Coaching and mentoring conversations

for school improvement

CASE STUDY
Coaching for implementing the Australian Curriculum
Gray Primary School

Australian Institute
for Teaching and
School Leadership
Limited

Coaching and mentoring conversations for school improvement

Case
Study

Case study title

Coaching for implementing the Australian Curriculum

Institution name
Gray Primary School, Palmerston, Northern Territory

Background
Gray Primary School is located in the suburb of Gray in the city of Palmerston, opening in
1984.
The School mission is to be a vibrant teaching and learning centre that maximises each
childs wellbeing, Literacy and Numeracy potential in a safe, healthy, inclusive and
collaborative environment.
Gray Primary School has a very complex and multi-cultural student population with 25%
special needs; 3% under NT Family and Childrens Services care; 26% English as a Second
Language (ESL) and 45% are Indigenous.
The School involves a range of outside agencies. For example, the School has an
agreement with 6 local non government organisations (NGOs) who work within the School
community as a group called Partners Engaged with Gray School (PETS). Many classes
incorporate the Bluearth Sports program into their weekly activities. In 2012 the School won
a National Red Cross award for Harmony Day celebrations, and also won the National
Australia Bank schools first award for the Northern Territory.
The principal places an emphasis on using a shared or distributed leadership approach.

Intended outcome(s)
This case study focuses upon the use of coaching conversations to develop teaching and
learning practices that implement the Australian Curriculum and draw upon the Marzano
approach to school development (see http://www.marzanocenter.com)

The challenge
The challenge for the school is to implement the Australian Curriculum and school
improvement policies concurrently.
The Australian Curriculum has to be implemented into schools in the Northern Territory.
At the same time, School Reviews and a School Improvement Framework have been
introduced into schools in the Northern Territory.
At Gray Primary School the implementation of the English and Maths, Science and History
Australian Curricula, have commenced.
To support the school improvement processes the Marzanos Nine Instructional Strategies for
Effective Teaching and Learning, are being applied in the school.
This project started by the teachers identifying what makes a good learner? and asking the
students what is good learning?

Coaching for implementing the Australian Curriculum

Coaching and mentoring conversations for school improvement

Building practice
To support the introduction of the Australian Curriculum the leadership team undertook
some coaching conversations to ask teachers the following:

how are you travelling with the change?

what is worrying you?

what are you finding is familiar?

Case
Study

From those conversations the leadership team got a good sense about who was traveling
well and who was not. Then the leadership team went about pairing people to support
each other and looking for success with everybody. The pairing up of teachers assisted
them to understand that other people shared their concerns and they were not alone. All
the teachers work collaboratively in professional learning teams.
The principal has a teacher who is work-shadowing her during her coaching sessions, to
build his capacity as a coach and school leader.
There is an expectation in the school that every teacher uses lesson intentions for every
lesson. Students and teachers should be able to answer what are the lesson intentions.
Students know their reading levels and set new targets each term. Teachers are expected
to provide timely written and oral feedback to students.
The use of coaching conversations enables a holistic school improvement process that
brings together into a cohesive whole, many of the external policies that have to be
implemented in the school.

Use of coaching/mentoring conversations

Classroom observations are used as the basis for the coaching conversations. Both the
classroom observations and the coaching conversations tend to last for an hour.
Modelling learning is provided by the leadership team. There are three coaches working
across the school. These three are being coached themselves by outside educators. The
purpose of the coaching of the leadership team is to make sure they are all on the same
page, and to assist them to grow as learners and coaches.
Establishing the processes of coaching conversations with the principal as part of the
leadership team has positioned the school principal as a learner. It has been good for staff
to see the principal as a learner too: the Principal is not the expert but is learning too. That is,
the principal role models being a learner.
The three coaches provide the coaching to the teaching staff and build the trust necessary
to look collaboratively and constructively at teachers programs and give them feedback.
The coaching conversations are used with classroom observations. A template is used and
teachers ask the leadership coaches to focus on specific areas, with each teacher being a
bit different. A time is made with the teacher to give specific feedback immediately after
the classroom observation, which takes some of the anxiety out of the processes. Using
classroom observations are held in the morning, and by the afternoon the feedback is
typed up and the teacher and coach talk together.
External consultants are used to seek confidential feedback from teachers about the
coaching session with the school principal. This feedback is then collated and sent to each
leadership coach and this feedback then becomes a precursor to a coaching session by
the external consultant with each of the leadership coaches.
Coaching for implementing the Australian Curriculum

Coaching and mentoring conversations for school improvement

Case
Study

The school has moved from implementing the Australian Curriculum to using Marzano
to inform the school improvement work of the school. The emphasis of this work is on
pedagogy across the school - implementing the Australian Curriculum.
After having the School Review the leadership team identified that we were implementing
the Australian Curriculum well, but that a common pedagogical framework was required
across the school.
Key points for effective coaching and/mentoring practice

