EFFECTIVE CURRICULUM
COACHING
Meredith Dunn
Principal, Northern Elementary
Melody Gallenstein
Curriculum Coach, Northern Elementary
September 2010
OUR BACKGROUND
Northern Elementary
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Lexington, Kentucky
500 students
40% Caucasion, 40% African American, 20% Hispanic
85% Free/Reduced Lunch
10-15% Special Education (not including speech only)
3-4 classrooms at each level
4th and 5th grade – departmentalized
2008-2009 CATS Index – 101
Based on 08-09 Data – No Achievement Gaps
Leadership Staff: 1 Principal, 1 PSA, 1 Curriculum
Coach
WHAT IS A CURRICULUM COACH ANYWAY?
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Role will look different depending on the needs of
the students and staff in your building.
There is not an absolute right way to approach
the coaching position but there are some ways to
maximize the role.
Probably the trickiest position in the school to
navigate.
Can be called Instructional, Academic, etc
PURPOSE
 Ultimately,
you want a Coach that
can:
Influence school culture positively
 Increase and encourage professional
learning
 Raise student achievement
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Build capacity
THE ROLE
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The job of a Curriculum Coach is to raise the
quality of the teaching and learning in every
classroom in the school by building a culture in
which:
Teaching is public and itself the focus of study among
professionals
 Planning for instruction is thorough and
collaborative and digs deeply into the content
 Conversation and questions about improving student
results among teachers are constant, evidence-based,
and non-defensive.
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WHAT IS A CURRICULUM COACH ANYWAY?
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A Curriculum Coach wears many hats during
any given day. The following 10 roles break down
how a Coach might impact a school.
1. Resource Provider
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Websites
Instructional materials
Readings
Professional resources
Lesson/unit plans
Assessments
WHAT IS A CURRICULUM COACH ANYWAY?
 Instructional
Specialist
Helps implement effective teaching strategies
 Differentiating instruction
 Planning lessons
 Explore instructional strategies appropriate
for the school
 Design assessments
 Highlight best practices in the classroom and
in the profession
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WHAT IS A CURRICULUM COACH ANYWAY?
 Curriculum
Specialist
Understanding content standards
 Linking curriculum together
 Long range planning
 Ensure consistent curriculum implementation
throughout the school
 Lead teachers to agree on standards
 Use common pacing charts
 Develop common assessment
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WHAT IS A CURRICULUM COACH ANYWAY?
 Classroom
Supporter
Help teachers implement new ideas
 Modeling lessons
 Coteaching
 Observing and giving feedback
 Enhance teachers self efficacy – believe in
their own abilities and capacity to solve
teaching and learning problems
 Encourage reflection
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WHAT IS A CURRICULUM COACH ANYWAY?
 Learning
Facilitator
Facilitate professional learning opportunities
among staff members
 Help to create a community of learning
 Facilitate Grade Level Meetings and
Committees
 Foster and environment where staff members
regularly consult and ask each other for help.
 Meet in regular groups to discuss how to
improve instruction of specific concepts and
skills
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WHAT IS A CURRICULUM COACH ANYWAY?
Mentor
 For
novice teachers
 Acclimate new teachers to a new
school
 Advise new teachers about
instruction, curriculum, procedure,
practices, and politics
WHAT IS A CURRICULUM COACH ANYWAY?
 School
Leader
Serving on a committee
 School improvement team
 Represent the school on district task forces
 Shares the vision of the school
 Aligns goals with that of the district and
school
 Shares responsibility for the success of the
school
 Possible Site Based Council Member
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WHAT IS A CURRICULUM COACH ANYWAY?
 Data
Coach
Lead conversations that engage teachers in
analyzing data to drive classroom instruction
 Disaggregate data
 Help plan instruction based on data
 Give feedback on structures that work and
those that need to be revised
 Help staff members use daily and weekly
formative data about student learning to
design reteaching and focus instruction on
student needs.
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WHAT IS A CURRICULUM COACH ANYWAY?
 Catalyst
for Change
Never content with the status quo
 Always looking for a better way
 Coaches who take a catalyst role feel secure in
their own work and have a strong commitment
to continual improvement.
 Pose questions to generate analysis of student
learning
 Can lead to sustainable improvement across
the school and district
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WHAT IS A CURRICULUM COACH ANYWAY?
 Learner
 Model
continual improvement
 Demonstrate lifelong learning
 Use what they learn to help all
students achieve
SPECIAL INGREDIENT
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Building Relationships
 Success of a Curriculum Coach depends very
much on the personality of the person filling
the role. Must be approachable.
 Teachers MUST trust this person.
 There cannot be a hidden agenda that the
Coach tries to follow. The agenda is student
achievement.
 The Coach is not a teacher but is not
technically an administrator either.
 Principal/Coach Relationship
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN HIRING
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A coach should emphasize these values:
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Inquiry
Deep collaboration
Collective responsibility for student learning
Teacher as decision maker
Curriculum as a tool for good instruction; not as a
prescription for instruction
Continual adult learning
Adult norms of dialogue and debate at the same time
as sharing and mutual support
REFERENCES
Saphier, J. & West, L. How Coaches Can
Maximize Student Learning. Kappan December
2009/January 2010, pg. 46 - 50
 Harrison, D. & Killion, J. Ten Roles for Teacher
Leaders. September 2007, Educational
Leadership, Volume 65, Number 1, pg. 74-77
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INFORMATION
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Meredith Dunn
Principal, Northern Elementary
meredith.dunn@fayette.kyschools.us
Melody Gallenstein
Curriculum Coach, Northern Elementary
melody.gallenstein@fayette.kyschools.us