Instructional Coaches and the Instructional Leadership Team : A Guide for School-Building Improvement

An instructional coach is an on-site professional developer who works directly with teachers and staff on how to use research-based strategies and techniques in their everyday classrooms. A successful instructional coach plays many roles in a school community: public relations guru, communicator extraordinaire, master organizer and expert educator. However, an instructional coach cannot succeed alone: the school community itself plays a vital role in the impact an instructional coach can have on a school building. This book provides a framework for creating a school environment that promotes collaboration between school principal, staff, and the instructional coach. The authors provide a collaboration toolbox for the instructional leadership team, including: Surveys for ICs to use to gather feedback from teachers and staff in order to plan needed professional development Classroom observational protocols to help guide ICs during classroom observations Data collection instruments to use when working with teachers to collect data for action research projects to improve practice Templates and graphic organizers for ICs to plan busy days and weeks, and to organize information from various stakeholders Templates for helping ICs conduct reviews of literature and research on effective, scientifically based instructional practices Numerous cases based on extensive research Self-study and group activities