Collaborative Coaching for Disciplinary Literacy Strategies to Support Teachers in Grades 6-12

Today's standards challenge middle and high school teachers to teach their content deeply and meaningfully. This book provides an innovative coaching model for helping science, social studies, and English language arts teachers promote the reading, writing, listening, speaking, and thinking skills needed for high-level work in each discipline. Seventeen specific strategies are presented for large-group, small-group, and individual coaching, including step-by-step instructions and implementation tips. Profiles of highly effective disciplinary literacy coaches illustrate the nuts and bolts of the job and highlight ways to deal with common challenges. In a large-size format for easy photocopying, the book includes 21 reproducible forms. Purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials.

Laurie Elish-Piper, PhD, is Acting Dean of the College of Education at Northern Illinois University, where she also holds the titles of Distinguished Teaching Professor and Presidential Engagement Professor in the Department of Literacy and Elementary Education. Her research and teaching focus on literacy leadership and coaching, and she has published and presented widely on literacy coaching at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Dr. Elish-Piper has worked extensively with school districts to develop and implement literacy coaching programs, and she teaches graduate courses related to literacy coaching and leadership. She has coauthored eight books, including The Common Core Coaching Book (with Susan K. L’Allier). Formerly, she worked as a middle school reading and language arts teacher and an educational therapist in a clinical setting.

Susan K. L’Allier, EdD, is Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Reading Program in the Department of Literacy and Elementary Education at Northern Illinois University. She and Laurie Elish-Piper have conducted multiple research studies to examine the relationship between literacy coaching and student literacy achievement. In addition to their journal articles, chapters, and presentations about literacy coaching, they have also published a video “workshop in a box” titled The Literacy Coaching Series, which enables viewers to see and analyze interactions between literacy coaches and teachers. Formerly, Dr. L’Allier worked as an elementary teacher, a lead teacher, and a principal.

Michael Manderino, PhD, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Literacy and Elementary Education at Northern Illinois University. He has presented widely with Laurie Elish-Piper, Susan K. L’Allier, and Paula Di Domenico on disciplinary literacy coaching at the secondary level. He coauthored a book on content-area learning and has published articles on disciplinary literacy in leading journals. He received dissertation awards from the Literacy Research Association and the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers. Dr. Manderino also works closely with school districts to implement disciplinary literacy in the curriculum and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses related to disciplinary literacy. Formerly, he was a high school history teacher and disciplinary literacy coach.

Paula Di Domenico, EdD, is a secondary disciplinary literacy coach at Leyden District 212 in Franklin Park, Illinois, and serves as an adjunct instructor of graduate courses in literacy education at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois. Dr. Di Domenico’s research focuses on teachers’ disciplinary literacy knowledge and on secondary literacy coaching. She has presented on the topic of disciplinary literacy coaching with the other authors of this volume. Formerly, she was a high school English and developmental reading teacher.

I. Disciplinary Literacy in a Standards-Based Era
What Is Disciplinary Literacy?
Teaching for Disciplinary Literacy
Disciplinary Literacy in Action
Disciplinary Literacy: An Integral Aspect of Today's Standards
The Complexity of Disciplinary Literacy Instruction
Why Disciplinary Literacy Matters for Secondary Literacy Coaches
II. Disciplinary Literacy Coaching
What Is Literacy Coaching?
Disciplinary Literacy Coaching and Change
Guidelines for Effective Disciplinary Literacy Coaching
Three Layers of Coaching
Coaching Stances and Coaching Language
Making the Most of Coaching Time
Summary
III. Models of Disciplinary Literacy Coaching
Teacher-Initiated Model
Co-Teaching Model
Department/Team Model
Liaison Model
Selecting a Disciplinary Literacy Coaching Model
Summary
IV. Large-Group Coaching Strategies to Build a Foundation for Disciplinary Literacy Instruction
Strategy 1: Establishing a Climate for Disciplinary Literacy Coaching
Strategy 2: Facilitating an Article Study Group
Strategy 3: Providing Professional Development Golden Nuggets at Faculty, Department, and
Team Meetings
Strategy 4: Presenting Powerful Professional Development
Strategy 5: Using Technology to Connect Coaches and Teachers
V. Small-Group Coaching Strategies to Support Disciplinary Literacy Instruction
Strategy 6: Determining Disciplinary Literacy Outcomes and Creating Assessment Structures
Strategy 7: Selecting, Assessing, and Scaffolding Complex Texts
Strategy 8: Prioritizing Vocabulary for Instruction
Strategy 9: Reviewing Common Assessments
Strategy 10: Developing Discussion Protocols
Strategy 11: Facilitating Teacher Inquiry into the Disciplines
VI. Individual Coaching Strategies to Support Teachers with Disciplinary Literacy Instruction
Strategy 12: Creating Essential Questions
Strategy 13: Developing Questions with Objectives
Strategy 14: Applying the Extended Gradual Release of Responsibility Model
Strategy 15: Implementing Three Levels of Think-Aloud
Strategy 16: Adopting, Adapting, and Creating Strategies
Strategy 17: Using the Coaching Cycle
VII. Profiles of Highly Effective Disciplinary Literacy Coaches
Profile 1: Establishing and Maintaining Administrator Support
Profile 2: Applying the Layered Approach to Coaching
Profile 3: Getting into Classrooms
Profile 4: Differentiating Coaching to Support All Teachers
Profile 5: Working with Hesitant Teachers
Profile 6: Using Tools and Tips for Productive Coaching
Profile 7: Developing a Support System
Final Thoughts
References