Getting Started with Literacy Coaching

Ramping Up: The Evolution of a Coaching-Focused Professional Development Model    (PDF)
When grassroots efforts in several schools began to successfully change patterns of instruction and achievement, more teachers in this large school district in a NW urban corridor began to request similar support. In the fall of 2004 coaches begin work in the thirteen highest need elementary schools, as well as at a handful of middle and high schools.

From Expert to Coach: The Changing Role of the Reading Facilitator in a Scripted Reading Program    (PDF)
Is it possible to integrate a reading coach into a highly structured literacy program?  The role of the reading facilitator in one school in a mid-sized suburban district evolved from expert consultant/administrator to coach over time as coaching principles were utilized and the focus shifted from implementation monitoring to peer support and student learning.

Making the Coaching Model Their Own: Instructional Coaching in Bellingham, WA    (PDF)
Instructional coaching-focused PD began with twelve elementary teachers’ attendance at a summer workshop ten years ago and has since developed district-wide into a successful process recognized by the Gates Foundation. Bellingham is a mid-sized urban district in a university town.

Coaching in Boston Public Schools    (PDF)
Literacy coaching has been in place in Boston Public Schools since 1994 and has helped boost BPS achievement scores into the top five ranking for large urban districts. Clear beliefs about how children and adults learn inform the BPS Coaching Model.

Managing the Complexities of a Statewide Reading Initiative
Working with the National Council of Teachers of English, South Carolina has taken the bold step of focusing professional development in reading on teachers, rather than programs. And the decision is paying off.