the purpose is to increase instructional
  skills of the novice teacher and support
  school-wide induction activities.
• Learning facilitator the purpose is to design
  collaborative, job-embedded, standards-based
  professional learning.

Joellen Killion Cindy Harrison, 2006 Taking
the Lead New Roles for Teachers and School-based
Coaches
6
10 Roles of Reading Coaches

• School leader the purpose is to work
  collaboratively with the schools formal
  leadership to design, implement, and assess
  school change initiatives to ensure alignment and
  focus on intended results.
• Catalyst for change the purpose is to create
  disequilibrium with the current state as an
  impetus to explore alternatives to current
  practice.
• Learner the purpose is to model continuous
  learning, to keep current, and to be a thought
  leader in the school.

Joellen Killion Cindy Harrison, 2006 Taking
the Lead New Roles for Teachers and School-based
Coaches
7
PMRN Coaches Log

• The Coachs Log Form is divided into 12 task
  areas in an effort to assist Coaches in
  categorizing time and, ultimately, in making
  decisions on how best to use time to improve
  student performance in reading.
• Professional Development Providing or
  facilitating professional development such as
  seminars, action research, or study groups
  designed to increase educators knowledge of
  Scientifically Based Reading Research (SBRR).
  This includes presenting reading-related
  information to parents or serving as a substitute
  while a teacher observes a model lesson
  elsewhere.
• Planning Planning, developing, or preparing
  professional development. Activities may include
  surveying teachers as to their needs, preparing
  content, scheduling, and gathering materials.
• Modeling Lesson Preparing for and/or
  demonstrating model lessons in classrooms for
  teachers.
• Coaching Coaching (the observation process that
  includes planning conversation, observation, and
  reflecting conversation) teachers in classrooms.
• Coach-Teacher Conferences Meeting with teachers
  regarding lesson planning, grouping for
  instruction, intervention strategies, etc. These
  conversations can be in person, by phone, or
  E-mail.

8
PMRN Coaches Log

• Student Assessment Administering or coordinating
  student assessments. Activities can include
  managing student rolls in the PMRN, notifying
  teachers of the test schedule, or scheduling
  tests.
• Data Reporting Entering student assessment
  scores into the PMRN (Coaches should spend
  limited time, if any, on this task.)
• Data Analysis Analyzing student data such as
  examining PMRN or other data reports or meeting
  with administrators or teachers to review student
  data.
• Meetings Attending meetings with administrators,
  other Coaches, or community groups in your
  school, district, or region regarding reading
  issues.
• Knowledge Building Building knowledge of SBRR
  and/or assessment through personal study or
  professional development by attending workshops
  or conferences, reading journal articles,
  attending training, or taking other duties
  assigned, such as a course or class.
• Managing Reading Materials Budgeting for,
  ordering, inventorying, and delivering reading
  materials/resources.
• Other Other duties as assigned, such as travel
  time, nonreading related meetings, or entering
  data into the Coachs Log.

9
Agree or Disagree. . .and Why?

• If you are a successful literacy coach, a
  healthy portion of your time must be invested in
  working with students in the classroom
  consistently, since credibility is a key
  component of successful literacy coaching.
  Coaches gain this credibility by the
  demonstrations they provide when they work with
  the students of those teachers being coached.
• Enrique A. Puig Kathy S. Froelich, 2007, p. 9
• The Literacy Coach Guiding in the Right Direction

10
What Should a Literacy Coach Do?

• 40 of the workweek Work with students
• 20 of the workweek Engage in dialogic
  conversations with teachers and observations
• 20 of the workweek Plan and prepare for
  training sessions
• 10 of the workweek Provide observation lessons
• 10 of the workweek Engage in professional book
  study
• Enrique A. Puig Kathy S. Froelich, 2007, p. 9
• The Literacy Coach Guiding in the Right Direction

