our work
Professional Coaching for Leaders & Teachers
Building the capacity of school leaders and teachers begins with the expectations for achievement, and even though the coaching process typically focuses on an individual, it does not and must not occur in isolation. Our coaching model ensures continuity and consistency from the district level to the classroom level in order to embed and realize the district's vision and expectations in all schools and classrooms. Professional coaching, at its core, should “grow” an individual in a manner, such that, his or her actions will result in effective leadership and teaching and yielding phenomenal student outcomes.
Strategic Planning
A strategic plan sets the direction and expectation for all adults in the system, as well as the outcomes that are expected of the students that adults support. It is the point where the system coalesces for impact and the filter for divergent thinking that may or may not benefit the system. Through the plan, programs, initiatives, and strategies are consistently monitored and evaluated for effectiveness. There are 8 phases of the strategic planning process: establish the vision for the system; conduct a systems assessment to determine capacity to achieve the vision; clarify the operations gap; set SMART goals; identify strategies; identify resources; implement the plan; and monitor/adjust the plan.
Systems Assessment & Alignment
Schools and school districts exist within an ecosystem of interdependent systems. A systems assessment determines if an organization has the capacity to achieve its identified goals. By clarifying strengths and weaknesses of the system, as well as the system’s operations gap that exists between its current state and its desired state, leaders are able to target supports and resources to improve the likelihood of the system’s success.
Parent & Community Engagement
Research has confirmed that successful schools have an engaged parent and community contingent, and the K-12 education community has witnessed the model of “engagement” for parents and community transition from involvement to that of empowerment over the years. The empowerment model can be seen today in P-16 Community Engagement Councils, school site councils, parent advisory groups, etc. Because the empowerment model requires an understanding of school functions, laws, and policies, learning opportunities are required to help parents, community members, and school staff understand how to collaborate, to communicate, and to make decisions together.