Improving Coaching through Participant & Observation Feedback Brent Garrett, PhD Garrett Consulting, LLC brent@bgarrettconsulting.net

Why do we care if coaching is effective? Recent, highly publicized studies suggested PD wasn’t effective for impacting student performance. And Everybody, even coaches, need feedback.

Are there coaching resources and structures to help us assess coaching? Implementation science SPDG Performance Measure 1 – Evidence-based professional development worksheet

How do we know if coaching has its intended impact? We can ask those being coached Someone (a supervisor, project lead, mentor, peer) can observe the coaching and make judgments.

New Hampshire’s Coaching Instruments Adapted from a great tool developed by Drs. Gaumer-Erickson & Noonan, et al., at the University of Kansas Based on the Participatory Adult Learning Strategies (PALS) – Trivette & Dunst Slight modifications were made to fit the NH context.

Participant Feedback Introduction Demonstration Engagement Evaluation Mastery

Introduction Coaching aligned with school’s action plan or priority areas. 2. Coaching emphasized PD to improve student learning outcomes.

Demonstration Coaching provided evidence-based practices and strategies for implementation. Coaching provided examples on use and benefit of practice.

Engagement 5. I had the opportunity to practice and/or rehearse new skills. 6. I had opportunities to express personal perspectives (e.g., experience, thoughts on concept). 7. I had opportunities to interact with the coach.

Evaluation 8. I had an opportunity to reflect on areas of accomplishment. 9. Coaching includes a discussion of how the new strategy was integrated into practice. 10. Coaching prepared me to implement content and identify next steps.

Mastery 11. Coaching identified follow-up activities to help apply learning in a new setting or context. 12. I was provided continued feedback through ongoing coaching & resources.

Coaching Observation Tool Used by SPDG Project Director to Observe Coaches At least once a school year Addresses Structure Content Communication Efficacy

Structure Purpose Coachee talks about what is going well. Offers observations of things that are going well. Coach asks elicit clarification and prompt reflection regarding areas of improvement. Before providing his/her own observations, coach asks recipients to identify things they would do differently in the future, or have yet undertaken. Coach allows recipients to offer clarification and/or reflect on areas for improvement. Coach offers suggestions. Coach guides recipients to identify solutions for problem areas in the form of action steps.

Coaching Content 9. Helps recipients identify solutions to potential implementation barriers. 10. Offers suggestions - Appropriate in number and reasonable in scope. 11. Provides examples of possible implementation steps. 12. Provides a rationale for each suggestion. 13. Recipients successfully identify action steps.

Communication 14. Guides recipients to identify persons responsible and timeframes for action steps to be completed. 15. Avoids judgment or bias when providing observations and suggestions.

Efficacy 17. Do the individual(s) being coached appear to be open to implementing the suggestions/action steps? 18. Overall, I would rate the coaching as:

Questions For You What tools/process do you use to assess the effectiveness of your coaching? If your coaches are observed, who does that and how is the information used? What challenges do you face in assessing your coaching?