11
Survey - Demographics

• Fall 2007
• Initially targeted Reading Coaches at FLaRE and
  RFPD schools
• Anonymous
• 461 hard copy surveys returned

12
Survey - Demographics

• School Demographics
• Personal Demographics
• Coaching Demographics
• Hours spent in classrooms
• List top ten duties
• Identify top three duties that most impact
  students literacy development
• Identify top three duties most removed from
  helping students read
• Two things you would like to have time to do
• Something all reading coaches should do
• Something reading coaches should never do

13
School - Demographics

• School level
• 286 elementary
• 133 secondary
• 42 other
• School size
• 25 3,800
• Mean 856
• Percentage of Free/Reduced Lunch
• Mean 65

14
Personal - Demographics

• Prior teaching experience
• 1 43 years
• Mean 16 years
• Years coaching
• 1 14 years
• Mean 3.6 years

15
Coaching - Demographics

• Teaching certification
• Graduate of a teacher education program 84
• Alternative certification 7
• Other 9
• Hours spent in classrooms a week
• Range 0 32.5 hours
• Mean 8.6 hours
• Median 7.75 hours

16
Personnel - Demographics
Formal Training

• Reading Endorsed/Certified 119
• Masters in Reading 69
• EdS in Reading 2
• PhD/EdD in Reading 2
• Masters in another area 23
• EdS in another area - 4
• PhD/EdD in another area 2
• College Reading Courses 6
• Novice Coach Institute 12
• Advanced Coach Institute 8
• Boot Camp 13
• JRF Leadership Conference 30

• Summer Leadership Academies 42
• JRF Reading First Academy 40
• Reading Leadership Team Institute 8
• CAR-PD 9
• FOR-PD 5
• Coaches Cadre Meetings 10
• Reading First Meetings 22
• Reading Conferences 18
• Book Studies 7
• County/district Support 70
• Job related experience 39
• Other - 78

17
Coaching - Demographics

• Top Ten Duties
• Coach-Teacher Conference
• 20 - First
• 48 - in Top Three
• Modeling Lessons
• 17 - First
• 48 - in Top Three
• Other
• 17 - First
• 42 - in Top Three

18
Coaching - Demographics

• Top Ten Duties
• Coaching
• 15 - First
• 34 - in Top Three
• Planning
• 8 - First
• 26 - in Top Three
• Professional Development
• 6 - First
• 21 - in Top Three

19
Coaching - Demographics

• Top Ten Duties
• Student Assessments
• 4 - First
• 17 - in Top Three
• Meetings
• 3 - First
• 15 - in Top Three
• Managing Reading Material
• 2 - First
• 13 - in Top Three

20
Coaching - Demographics

• Top Ten Duties
• Data Analysis
• 8 - First
• 12 - in Top Three
• Knowledge Building
• 2 - First
• 11 - in Top Three
• Data Reporting
• 2 - First
• 6 - in Top Three

21
Coaching - Demographics

• Identify top three duties that most impact
  students literacy development
• Modeling Lessons 50
• Coach-Teacher Conference 39
• Professional Development 34
• Coaching 32
• Other 25(Working with Students, Observing
  Teachers, Mentoring)

22
Coaching - Demographics

• Identify top three duties most removed from
  helping students read
• Other 32(Scheduling, Coaches Log, Email)
• Meetings 22
• Managing Reading Materials 20
• Student Assessment 12
• Data Reporting 11

23
Coaching - Demographics

• How do you feel about weekly duties
• Overwhelmed.
• Frustrated bogged down in paperwork.
• I feel misused, doing too many 'other' things.
• The amount of work I do is unbelievable! There
  is not enough time to get it all done. I work at
  home every day and at school every weekend. I'm
  overwhelmed by the amount of training I'm
  required to take.
• There are weeks when I feel as if I have
  accomplished many things, then there are weeks
  that I feel very incompetent.
• Exciting, but demanding pulled in different
  directions.

