A Reader Asks... Principal Coaching - The Low Performing Campus

A LYS Assistant Superintendent asks the following:

SC,

I have a Principal with potential whose campus is struggling with student performance.  I will be the coaching this principal but don’t want to waste the principal’s time and effort. Any suggestions?

SC Response

With the underachieving campus, the initial focus must be on The Foundation Trinity

1. Scope and Sequence: How does the principal know for sure that what is being taught today is what is supposed to be taught today? There are three concurrent practices that must be in place.

   a. Leadership must be involved in planning.

   b. Leadership must live in classrooms.

   c. Leadership must monitor short-cycle common assessment results.

2. Common Assessments: How does the campus use common assessment results to adjust instruction? Again, there are three areas to address.

   a. Are the common assessments being used to ensure / confirm that teachers are on pace with the scope and sequence?

   b. Are the common assessments being used to confirm what instructional practices are working

   c. Are the common assessments being used to confirm what instructional practices are not working?

3. PowerWalks: Is the Principal in classrooms enough and correctly implementing the process to:

   a. Cue new / improved instructional practices.

   b. Coach staff on better implementation.

   c. Problem solve in an expedited and efficient manner.

Spend most your coaching time with the Principal in the hallways and observing classrooms. This facilitates discussing solutions to real campus issues that are occurring “live.” Keep the conversations focused on actions.  What do you see? What needs to occur? How will this get done? When will the action begin?

I hope this helps.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

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