Initiative: The greatest factor in student achievement is the effectiveness of instructional delivery by a highly qualified teacher. Hillsborough County is committed to the professional growth and development of all teachers in order to impact student achievement. Research by Joyce and Showers (1993) indicates a training model consisting of Knowledge Building, Modeling, Practice and Feedback during training increases teacher skill development by 90%. However, without having on-site coaching to adjust this new learning to the needs of the students in classrooms the actual application of this new knowledge is only 5%. By adding coaching to the staff development model, classroom application of new research-based instructional strategies increases to 75%-90%.

Goals: The Reading Coach will positively impact student reading achievement by providing support to teachers to include: assisting in implementing the Florida Standards and Benchmarks with their reading materials, training teachers in the collection and use of data to align with standards and impact instructional decisions, providing in-class support of instruction by co-planning, co-teaching, coaching, observing and offering feedback to teachers, conferencing with teachers to plan for differentiation of instruction, supporting teachers in the implementation of new staff development strategies learned from district or site-based training, conducting book studies for professional development, facilitating data conferences through professional learning communities, collaborating with media specialists, reading resource teachers, academic intervention specialists and content area teachers, and training all teachers in research-based reading practices.

Targeted Population: All students and teachers in 144 elementary schools, 46 middle schools, 27 high schools, 3 alternative education sites, 11 youth services sites, and 4 career centers.

Timeline: Hillsborough County has embraced student-focused coaching to increase student achievement in reading. The elementary coaching project began as a K-2 initiative in 1998 and has now expanded to include grades 3-5. The middle and secondary coaching project began in 1983 as a legislative mandate to provide a reading resource specialist at each high school site and has evolved to include reading coaches at all middle school, high school, career centers, and alternative education and youth services sites.

Executive Summary is continued on attachment.