Description of Wisconsin Peer Coaching Collaborative, a Research Supported Professional Development Program
ISSAC Consortium Case Study: Building Leadership through Peer Coaching
The ISSAC consortium comprised of 7 small rural school districts in southern Wisconsin work together to
provide high quality cost effective professional development to teachers. This work has been funded
through grants from the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program. Teachers
participating in the consortium showed statistically significant improvements in lesson design in the
following conditions:
1. Standards and the Level of the Cognitive Challenge of the tasks they asked students to
perform, incorporating more critical thinking and problem solving challenges resulting in
demonstrating deeper of understanding of standards based content performance
requirements.
2. Opportunity for inquiry/collaboration/and communication with peers and experts where
technology is used for critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, team work, and life skills
such as leadership, adaptability and self-direction
3. Student Engagement through real world relevant contexts for students to apply thinking and
problem solving to increase student engagement and motivation.
4. Level of technology use (literacy, adaptive, and transforming) changed from “tool” focused
activities to a focus on learning and identifying the best tool and web resource for the learning
context.
The professional development program implemented incorporated several research based components
to improve instructional practices that employ technology and incorporate critical and higher level
thinking skills to impact student achievement in grades 3-12. The program included the Intel Teach to
the Future integration of technology training, Microsoft Peer Coaching program, the integration of
Thinkfinity and BadgerLink resources to enhance classroom teaching and learning, and teacher
reflection on their lessons and student work focusing on improving 21st Century skills and the impact of
technology on student learning in Critical Friends discussions.
The participants engaged in Critical Friends reflective protocol based dialogues throughout the project. These
opportunities to engage in conversations around evidence of quality in their lessons proved to be very beneficial
and critical to teacher success. Teachers reported the lessons learned from the critical friends experience
contributed to a significant change in the quality of lessons being produced. Seldom do teachers have the
opportunity to receive evidence based feedback on their work. This seems to have been a critical element in
improvement in quality of lesson design.
EETT project participants had clearly developed skills in improved integration and lesson design focusing on
standards. Teachers collaborated and reflected with their consortium colleagues online and in face to face
sessions. These highly skilled teachers needed a means in their local districts to share their knowledge and
expertise. The ISSAC consortium wanted to develop the capacity to transfer ownership of professional
development to the local districts using these lead teachers. In order to develop capacity to sustain
growth at the district level the consortium implemented the Microsoft Peer Coaching program. The
Microsoft Peer Coaching Program is a successful scalable professional development model that
enhances standards-based instruction through engaged learning and technology integration. In schools
Mary Lou Ley- mley@charter.net - Director WI Peer Coaching Collaborative, PD Affiliate Partnership for 21st Century Skills Pg. 1
that adopted a peer coaching model, researchers found that when teachers combined participation in
typical workshops with peer coaching for sharing and observation, 88 % of teachers were using new
strategies in their classrooms effectively (Joyce & Showers, 1994; Joyce, Murphy, & Showers, 1996;
Richardson, 1999).
The Peer Coaching Program improved the communication and collaboration skills of lead teachers
enabling them to direct professional conversations with their peers on assessment practices, effective
lesson design and integrating technology resources and tools. ISSAC’s implementation of the Peer
Coaching Program fostered systemic integration of technology by training teacher leaders to serve as
peer coaches for colleagues and assist schools to build their capacity for sustaining professional growth.
Teachers need continued opportunities for training at this critical time when many are not familiar with the
Common Core Standards, 21st century skills and assessments and the ways technology can support them. This
project allowed ISSAC schools to maximize training across the consortium and locally by implementing a cost
effective Peer Coaching Model. Without the grant the training costs would fall to individual districts that simply
could not and would not be able to continue professional development. Peer Coaches describe themselves as
being much more confident in using technology and taking on leadership roles in their schools coaching others in
how to integrate technology. Many of these coaches were viewed as “experts” by their peers. The Peer Coaching
program enabled them to develop the coaching skills that resulted in improved communication and collaboration
with their peers. They became better facilitators and coaches providing support to peers that was directly relevant
and embedded in the teachers’ classrooms increasing teacher skills, confidence and ownership for improved
teaching and learning.
