In the Texas School Ready project, personalized coaching is delivered on a biweekly basis either face-to-face or via video upload and phone call. TSR coaches are trained to use positive mentoring strategies aligned with the CIRCLE Classroom Observation Tool to set teacher goals and track progress. Through multiple studies, TSR has found that one-to-one coaching combined with facilitated professional development and child progress monitoring results in higher quality teaching and better child outcomes.
Check out the resources below to help inform your coaching efforts.
Core Competencies for Coaches
This framework captures quality coaching behaviors across seven competencies: Adult Learning Theory, Characteristics of Effective Specialists, Observation Skills, Providing Feedback, Fostering Reflective Thinking, Demonstration and Verbal Cues, and Supporting Continuous Improvement.
Classroom Observation and Goal-Setting Tools (COT)
The COT is an observation-based tool that measures teaching quality across thirteen areas. Programs eligible for TSR Online have access to the digital version of the COT, which includes a goal-setting system that can be used to develop improvement plans and track progress over time.
CIRCLE Classroom Environment Checklist (CEC)
The CEC focuses on the presence and quality level of instructional planning tools (e.g. lesson plans, progress monitoring tools), meaningful literacy and print centers and materials (e.g. letter wall, availability of books), and the overall design and management of the classroom and individual centers.
Collaborative Tools
The Collaborative Tools on CLI Engage provide opportunities for teachers and specialists (an early childhood professional who provides coaching, mentoring and/or training, to support practitioners and other professionals in continuous quality improvement efforts) to share files, reports, and videos securely through the system, providing more opportunities for collaboration, coaching, quality improvement, and goal-setting.