Developing shared understandings and practices about coaching compared with

mentoring, evaluating and consulting across the system takes time but is a pre-
requisite for success

Using data as a basis for coaching, reflecting and planning and evaluating success

Commitment to a coaching methodology for school improvement

Intentional coaching for school improvement

Intentional coaching (with context and task specific mentoring, evaluating and consulting)
from an anecdotal perspective is emerging as a powerful tool in achieving school
improvement. Individuals and teams using coaching as an intentional intervention
methodology report changed behaviour in teachers, teaching and leading. Comments
like: I feel valued, I have hope, I know a lot of stuff already this has just helped me focus
and identify what is important, I am no longer doing things to people to achieve improved
learning I am doing things with people to achieve improved learning for our students.
A proposition could be that coaching has the potential to achieve culture change in a way
that other models have not.

Conclusions and recommendations

The principal has learned that she has to model learning intentions with the teaching staff.
She understands that change takes time. She says: take the staff with you and dont rush
it.
Teachers are now asking how to do things in their classroom because the school culture is
sufficiently encouraging of teachers to do this.

Coaching for implementing the Australian Curriculum

Coaching Model at Gray Primary School 2013

COACHING MODEL AT GRAY PRIMARY SCHOOL 2013

School divided into three
coaching teams Preschool,
Transition and Non Contact
teachers coached by AP; Year
1 and 2 teachers coached by
Lead Teacher; and Years 3-6
teachers coached by Principal.

Towards the end of each term

the teachers will give written
feedback about the coaches to
the external coaches (Marilyn
and Julianne Willis).

External coaches will meet

individually with the AP, Principal
and Lead Teacher to coach them
using AITSL Principal standards.

Teachers provided with

professional learning in
Marzano pedagogy by
Principal.

After the classroom

observation the coach will
meet with the teacher to
have a coaching
conversation about the
lesson. (refer to template of
coaching conversation)

External coaches will

meet once a term with
the Leadership Team to
ensure everyone is on
track.

Teachers implement all

elements of each Design
Question from Marzano
professional learning in their
programs and class.

Each coach conducts a

classroom observation in
their classes every term
term 1 general focus, term 2
reading lesson, term 3 writing
lesson and term 4 maths
lesson.

Whole school evaluation

of the model at the end
of 2013.

This Coaching model is to support the implementation of Marzano pedagogy across the
school as well as whole school improvement in English and Maths. This year the coaching
has had a focus on teachers using lesson intentions, positive behaviour strategies,
differentiation, data to inform teaching, how to address the top 10% in the class, supporting
students to set learning goals and targets, how to teach new knowledge, how to revise
new knowledge and how to use critical thinking/higher order thinking to extend students
knowledge. This coaching model will lead into professional learning of John Hatties Visible
Learning strategies in 2014.

Coaching Conversation Template

GRAY PRIMARY SCHOOL

EVIDENCE OF COACHING CONVERSATION
NAME OF COACHEE:
NAME OF COACH:
DATE:
What is working well and why?
What is a challenge and why?
What do you think are your growth areas?
Program Feedback:

Marzano implementation:
Design Question 1:

Design Question 6:

Design Question 7:

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Data and Monitoring:

Show me how you are using data to inform your English and Maths programs?
How do you know where each of your students are at?
How do you monitor the learning?

Learning:
What resources/strategies do you use to move students forward?
What learning expectations do you hold for your students? How do you get this message across?
How will students process new information/content?
How will students practice new information/content?
What should you see students doing or hear them saying that will tell you the lesson is successful?

Feedback:
What feedback do you provide students and parents?
Can you show me some of your feedback?

Classroom Concerns:
What concerns do you have regarding the learning in your class?
What data or evidence do we have that this is a concern?
Do we agree that there is a concern and that it is worth considering?
What previous attempts have we used to deal with the concern? What outcomes?
Which students are affected by this concern and what do they need?
Once we identify the students learning needs, do we know the best practices to meet those needs?
What do these practices look like?

Talk to me about how you are differentiating in the classroom.

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Tell me about your on-going assessments for English and Maths. How do you differentiate
these for your special needs students?

Classroom Walk Through

What worked well?

What needs refining?

Evaluating our teaching:

What do you expect your students to learn?
How do you teach students to be responsible for their learning outcomes?
How do you know your teaching is effective?
As you reflect on this discussion, what insights are you discovering about your students? Planning?
Assessment? Questioning? Monitoring? Targets? Your expectations?