Administrative support for the coaching was frequently described as a critical component for success. In districts
where administrators were involved in the coaching training and implementation coaches were more likely to
meet on a regular basis, focus on the inclusion of more digital tools and resources and produce higher quality
lesson improvements. Specifically, Administrators who provided support to teams by assisting in the logistics of
pairings and placing a priority on providing a common meeting time implemented the most successful coaching
programs.
Wisconsin teachers from all levels K-12 have reported benefits from their participation in working with a
coach. Most teachers initially report increased engagement of their students as the most notable
change in student performance. Later in their coaching experience many report that they now design
lessons more focused on standards and integrate technologies to enhance the learning where prior to
coaching they chose a digital tool and built lessons around it. This shift from focusing on the tool to
focusing on the learning is a key to building lessons that incorporate more critical thinking and problem
solving. Primary k-2 literacy classroom teachers where RtI is closely monitored and assessed learned to
use digital tools like interactive whiteboards and iPads to enhance student involvement as well as
develop ongoing performance assessments vs. a more traditional skill building approach. Middle school
level teachers report changes in their lessons as moving from traditional independently completed
worksheets or summary reports to more collaborative tasks that require students to work together to
share responsibility and develop important 21st Century Skills. They report improved tasks, use of a
range of formative and summative assessments, and access to appropriate technology resources as
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major changes in lessons. They report student engagement, quality of discussions and improved student
products as changes in student performance.
Teachers develop confidence in using digital tools and develop higher quality lessons and assessments.
During their initial year of coaching teachers document the changes in lessons that occur during the
year. Teachers report this documentation process to be very affirming and demonstrated a clear picture
of continuous improvement. Teachers post improved lessons, self reflections on the change in their
lessons, and the resources they have found beneficial to an online portal to share and collaborate with
other teachers.
Coaches also collaborate with other coaches across the consortium on their coaching work. Coaches identify and
resolve challenges in coaching, analyze the improvements in the lessons they collaborated on, and receive
feedback on their coaching skills. Coaches discuss ways to improve the ways they engage in thoughtful
conversations around teaching and learning that encourage their collaborating teachers to think more deeply
about their practice resulting in transformational changes in teaching and learning.
Description of Research-Supported Microsoft Peer Coaching Program:
Current Research: Only 25% of teachers in any school districts engage in improvement initiatives even at the peak
of those reform efforts. “The challenging and ambitious practice of these teachers occurs in proportion to the
number of teachers who are intrinsically motivated to question their practice on a fundamental level and look to
outside models to improve teaching and learning “(School Reform from the Inside Out, Elmore, R., 2004). A study
conducted by the NEA and AFT in 2008 shows that only 50% of teachers are prepared to effectively integrate
technology into classroom instruction and that only 1/3 of teachers ask students to engage in problem solving and
research. Current surveys of Wisconsin teachers from EETT grant participants reveal the same patterns of use.
Performance on international student assessments (PISA) show the United States is ranked 24 th out of 31
industrialized countries on problem solving and critical thinking. To find out why some schools succeed where
others do not, Barber & Mourshed (2007), studied twenty-five of the world's top school systems,
including ten of the top performers. They examined what the high-performing school systems have in
common and what tools they use to improve student outcomes. “All of the available evidence on teacher
effectiveness suggest that students placed with high-performing teachers will progress three times as fast as those
placed with low-performing teachers”, ( Barber & Mourshed, 2007). Their findings conclude “The only way to
improve outcomes is to improve instruction.” ( p.26) and “The quality of the education system cannot exceed the
quality of its teachers.” (p16).