24
Coaching - Demographics

• How do you feel about weekly duties
• I feel great about my weekly duties, with
  exception of wishing that more teachers would
  open their doors and allow me entry into their
  classrooms.
• I love my job, but wish I had more time to make
  an impact.
• I love my job. I wish I didn't have to spend so
  much time doing non-literacy duties.
• I always need more time - I love my job and now
  after four years, feel comfortable.
• I love going to work each day and feel that we
  are making a difference in the lives of
  students.

25
Coaching - Demographics

• Two things you would like to have time to do
• More time, not more things
• Planning time with teachers
• Provide professional development
• Model/teach
• More time in classrooms/work with students
• Conference with other coaches
• Visiting/observing other schools
• Shadow a master coach
• Personal professional development/attend
  conferences (without feeling guilty)

26
Coaching - Demographics

• I think all reading coaches should
• be reading specialists (endorsed/certified).
• receive more formal training/induction program.
• have classroom teaching experience.
• be released from all other duties.
• have a (clerical) assistant.
• spend time in classrooms working with children.
• have more time to coach.
• be available to all teachers.
• always serve, support the teachers, never
  evaluate them or allow themselves to be
  'expert.
• receive a supplement/stipend/additional pay.
• be eligible for NBCT.

27
Coaching - Demographics

• I think reading coaches should never
• be pulled to substitute or cover classes.
• have duties (bus/lunch/monitoring/hall).
• be put in an evaluative or administrative
  position.
• have to complete logs.
• be responsible for every single issue, process,
  problem dealing with reading.

28
Coaching - Demographics

• I think reading coaches should never
• forget what it is like to be in a classroom.
• be put in the position of 'tattle tellers' on a
  teacher.
• feel like they're the expert, but a learner along
  with those we coach.
• give up - just keep trying and be positive.
• lose faith or belief that all students are
  capable of successful readers.

29
Reading Coaches

• drive change in schools by disseminating
  literacy information and inciting enthusiasm
  about improving students reading and writing.
• As a resident expert of literacy education in a
  school, a reading coach, provides in-school
  support for teachers as they develop and improve
  their instructional and assessment skills. Part
  of the job includes assisting teachers in
  implementing strategies for grouping students and
  solving literacy-related problems.

David Booth Jennifer Roswell, 2002, p. 16-17
The Literacy Principal Leading, Supporting and
Assessing Reading and Writing Initiatives
30
Discussion

• Is there anything that surprises you about the
  data?
• What are the implications for practice?

31
Contact Information

• Dr. Susan Wegmann
• swegmann_at_mail.ucf.edu
• 407-823-5144
• Dr. Larry Bedenbaugh
• lbedenba_at_mail.ucf.edu
• 407-823-4245

32
What is a Literacy Coach?

• Coaches are ones that assist in shifting
  classroom teachers to better understand critical
  pedagogy and the need for change based on
  evidence. According to Lyons Pinnell,(2001),
  the literacy coach, through observation and
  co-learning, helps the teacher see beyond what is
  in the classroom to what can improve it, and
  helps the teacher expand her or his knowledge
  base by becoming an ongoing learner, while
  offering support and encouragement as needed.
• Enrique A. Puig Kathy S. Froelich, 2007, p.8
• The Literacy Coach Guiding in the Right Direction

33
Coaches can

• transform schools into learning centers. The way
  they engage teachers through the lens of
  curiosity or inquiry can stimulate interest in
  exploring the complex and challenging work
  teachers do each day.
• facilitate knowledge sharing and knowledge
  creation through their ongoing work with
  teachers.
• engage teaches as professionals in the analysis
  of and reflection on their work.
• acknowledge teachers struggles and join them in
  the struggles.
• honor teachers as individuals and professionals
  and support them cognitively and emotionally.
• work alongside their principals and colleagues to
  shape the very fiber of the school.

Joellen Killion Cindy Harrison, 2006, p.
154-155 Taking the Lead New Roles for Teachers
and School-based Coaches