Agenda Item
a. Mike Rutherford Learning Group for Assistant Principals’ and Principals’ Academy (Not to exceed $145,150) (Updated 09.07.2023)
Summary: Presented by: Mrs. Michelle L. Dillard, Chief of Leadership and Schools, Division of Leadership and Schools
Request: It is requested the Board of Education approve a District Coaching Framework for school leaders including assistant principals and principals from Rutherford Learning Group Services Agreement in an amount not to exceed $145,150.
Why: The District's Assistant Principals' Academy is designed to develop and support assistant principals on an ongoing basis through job-embedded learning. There is a current need in the district to increase and enhance assistant principals' observation, coaching, and feedback skills. The lessons from the Rutherford Learning Group will build a common language and schema for assistant principals and principals centered on observation, coaching, and feedback, which will positively impact teacher instructional practices and student growth and performance.
Details: The Rutherford Learning Group Proposal for Professional Learning Services for DCSD Assistant Principals and Principals’ Academies will provide assistant principals and principals with a comprehensive treatment of instructional leadership, classroom observation skills, and strategies for providing growth-evoking feedback and coaching to teachers. Assistant principals will receive the learning and support materials which include: An Artisan Teacher Field Guide, an Artisan Teacher Memory Jogger Card, and a 7 Tools for Developing Teachers & Teaching Book. More specifically, the Assistant Principals and Principals’ Academies leaders will participate in the following professional experiences:
Assistant Principals’ Academy
Session 1: Introduction: Rationale and evidence base for instructional leadership, strengths-based development of teachers and teaching, and overview of feedback and coaching approaches.
Session 2: Classroom observation and analysis skills
Session 3: Introduction to the 23 Artisan Teacher Themes and applications to observation and feedback
Session 4: Feedback and coaching skill development: 30 Second Feedback
“30-second feedback seeks to deliver a short but meaningful bit of positive reinforcement based on a walk-through or short observation. This tool’s effectiveness is based on the observer’s ability to be specific in describing the short episode of teaching and the subsequent learning effect. 30-second feedback is often delivered in an informal fashion - in the hallway, on the way to the cafeteria, for example. The purpose is to serve as a quick affirmation or a specific aspect of a teacher’s practice. It focuses attention on a specific episode of productive cause-effect, positively reinforcing that practice. It is used to significantly increase the frequency of feedback episodes. Frequent, positive touches of feedback improve teaching techniques and shape a positive school culture.” - 7 Tools for Developing Teachers and Teaching
Session 5: Feedback and coaching skill development: Craft Conversations
“A craft conversation is a quick dialog about a specific, successful aspect of the teacher’s work. It should not seem supervisory, judgmental, corrective, or evaluative. Rather, a craft conversation should look and sound like two enthusiasts talking about something in which they share a keen interest. It is “shop talk.” In a craft conversation, the common ground between the teacher and administrator is their mutual interest in skillful teaching and successful learning. The administrator takes the position of a curious, interested colleague who wants to learn more about an aspect of the teacher’s craft. The purpose is to build teachers’ awareness, consciousness, and intentionality with respect to their most effective practices. Craft conversations, when routinely provided, support teacher reflection, establish positive and professional communication norms between teachers and administrators, and add to administrators’ knowledge base on effective teaching.” - 7 Tools for Developing Teachers and Teaching
Session 6: Feedback and coaching skill development: Next Level Coaching
“Next Level Coaching is a proactive method for improving teaching performance by adding an element to a teacher’s practice or changing/improving an element of a teacher’s practice. Next Level Coaching is direct, straightforward, and positive. It is intended to be used with teachers at all levels of effectiveness. The purpose of Next Level Coaching seeks to directly improve instruction by adding effective practices and/ or substituting effective practices for less effective ones.” - 7 Tools for Developing Teachers and Teaching
Principals’ Academy
Session 1: Introduction: Rationale and evidence base for instructional leadership, strengths-based development of teachers and teaching, and overview of feedback and coaching approaches. Additionally, classroom observation and analysis skills.
Session 2: Introduction to the 23 Artisan Teacher Themes and applications to observation and feedback. Feedback and coaching skill development: 30 Second Feedback.
Session 3: Feedback and coaching skill development: Craft Conversation | Feedback and coaching skill development: Next Level Coaching.
Finally, this plan will result in the effective use of site-based coaching and feedback to ensure that teachers engage in timely and meaningful conversations about teaching and learning that enhances teaching practices that impact student performance.
Financial impact: General Funds: Leadership Development Budget
Charge Code:
Amount Requested: $145,150.00
Contact: Mrs. Michelle Dillard, Chief of Schools, Division of Leadership and Schools, 678.676.0377
Mrs. Kedra Fairweather, Coordinator III, School Leadership, Division of Leadership and Schools, 678.676.1092
Effective: Upon Board Approval
Status: Approved by General Counsel
Mike Rutherford Learning Group
Goal: By May of 2024, all district Assistant Principals and Principals will receive training in the
following areas:
1. Rationale and evidence-based practices for instructional leadership, strengths-based
development of teachers and teaching, and overview of feedback & coaching approaches
2. Classroom observation and analysis skills
3. Introduction to the 23 Artisan Teacher Themes and applications to observation and feedback
4. Feedback & coaching skill development: 30 Second Feedback
5. Feedback & coaching skill development: Craft Conversations
6. Feedback & coaching skill development: Next Level Coaching
Assistant Principal Survey Data to support need:
Please see attached spreadsheet from survey data collected in 2020. Approximately 60% of Assistant
Principals indicated they needed support with Instructional Leadership, Coaching, Observations,
Feedback, Teacher Support, and additional areas that can be supported through a concrete systemic
approach to building frequent observation and feedback cycles focused on identifying high-impact
instructional strategies that engage students in the learning process.