The work of the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) (Sparks 2002), Michael Fullan (2001), North Central
Regional Laboratory (NCREL), Showers, Murphy & Joyce (1996), Sparks & Loucks-Horsley, (1989), and the
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) (2003, July) present five factors that have shown
to significantly improve teaching: 1) On the job, job-embedded training, Professional development needs to be
part of a teacher’s daily schedule, which means during class time or prep time, in the classroom, and focused on
content and pedagogy. 2) Long-term, ongoing professional development, Darling Hammond, NSDC 2009.
Intensive 50 hours in a school year on one focus area. The best school systems provide this time for all teachers
and avoid educational fads, the most effective schools focus on one issue, like literacy, for 5 years. 3) Focused on
classroom activities, using the actual lessons and students that a teacher is currently teaching. 4) Highly
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collaborative environment, and, 5) Structured to offer chances to learn from others. Robert Fullan argues in
“The 6 Secrets to Change” student learning increases substantially when teachers work in learning communities
supported by school leaders who focus on improvement. Darling Hammond, NSDC 2009, collaboration impacts
more than individual teacher’s classrooms, all students in classrooms of all teachers collaborating see better
academic achievement. Conversely that without this type of collaborative effort schools won’t be able to change to
implement systemic change
The advent of digital technology has fundamentally changed routines and practices in most areas of work.
Advocates of technology in education have hoped for similar dramatic changes in the process of teaching and
learning. It has become clear, however, that in education the reality has lagged far behind the vision. Part of the
problem has been a tendency to only look at the technology and not how it is used. Merely introducing technology
to the educational process is not enough. The question of what teachers need to know in order to appropriately
incorporate technology into their teaching has received recent attention (International Society for Technology in
Education, 2000; National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, 1997; U.S. Congress Office of Technology
Assessment, 1995; U.S. Department of Education, 2000; Zhao, 2003). Our primary focus should be on studying
how the technology is used (Carr, Jonassen, Litzinger, & Marra, 1998; Mishra & Koehler, 2003).
The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) framework developed by Punya Mishra and Matthew J
Koehler is the result of 5 years of research focused on teacher professional development and faculty development
in higher education. It articulates the essential qualities of teacher knowledge required for technology integration
in teaching, while addressing the complex nature of applying this knowledge in learning environments built around
content, pedagogy and technology. Expectations of teacher use of technology have historically focused on
developing skill in using the tools and software and did not address the more important question of how to use
technology appropriately in the instructional process. Professional development focused on what and not how.
This has resulted in teachers emphasizing basic skill use in classrooms focusing on tools and hardware and very
limited application of technology to enhance critical thinking and research.
Current teaching standards, International Society for Technology (ISTE) and the National Council for Accreditation
of Teacher Education (NCATE, 1997, revised in 2001), for technology have moved away from an emphasis on basic
skills acquisition and have defined higher order goals that are essential for effective pedagogy with technology
(Glenn,2002a, 2002b; Handler & Strudler, 1997; Wise, 2001). This perspective requires the development of very
different strategies for developing teachers.
The Peer Coaching model used in the Wisconsin Peer Coaching Collaborative is based on effective research
components. It is a framework that builds internal capacity for school districts to implement effective sustainable
professional development. The goal of Peer Coaching is to help schools to create systemic capacity to provide
professional development by promoting the participation of school administrators as well as coaches and teachers.
In a time of budget cuts and department reorganizations, schools are challenged to do more with less. Peer
Coaching provides effective, affordable teacher professional development.
Wisconsin Peer Coaching Collaborative Model: Building Leadership through Peer Coaching
The Peer Coaching model is built around research supported factors for improving teaching (see above) and
focuses on improving student achievement by improving three areas of teaching and learning:
1) Improving lesson design by incorporating engaging strategies focused on Common Core
Standards performances,
2) Integrating digital classroom tools and resources to enhance learning, and,
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3) Developing collaboration/communication skills around reflection and analysis of the lesson
improvement process.
Trained coaches collaborate with peers in protocol based discussions. These protocols are designed to give
teachers optimal feedback without teachers feeling the need to justify or explain their reasons for current work.
