Tools for Student-Centered Coaching

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As a learning-focused organization, our goal is to support anyone who is interested in implementing Student-Centered Coaching with tools and resources that lead to increased student and teacher learning. Here we thought we’d share some of our favorites. 

Using these resources: Links to tools, examples, articles, and the video open in a new tab. Template links require a Google account; select USE TEMPLATE to add an editable copy to your Google Drive. Example links are view-only.

1) Results-Based Coaching Tool

Measuring our impact is one of our core practices because we have to be sure that our coaching work is leading to a clear impact on student and teacher learning. We approach this by using the Results-Based Coaching Tool (RBCT).

Tools:
Template: Results-Based Coaching Tool (opens in a new tab)
Example of a Results-Based Coaching Tool from 6th Grade Math (view-only) (opens in a new tab)

For more information:

  • Read chapter 6 in Student-Centered Coaching: The Moves, 2nd edition (Sweeney and Harris)
  • Read chapter 3 in The Essential Guide for Student-Centered Coaching (Sweeney and Harris)

2) Coaching Logs that Align with the Results-Based Coaching Tool

While the Results-Based Coaching Tool provides a summary of what occurred across a coaching cycle, our coaching cycle logs are where we capture what occurs within each coaching session. They also serve to scaffold both the language and process for a coaching cycle. 

Tool:
Logs for Coaching Cycles (aligned with the Results-Based Coaching Tool) (opens in a new tab)

For more information:

  • Read chapter 6 in Student-Centered Coaching: The Moves, 2nd edition (Sweeney and Harris)
  • Read chapter 3 in The Essential Guide for Student-Centered Coaching (Sweeney and Harris)

3) Dashboard for Collecting Coaching Cycle Data Across a District

In 2019, we began a partnership with Edsightful to develop a system for using the Results-Based Coaching Tool (RBCT) within the Google Suite. We worked together to develop a user-friendly dashboard that documents the impact of coaching cycles at the coach, school, and district levels. When a district uses the Results-Based Coaching Tool Dashboard, each coach has access to a dashboard for their own school. To submit data from a cycle, coaches complete a customized Google Form that then populates the dashboard. When the cycle is complete, a Google Doc is automatically generated that captures information about how the students progressed as learners, the instructional practices that were used, and how the teacher and coach partnered together. 

For more information:

4) Checklist for Getting Coaching Cycles Up and Running

This handy checklist will get you moving towards your first round of coaching cycles. Included are actions to be taken by the principal and coach to clearly articulate both the ‘why’ and ‘how’ for coaching.

Tool:
Checklist for Getting Coaching Cycles Up and Running (opens in a new tab)

For more information:

  • Read Moves for Launching a New Year of Student-Centered Coaching (Sweeney, Harris, and Steele)
  • Read chapter 2 from The Essential Guide for Student-Centered Coaching (Sweeney and Harris)

5) Agenda for Principal and Coach Meetings

We recommend that principals and coaches meet together on a regular basis, typically once a week. Dedicating time for these meetings means we need a solid plan for making the time we spend together both efficient and meaningful. 

Tool:
Agenda for Principal and Coach Meetings (opens in a new tab)

For more information:

  • Read chapter 7 in Student-Centered Coaching: The Moves (2nd edition)

6) Tools for Co-Planning Lessons

We like to keep it simple when it comes to co-planning tools. The Planner for Sharing Lessons is designed to help a coach and teacher map out the main components of a lesson, as well as to determine how the teaching will be shared. The Four Square Planner is useful if a coach and teacher are interested in sorting student evidence and then co-planning a differentiated lesson. 

Tools:
Planner for Sharing Lessons (opens in a new tab)
Four Square Planner (opens in a new tab)

For more information:

  • Read chapter 4 in Student-Centered Coaching: The Moves (2nd edition)

7) Log for Mini Coaching Cycles

This log is a place to capture what took place across mini coaching cycles that take place over a lesson or two. It’s important to note that we don’t use the Results-Based Coaching Tool to measure mini cycles as they are too narrow in focus and short in duration. 

Tool:
View Template and Examples of Logs for Mini Coaching Cycles (view-only) (opens in a new tab)

For more information:

© Diane Sweeney Consulting