Delivery Model:
All leaders will receive learning through an in-person workshop model.
Additional context to support the initiative:
Rutherford Learning Group has worked with approximately 15 of Georgia’s schools, districts,
organizations, and businesses since 1998. This includes DeKalb County School District from 2016-2018.
Rutherford Learning Group has supported and trained approximately a total of 294 schools, districts,
organizations, and businesses since 1998 that span nationwide.
Integrating Mike Rutherford's Coaching and Feedback Lab into the school district's Principals and
Assistant Principals Academies can offer substantial benefits to leadership development, professional
learning, and the enhancement of teaching strategies. Mike Rutherford's approach emphasizes
observation, coaching, and feedback as essential components of effective teaching strategies. Here's an
explanation of why this integration can be valuable, along with supporting data:
1. Personalized Professional Growth: The Coaching and Feedback Lab provides a structured
framework for principals and assistant principals to observe teachers in action, offer targeted
coaching, and provide constructive feedback. This personalized approach to professional
development allows educators to address their specific strengths and areas for improvement,
leading to more effective teaching practices.
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2. Data-driven decision-making: Integrating observation, coaching, and feedback fosters a data-
driven approach to instructional improvement. Principals and Assistant principals can gather
evidence-based insights through observations and use them to tailor coaching strategies. This
data-driven decision-making process enhances the overall quality of teaching and positively
impacts student outcomes. Also, trends that define professional learning needs for a building
can be analyzed, and support can be provided in a way that is curated to meet individual
teacher, grade level, content, or building needs.
3. Continuous Improvement: Research has consistently shown that ongoing professional
development leads to sustained improvements in teaching quality. Regular observations,
coaching sessions, and feedback loops create a culture of continuous improvement among
educators. This cycle encourages educators to refine their strategies over time, leading to better
classroom experiences and higher student achievement.
4. Impact on Student Learning: Studies indicate a strong correlation between effective teaching
practices and student achievement. When educators receive targeted coaching and feedback,
they are more likely to implement research-backed instructional techniques that directly
influence student learning outcomes. This, in turn, can contribute to increased standardized test
scores, graduation rates, and overall student success.
5. Cultivation of Reflective Practitioners: Rutherford's Coaching and Feedback Lab encourages
educators to reflect critically on their teaching practices. Principals and Assistant principals can
guide teachers to self-assess their methods, cultivating a mindset of continuous self-
improvement. Reflective practitioners are more adaptable, open to change, and better
equipped to meet the evolving needs of diverse student populations.
Supporting Data: Numerous studies have highlighted the positive impact of observation, coaching, and
feedback on teaching effectiveness and student achievement:
1. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "The Measures of Effective Teaching Project"
demonstrated that teachers who received regular feedback and coaching were more likely to
improve their instruction and promote student success. (https://gates.ly/45vEjgL)
2. A meta-analysis by the Harvard Graduate School of Education found that targeted coaching and
feedback resulted in a substantial improvement in teaching quality, which in turn contributed to
enhanced student learning outcomes. (https://bit.ly/Harvardcoaching)
3. The RAND Corporation's research indicated that observation and feedback programs are
associated with increased teacher retention and job satisfaction, as educators feel supported in
their professional growth. (https://bit.ly/RANDcoaching)
4. The Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University reported in "Leading by
Example: Principal Leadership Institutes as a Driver for Change in Metro Nashville Public
Schools" the following: "By far, the experience that had the most impact on principals and their
capacity to transform teaching and learning was "Developing the Artisan Teacher" and the
"Skillful Observation and Coaching Laboratory," developed by the Rutherford Learning Group
and presented by Mike Rutherford. There are several factors contributing to the success of this
professional learning experience:
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a. Theory-based content with practical application-
i. Elements that made these sessions so valuable were, first and foremost, the
thoughtful and theory-based content and, secondly, the accessible, practical
application in the everyday lives of principals. Several principals discussed how
they use some aspect of this training every day; it has provided them with a
"common language" that facilitates their discussions about the practice among
peers and conversations with teachers about improving instructional practice.
b. Alignment with the district's core values and beliefs.
i. "The training increased principals' capacity to observe, coach, and give feedback
to teachers, but equally important, it focused on how principals could do this by
building on teachers' assets as opposed to dwelling on their deficits - a strength-
based approach consistent with the belief systems embedded in the goals and
design of the PLIs. In reflecting on the impact the training had on his personal
growth, one principal commented, "I felt like [this learning] was about me
improving my skill, but not from a remediation standpoint; This was about
making you better wherever you are on the spectrum."
(https://bit.ly/Annenberg24)
Incorporating Mike Rutherford's Coaching and Feedback Lab into the Principals and Assistant
Principals Academies can provide a systematic, research-backed approach to improving teaching
practices. By leveraging observation, coaching, and feedback, educators can enhance their
instructional methods, resulting in better teacher and student outcomes.
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