These assist the collaborating teacher in analyzing and improving lessons from their own classrooms with their
own students toward the goal of improving achievement through the use of 21 st century digital classroom tools,
balanced assessment practices and ongoing reflection.
The Peer Coaching Program, supported by Microsoft Corporation, is a proven methodology for training teacher
leaders to serve as peer coaches for their colleagues. Many educators attest to the transformative power of peer
coaching and its ability to alter practices and beliefs. Peer coaching is a practical way to deliver the ongoing,
consistent support essential to assist teachers to improve their teaching and increase student achievement. It
builds trust between coaches, teachers and local administrators. It aligns with local district and state initiatives.
Currently there are trained teachers in 47 countries, 14 U.S. States and over 25 Wisconsin school districts. The
program trains facilitators and provides ongoing support and advice as they implement Peer Coaching in their
districts. These facilitators recruit and train coaches in their local schools. The local coaches choose 1-2 teachers to
collaborate with throughout the year and each subsequent year they coach 1-2 more teachers. The Peer Coaching
training provided by trained facilitators helps coaches collaborate with teachers at their schools so that each
teacher in the school can strengthen the quality of learning, and improve student learning by providing students
with active, engaging, technology-rich learning activities.
Coaches are trained to engage in the Coaching Process outlined below. They learn collaboration and
communication skills to become effective coaches. Coaches also collaborate with other coaches on their coaching
work, identify and resolve challenges in coaching, analyze the improvements in the lessons they collaborated on,
and receive feedback on their coaching skills. Coaches discuss ways to engage in thoughtful conversations around
teaching and learning that encourage their collaborating teachers to think more deeply about their practice
resulting in transformational changes in teaching and learning.
Coaching Process:
Step 1: Coaches and teachers focus on Common Core Standards using protocols to discuss current instructional
practice and lesson design. Protocols use research identified indicators of effective instructional components to
assess quality of current lessons and identify areas where improvement could occur.
Step 2: The collaborating teacher and their coach work together to develop engaging relevant tasks that require
students to demonstrate the performance outcomes and the critical thinking required of the Common Core
Standards In relevant real world contexts. Teachers use a research based lesson improvement template to guide
their work.
Step 3: The coach and the collaborating teacher identify challenging aspects of the lesson and work to provide
clear concise directions and explicit expectations of student performance. These include developing opportunities
for balanced assessment practices that include providing specific feedback that will assist students in moving to
the next level of performance.
Step 4: Technology resources and digital classroom tools are identified that will enhance the learning outcomes
based on six research supported indicators of effective technology integration. The Wisconsin Verizon Thinkfinity
partnership provides access to effective digital tools and learning resources.
Mary Lou Ley- mley@charter.net - Director WI Peer Coaching Collaborative, PD Affiliate Partnership for 21st Century Skills Pg. 5
Step 5: Assessment options are identified that provide a balance between content outcomes, 21 st Century skills,
and self and peer assessments.
Step 6: Teacher and coach reflect on the outcome of the improved lesson and discuss challenges and identify
changes to make improvements. Teachers discuss the impact of the improved lesson on student performance and
chart the changes made and their resulting impact. This reflection and assessment leads them to discuss next steps
and the process repeats. Collaboration logs are records of the conversations and lesson improvements. These logs
provide evidence of improvement in teacher practice and provide rewarding feedback to collaborating teachers.
Participants examine their coaching success throughout the project. They collect teacher and student artifacts
(collaboration logs, participant journals, lesson plans, student work samples, session evaluations) and
document technology/ tools used to collect and show evidence. Coaches share observation data (examples:
observations of coaching, observations of classroom practice, observations of coach training sessions,
and participation in a culminating coaching event). Coaches also complete or provide program
evaluation data through: self assessments, interviews, coach reports, collaborating teacher reports, oral
examination of participants, discussion or blog entries. Data is used to evaluate the project and identify
program improvement needs to plan for ongoing implementation.
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