Session Title/Event
Session: Month 1 Coaching & Support
Facilitator:
Date and Time:
Topic: Month 1 Coaching & Support
Total Time: 90min
Intended Audience: All Leaders (Principals, DOSs, ADs, DSSs, ideally DSOs participate for last 90min)
Pre-Work: n/a
Supporting/Table Facilitators:
Aims: SLWBAT…
 Collect and analyze individual classroom culture data using a week 8 classroom observation tool
 Diagnose and plan teacher & school interventions based on week 8 school-wide data synthesis
Session Description/Connection to PD Arc/Priorities
This session will focus on how to collect and analyze critical classroom culture data in order to assess teacher
effectiveness, scholar habits and classroom/school procedures. Participants will gain proficiency in using a highimpact classroom walkthrough data collection tool and then begin to analyze school-wide data rolled up to
create a differentiated teacher & school support plan. This cycle of weekly collection and analysis will be critical
to setting a strong culture foundation in the first 8 weeks of school.
Key Points
 Teacher and scholar habits are shaped in the
critical first 8 weeks of the school year. If we
get the foundation right and truly make certain
foundation behaviors “habit”, it will free up
learning time for increased rigor and
engagement.
 We can extract meaningful take-aways from
high-impact classroom walkthroughs if we
know what we are looking for and how to
collect data for the key teacher and scholar
behaviors that we expect.
 Classroom culture data should drive leader
action – it’s like formative assessment data
reflective of what we taught (staff) well and
where there are gaps.
 We can, and should, differentiate teacher
support to meet the needs we are seeing.
One size coaching will not fit all. Teachers, like
scholars, have a wide range of skill base and
we need to proactively plan intervention
triggers and supports.
Potential Misunderstandings
 This does not fit within our current
observation and feedback work.
 Culture data only matters in the first 8 weeks.
 Teacher differentiated support takes the place
of full-group PD: there is an either-or.
 Data collection is objective and does not
require any norming.
 If you collect teacher taxonomy data, that’s
enough – scholar habit data is redundant.
 Classroom culture data is used to assess at the
back end to assess how we did.
 Culture data should only impact DSOs.
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Session Title/Event
AGENDA AT A GLANCE
100min
1) Do Now (4min) - Max
2)Personal reflection & week 8 leader reflections (10min) -- Max
4) Guided: Data tool intro and usage (30min)
a) observation tool: intro - Amy
b) guided application: 1 video together
5) Application& Debrief (15min) –
6) Case Study –
7) Structures Need for Week 8 6) Closing (5min) Materials
I will need:
 Session handout
 Extra headphones (estimated 40)
 Splicers for headphones (so that 3 people can
watch the same video from a laptop at the same
time)
 Chart paper (sticky paper), markers
 Projector
 Loud speakers
 Clicker
Assessment & Follow-up
Follow-up by Principals & Deans (dates):
 Schedule LT Culture Review for weeks 2, 4,
6 – invite Regional Sup via Outlook invite
Grouping/Physical Space Notes
Additional Instructions/Notes for Facilitator
NOTE: We will need 2 projectors and speakers set up so
that we can do an elementary and MS/HS break out for
guided video application.
Living the Learning (LtL) Legend:
O= Opening
AA= Airtight Activity
K= Key Points
M= Additional Model
A= Application
C: Closing/Reflection
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Session Title/Event
Session Detail
3) Guided: Data tool intro and usage (30min)
a) class observation tool: intro –
b) guided application (1 video together)
4) Application& Debrief (15min) –
-divide out by ES and MS/HS
5) LT Meeting/Planning Week 8 Structures (15min) 6) Closing (5min) –
PPT
Time
Min.
Do Now (R)
1
2:402:44
4
Do Now:
1
Introduction: Aims and Agenda
In this session… (aims)
We will get there by… (agenda)
10
Leader Reflections Video
2-5
6-7
2:452:55
Facilitator
Say: DOSs saw this video last week but today we are going to look at it with
a new lens. Today, we are going to step back and analyze what does our
collective experience tell us about our Week 8 work this year. As you watch
each leader reflecting on video, listen for: what worked/what didn’t, what
was the impact of that… and what was the lesson learned. Note: You might
not have all of the columns filled out for each person.