Actions to be taken:

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Timeline:

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Next Coaching conversation to include:

Coachee signature :__________________________________________ Date:___ / ___ / 2013

Coach signature: _____________________________________________Date: ___ / ___ / 2013

Principal signature:___________________________________________Date:____/____/2013

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HIghly Effective Teaching Practices in Reading

GRAY PRIMARY SCHOOL

HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEACHING PRACTICES IN READING
EXPECTED IN CLASS WALK THROUGHS
DATA/ASSESSMENT
All students are marked on the Overview of the First Steps Reading Map of Development as per
inside cover of First Steps Reading Map of Development
All students are assessed in PM Reading levels Lexiles by week 6 of every term
Reading levels for all students are on display in the classroom and students have individual reading
targets to reach each term.
Teachers routinely use objective data on student achievement to plan, program and assess.
Teachers have an excellent understanding of current levels of performance of each student their
strengths and weaknesses based on data.
MONITORING
Teachers closely monitor the progress of individual students and continually adjust their teaching in
response to the progress that individuals are making.
Teachers assist students to monitor their own learning and to set goals for future learning.
ENVIRONMENT
Teachers maintain a safe, respectful, tolerant, inclusive environment that promotes intellectual rigour
and allows students to feel safe and take risks in their learning.
Teachers ensure the classroom environment is rich in text.
Teachers create learning environments in which all students are engaged and challenged.
DIFFERENTIATION
Teachers ensure that the top 15% of students are extended through the use of higher order thinking
from Blooms Taxonomy and Critical Thinking strategies.
Teachers set high expectations for every student.
Teachers have a range of groupings for reading that involve different resources and expectations.
Teachers programs show how the different needs of students are addressed and how multiple
opportunities to learn are provided.
Student workbooks illustrate differentiated tasks.
Teachers ensure that early and sustained interventions are in place for students identified as
requiring additional support.
FEEDBACK
Teachers provide regular and timely feedback to students in forms that make it clear what actions
individuals can take to further their learning.
Student workbooks illustrate specific written feedback to students on a regular basis.
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EXPLICIT TEACHING
Reading is explicitly taught for one hour every day.
The Big Six of Reading is explicitly taught Oral Language and Linguistic Knowledge, Phonological
Awareness, Letter Sound knowledge, Vocabulary Skills, Fluency and Comprehension
Teachers understand and teach semantic, (topic, concept, cultural, world knowledge, vocabulary)
syntactic (grammatical and text knowledge) and graphophonic (word, graphophonic and
orthographic knowledge sound and symbols, knowledge of letters and groups of letters,
knowledge of print concepts) cues.
Teachers explicitly teach the 4 roles of the reader code breaker, text participant, text user and text
analyst.
All students are taught the reading strategies as per page 131 First Steps Reading Resource Book.
Teachers use a range of approaches to reading modelled reading, shared reading, guided
reading and independent reading.
Teachers introduce a variety of texts to students.
Teaching practices reflect the belief that although students are at different stages in their learning
and progress at different rates, all students are capable of learning successfully if motivated and
given the appropriate learning opportunities.
Teachers know each students starting points for teaching and how to move them to the next level.
Teachers set high expectations for every students progress and ambitious targets for improvement.
Teachers provide time for students to enjoy reading, not just do reading activities.
Teachers are committed to identifying and implementing better teaching methods based on
evidence-based teaching strategies.
Teachers use lesson intentions in order to have clarity about what students are expected to learn
and be able to do.
CLASS WALKTHROUGH PROCESS
1. The walkthrough will be pre-organised between the class teacher and the coach.
2. Approximately 50 minutes will be spent in the classroom during the walkthrough. This
gives the coach time to look around the class environment, observe the lesson, talk with
students and look at student books.
3. Observation will be for evidence that supports or not the planned reading program and
strategies. Evidence can be by displays, work students are engaged in, student work in
books or portfolios, teacher questions and responses.
4. The coach is an observer in the classroom not a judgemental person.
5. After the walkthrough the coach will photocopy her notes and place in the teachers pigeon
hole. The notes will provide both warm feedback and suggestions or queries.
6. The coach and teacher are to meet asap after the walkthrough to discuss the feedback.
7. Comments from the coach will be phrased as questions where and when possible.
Probing questions may be used by the coach during the feedback session.
8. Suggestions for improvement may be provided during the feedback session.

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READING LESSON OBSERVATION:

Teacher:

Class:

Date of Walkthrough:

Date of feedback meeting:

Data/Assessment:

Monitoring:

Environment:

Differentiation:

Feedback from Teacher to Student:

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Explicit Teaching:
Modelled Reading: Was the session short and sharp? Did teacher use think aloud strategy? Did students stay
focused and interested?

Shared Reading: Did the students actively participate in the reading? Could all students clearly see the text?

Was the reading session focussed? Was the text appropriate? Did the teacher involve the students in meaningful
follow-up activities related to the text?

Guided Reading: Was the text appropriate to the students instructional level and selected focus? Were students
grouped according to a similar need? Did the teacher use the guided reading questions effectively? Were the
students given times to reflect on their use of reading strategies?

