Literacy 360° Coaching
Literacy 360° Coaching
Coaches provide guidance in the classroom, designed to successfully implement evidence-based practice. In Preschool MTSS, coaches help teachers make and implement MTSS decisions with individual children. These decisions could range from steps to strengthen core, Tier 1 instruction, to providing the child with supplemental instruction (Tier 2), or to individualized instruction (Tier 3). The Literacy 360° Tune-Up Checklist is based on what was learned from the CIRCLE observation concerning a child’s response to instruction and, if available, data from literacy screening/progress monitoring measures (i.e., IGDI, PELI, GRTR) (see steps in the Problem Solving Cycle). Was the opportunity to learn literacy provided by the teacher? Was the child academically engaged? The Checklist provides a plan with suggested intervention changes by increasing opportunity to learn and child academic engagement. Coaching helps the teacher make these planned changes.
1. Is there a Problem?
If the child’s assessed preliteracy skills are below benchmark on a universal screening or progress monitoring measure, an intervention is needed.
3. What is the Solution?
The coach engages the teacher in goal setting, strategy selection, and implementation planning that becomes the 360° Tune-up Checklist. This becomes an action plan that can be measured in a fidelity assessment and used as a basis for progress and feedback to the teacher. The teacher begins implementation of the plan and the coach assists the teacher, observes, and provides feedback.
2. What may be Causing It?
The coach observes in the classroom using CIRCLE to assess the extent of Teacher Literacy Focus, and Children’s Academic Engagement during classroom instruction. The coach and teacher review the data and reflect on strategies to increase Teacher Literacy Focus and to promote Child Academic Engagement in the areas of greatest need.
4. Is the Solution being Implemented?
Coaching observations are made until teachers achieve fidelity on the strategies they have implemented. Additional feedback is provided as needed. Thereafter, if additional checks indicate low fidelity, plans are made and implemented to maintain new strategies to increase Teacher Literacy Focus and Children’s Academic Engagement.
5. Is the Solution Working?
To address this question, the children’s preliteracy skills are assessed again and evaluated against age-level benchmarks. The intervention is working if the children are closing the gap by increasing growth compared to their first measurement and/or approaching or surpassing the benchmark for peers their same age. Based on the evidence, the next steps in the Problem Solving Cycle are conducted.