8-14
2:553:10
15
4) Guided: Data tool intro and usage (30min)
Say: DOSs previewed part of this tool last week – today we will take a closer
look at it.
a- intro to tool & CFU:
b- guided usage – watch one together
Say: DOSs tried out this tool using tallies and they can show your LT how do
that option another time if you are interested. For now, let’s stick to the
rating scale column.
15
3:103:20
10
5)Application:
breakout
groups
We are going to break out into one ES and one MS group to watch a few
3
Session Title/Event
minutes of a class and assess using the first 3 taxonomy moves.
a) break out and watch videos in pairs & assess
b) debrief
16-17
3:203:53
33
18
3:534:05
4:054:10
12
NOTE: Max – it’s important for you to watch the ES video and be normed so
that you can lead that discussion.
Case Study
-Read independently and mark up (6min)
-Discuss in small groups (5min)
-Full group share (5min)
-Action Plan in small groups (10min)
-Share Out & Synthesize (7min)
LT planning: Week 8 structures and determining next steps
5
Closing
19
4
Session Title/Event
ADDITIONAL NOTES/REFERENCE:
Week 8 Lessons Learned
Video School Leader
Message
1
2
3
4
6
7
8
9
Principal Checklist for Week 8 Culture Support Planning
 Schedule Culture DDP biweekly meetings with full LT at the end of Week 2, 4, 6, (8)
 Schedule weekly struggling teacher data follow up week 1, 3, 5, 7
 Plan which struggling teacher interventions will be staffed weekly. Determine which LT member will lead each
and when each will take place.
 Determine observation (walk through) roles and responsibilities (which LT member will observe which teachers
and how often). It’s recommended that the first few walk throughs are done in LT pairs to norm data collection.
 Determine who will enter walkthrough data (OPS, Principal’s Asst, etc.) and by when (ex: must be entered EOD
Thursday in weeks 2, 4, 6, 8 prior to the Friday Foundations meeting
 Determine who will email out the biweekly school culture data report to the LT (copy Regional Sup).
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Session Title/Event
Conversation with Kerri Tabarcea, Principal at Success Academy Cobble Hill
BIG TAKEAWAYS
1) Clear, concrete goals at the six-week and weekly goals (see p. 1 – this page)
2) Public data that is shared openly with individual teachers and all teachers (see p. 2)
3) Ongoing communication structures (see p. 3)
4) Systematic baseline observations (see p. 2)
5) Systematic real-time coaching esp. leveraging veteran teachers (see p. 2)
KERRI INTERVIEW NOTES
Big Goal (What is the Big Goal for Teacher Excellence Training (TET)?)
95% of kids are on task for all parts of the academic program (independent work, discourse, etc.). THIS IS
THE MOST IMPORTANT DATA POINT.
They use the CT3 Baseline Observation page, where basically they tally that # of students off task every minute
(“Every minute, scan the room. Note students who do not appear to be on task. Then scan the room a second
time. If the student still appears to be off task, tally him or her as being off task.”) They then calculate the % of
students off task, i.e. Total # of students off task in 10 min / Total # of students x 10).
This goal is differentiated for lead and associate teachers:
 Lead teachers – 95% of kids on task / actively listening all the time during all components of the class
(discourse, independent work, direct instruction)
 Associate teachers (they are typically just in charge of using behavioral narration and managing the tracker) –
95% of kids on task only focused on transitions (lunch, recess, snack, moving around) and small groups
What Success focuses on (How do we get there?)
They need kids and teachers to understand all the routines to be successful:
1) “Acts of learning” - accountable talk during read aloud discourse, turn and talk routines, advocating for
yourself
2) All transitions - desk to rug, rug to line, line to desk, walking in hallways
Weekly Mastery Indicators (How do we measure progress towards the Big Goal?)