Independent Reading: Is time set aside for uninterrupted independent reading each day? Are students given a
range of reading materials to choose from? Did I get students to report back to the class on what they are reading?
Did the teacher read or gather data about the students?

General Discussion:

Signed by Teacher:
Signed by Coach:
Signed by Principal:

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OVERVIEW OF A BALANCED READING PROGRAM

Reading is taught through a range of procedures that gradually release the learning over to the
student. Teachers should begin with modelled reading, moving to shared reading, then to
guided reading and then to independent reading. Once teachers have worked through this
process the type of reading should be mixed up so throughout the term students work at all of
these types of reading. Below each of these phases of reading is explained in more detail.
Type of
Reading
Modelled
Reading

Definition and features

Example

Resources

Teacher reading aloud to students for a short period

of time.

Class novel
Picture story
books
Magazines
Newspapers

Pages 1113 First

Steps (FS)
Reading
Resource
Bk

Texts about
excursions,
cooking,
funny
happenings.

Pages 1419 FS
Reading
Resource
Bk

(whole class) Teacher demonstrating reading behaviours and

verbalizing the cognitive processes involved in those
behaviours.
Singular or limited focus of behaviour in reading.
The same behaviours are modelled many times.
Shared
Reading

Language experience in sessions that are 10-20

minutes.

(whole class All students in class participate.

then in
groups for
Focus is singular or limited in one session.
differentiated
activities)
The text is visible and accessible to all students.
There usually are multiple readings of the text.
In EYrs the teacher reads the text first, encouraging
students to join in. As the text becomes more familiar
students take more control of the reading.
The teacher explicitly demonstrates and teaches
reading strategies.

Poetry and
Rhymes
Texts that
can be used
for Choral
reading or
Readers
Theatre.

In PYrs the texts provide examples of more complex

linguistic features. The teacher or more competent
readers may read the text aloud.
The teaching focus will sometimes include more
formal teaching of grammar.
Differentiated activities follow the shared reading.

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Guided
Reading
(small group
with the
teacher)

Teacher selects texts at students instructional level.

Small groups of students work with individual copies
of the same text.
Students are grouped to focus on an identified need.
Most reading is performed silently (but not essential).
The teacher guides the reading.

Literature
circles
Listening
posts
Guided
reading
circles
Reciprocal
reading
circles

Pages 2022 FS
Reading
Resource
Bk

Learning
centres
Listening post
Computer
Library corner
Reading
games
Research

Pages 2729 FS
Reading
Resource
Bk

The teacher uses the guided reading questions to

create discussion about the text.
Developing Readers:
Students are guided by the teacher to apply the
strategies they know to read a text they do not know.
Independent Readers:
Texts selected by the relevance of the topic rather
than the level.
Discussion focuses on the content of the text rather
than the reading strategies.
Independent
Reading
(without the
teacher)

Students select their own text.

Everyone is involved in reading.
The session is uninterrupted.
Students need access to a wide variety of reading
materials and time to read independently every day.
Students observe the teacher as a model of an
independent reader.
Students use reading journals.

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THE FOUR ROLES OF A READER

Code
Breaker

Developing phonemic awareness

Ability to recognize, combine and manipulate the different sound units of
spoken words (auditory, based on speech, focused on sounds)
Teaching grapho-phonics
Letters have a name and represent sounds in words.
A sound can be represented by different letters or letter combinations.
Words can be broken down into parts, eg syllables.
Teaching Vocabulary Knowledge
Words used in speaking or writing.
Sight vocabulary.
Words than can be decoded when reading.
Words understood when listening.
Teaching Text Form Knowledge
Purpose, structure, organization and language features.
Text User
Developing comprehension through reading and analysing a range of texts
Settings and plot
Purpose of text
Sequencing
Character
Implied and explicit information
Author studies
Making connections to self, to other texts, to the world
Text
Building knowledge within the cues
Participant
Semantic cues Does it make sense?
Building students knowledge base of cultural, world, vocabulary and
knowledge of texts
Syntactic Cues Does it sound right?
Building students knowledge of patterns of language functional grammar.
Grapho-phonic Cues Does it look right?
Orthographic spelling of words
Letters and combinations of letters and the sounds they make.
Locating and Selecting Texts
Locate texts for a specific purpose
Select appropriate level and text to suit purpose
Evaluate, analyse and make judgments about texts
Reflecting on and using strategies to maintain meaning
Predicting, connecting, comparing, inferring, synthesising, creating images,
self-questioning, skimming, scanning, determining importance, summarising
and paraphrasing, re-reading, reading on, adjusting reading rate, sounding
out, chunking, using analogy, consulting a reference.
Text
Analyst

Authors and Illustrators

Present a view of the world that can be challenged
Represent facts, events, characters and people in different ways
Use devices to achieve a specific purpose
Having our own point of view
Understanding the authors intent.

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