 Week #1 - Hallways, active listening during direct instruction on carpet (Magic 5), getting kids’ attention …
and in all contexts (classrooms, shared spaces)
 Week #2 – 100%, transitions from space to space (different spaces)
o Goal for week 2: 95% on task for routines and transitions


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
Week #3 – Accountability for listening (repeating back previous student’s response and answering in
complete sentences), independent work
Week #4 – Precision of responses, students are audible, individual subject routines
o Goal for week 4: 95% on task for direct instruction
Week #5 – Best effort (looks like and sounds like to demonstrate best effort; in independent writing, writing
the entire time, neat handwriting, heading on paper, express their thoughts, sitting up straight)
Week 6 – Reserved for anything that needs to be retaught
o Goal for week 6: 95% on task for all times (routines and transitions, direct instruction AND
INCLUDING discourse and independent work)
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Session Title/Event
Baseline culture training during August PD (What do they do with teachers before the school year starts?)
Setting up school culture has three parts during August:
1) School-wide behavior management – This is consistent routines, using the behavior system, norming on
consequences and how to build relationships– i.e. every teacher calls every parent in the entire class with
survey questions, communication norms with tricky parent relationships)
2) Teacher Excellence Training (just 1 hour) – This focuses on the adults. They roll out the big goal of
95% on task, introduce the weekly mastery goals, explain to teachers how to use the tally sheet, etc.
3) Assessment - Everyone turns in first week plans (all the explicit narrations and narration – behaviorally and
intellectually- need to be scripted in, language for consequences)
Observation Data (How do they gather data during their TET?)
Kerri and her team (leadership team and senior teachers) conduct baseline observations once a week for each
grade team. These are 10 min observations in each classroom using the CTTT tally sheet. After the class, she
photocopies the tally sheet and gives it to the teacher.
At the end of the day, she spends 30 min to go through and input all scores into a Google doc. She copies the
data and sends it immediately to individual teachers. The purpose is growth over time (our goal is 95%, here’s
where you are, here’s what’s good, here’s what’s holding you back; on the tally sheet, here’s where you had 10
kids off task; its’ because there was no narrating or explicit directions).
Public Data Sharing - The Google doc with the observation data is public and accessible by all teachers. This
is so teachers can see which other teachers are nailing it and can observe their classrooms.
Real time coaching (How do they move teachers quickly during TET?)
Kerri has been real-time coaching for 3-4 years (since she was initially trained as an assistant principal in 2011)
and has now trained 5 of her 13 lead teachers to walkie-talkie real time coach. (She realized last year that it was
not sustainable for her to do it all by herself)
During TET, she blocks off a 3 hour window each day, twice a week in the morning for real-time coaching.
First, she prioritizes the top teachers and real-time coaches them twice during the first 73 hours of TET. This is
so they can be anchors and exemplars for other teachers in the school. Then, she coaches the strugglers, who get
real-time coached 5-6 times during TET.
So if the baseline observation is on Monday morning, real-time coaching would take place on Tuesday
afternoon or Wednesday morning. She always goes through the entire three-part full cycle (pre-observation
conversation, coaching and follow up conversation).
This last year, NONE OF HER teachers did not meet the big goal (!). We asked her how she did that. Kerri
learned about how to prioritize time, with good to great teachers prioritized first, which allowed struggling
teachers to observe strong teachers.
Also, a lead teacher was often pulled from class (or asked during prep) to push in to struggling teachers.
(During TET, it’s “all hands on deck” and everyone is on, i.e. all lead teachers are expected to be with classes
during specials until specials are tight) This would be either a) real-time coaching or b) co-manage the class and
interject, inserting during the four—part management cycle, i.e. “What are the directions?” or starting to narrate
or giving the consequence.
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Session Title/Event
Ongoing Staff Communication (How is the observation data analyzed and communicated during TET?)
Daily debrief meeting - During the first week of school, there’s a daily debrief meeting with all teachers.
Teachers hear about the school-wide trends and focus areas for the school. They also refer to the Google doc
with all the observation data.
Daily debrief e-mail – A debrief e-mail is sent out by the principal every day for the first two weeks of school.
It highlights mastery goals for that week
Ongoing Leader Communication (How is the observation data analyzed and communicated during TET?)
Daily leadership meetings – The leadership team meets at the beginning of the day to determine the focus for
the day, who is coaching who, etc. It also meets at the end of day to review the data (what are the trends, what
to drive towards tomorrow, etc. For example, last year, effort was an issue so how do you know that a child is
showing their best effort?)
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