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11OUR VISIONFOR IMPACTSince our founding, NYC Leadership Academy (NYCLA)has been committed to improving outcomes nationwide,particularly for the most vulnerable students, throughhigh-quality school leadership. We do this by buildingthe capacity of education systems across the country todevelop and support their own leaders, bringing a standards-based and social justice-rooted approach to schoolleadership development to support our country’s mostunderserved students. The future of education requireswell-trained leaders who can improve the achievementof students who need it most—leaders with a sense ofurgency and commitment to all students, who can buildand lead effective school teams. We are dedicated to theongoing development of such leaders.NYCLEADERSHIPACADEMY.ORGTo learn more about our work, including our preparation of aspiring principals, coaching and support forcurrent principals, and school leadership consultingacross the country, please visit our website atwww.nycleadershipacademy.org.

12NYCLEADERSHIPACADEMY.ORG Jerry Speier, 201299%of NYCLA-coachedprincipals in New York City report thatcoaching improved their leadership practice.

13AN OVERVIEW OFOUR COACHING WORKSchool leadership is second only to teaching among school factors that impact student success,1 and is therefore critical for statesand districts to get right. And because the impact of leadership isgreatest in schools with the greatest needs,2 NYCLA is committedto improving school leadership on behalf of the most vulnerablestudents.A highly effective principal has been shown toincrease his or her students’ standardized testscores up to 10 percentile points in just oneyear.3 Under effective principals, ineffectiveteachers tend to leave of their own accord, andeffective principals are more likely to hire andretain more effective teachers.4School leadership, then, is a crucial lever forachieving change in education. As principalshave been given more control over factorsinfluencing their schools, their job descriptionshave transitioned from building managementto encompassing the complex work of change,including leading instruction, impacting schoolculture, managing resources, and evaluatingteachers.THE CASE FORCOACHINGThe 2012 MetLife Survey of the AmericanTeacher, which includes a survey of principalsnationwide, found that 75% of principals agreethat their jobs have become too complex.5This view was shared by principals acrossdemographics such as school level, location, andproportion of low-income and minority students.We believe that school leadership coachingis the best tool to help principals navigate thiscritical, complex work.“COACHING” VS. “MENTORING”the work of supporting school leaders. For the purpose of this guide, “coaching” refers to the practiceof building the leadership practice, skills, and behaviors of school leaders, ultimately to create a changein outcomes for students in schools. Our work often comprises a one-on-one coaching relationship, butour coaches have also done this work with school leadership teams and in other group settings. Otherprograms may refer to this same type of work as “mentoring.”NYCLEADERSHIPACADEMY.ORGThere is wide variation in the use of the term “coaching” versus “mentoring” across the field to refer to

14The principals we coach experience daily theold adage that “it’s lonely at the top.” And whilecoaching is not about providing a “friend” to aprincipal, it is about providing a thought partnerin the field. Principals hold teachers and schoolstaff accountable, just as principals themselvesare held accountable according to an increasingly stringent set of metrics. Coaching is aboutproviding a principal with the support he/sheneeds to make necessary leadership behaviorchanges on behalf of schools and students.While no one has yet produced research directlylinking principal coaching to student outcomes,we know from our own practice that the schoolleaders we work with value their coachingexperience highly. They value coaching not justas a series of feel-good conversations, but asa tool that positively impacts their leadershippractice. Last year in New York City, 92% of the400 principals we coached agreed that coachinghas led to improvements in classroom instructionin their schools. Ninety-five percent agreed thatcoaching has led to improvements in their abilityto develop the capacity of others, and 94%agreed that coaching has led to improvements inschool culture.In addition to data about principal satisfactionwith coaching, research has shown that jobembedded learning is the most effective way foradults to gain new skills and knowledge, and thatcontextualized, targeted coaching support canimpact principal practice.6COACHING FOR REFLECTION AND FOR ACTION“As coaches, we want principals to develop a reflective disposition. This is notonly for their own learning but also because the reality is that schools are political institutions and leaders need to be able to consider issues from a variety ofperspectives and understand the implications of their decisions at the systemslevel. The best leaders routinely step back and take into account different pointsof view. But reflection is not enough. Principals also need to act in a timely wayand communicate their decisions effectively to a wide range of stakeholders.The fact is that the work can be anxiety producing, but we are there to help principals identify root causes of problems, think through the implications of theiractions, and take the steps needed to build support and capacity of others in theschool. We must be willing to push principals out of their comfort zone. Oncethey build their sense of self-accountability and commitment to change, they beNYCLEADERSHIPACADEMY.ORGcome more willing to make appropriate changes on behalf of student learning.”515coaches have beentrained in our facilitative, competencybased coaching model.—Mark Levine, CoachNYC Leadership Academy

15WHAT ISCOACHING?In talking about NYCLA’s coaching model, it’simportant to begin with what coaching is not. Coaching is not about a coach directing theprincipal to take certain actions. Coaching is not a therapy session, nor achance for the principal to talk about whateveris on his/her mind. Coaching is not about providing a friend in thefield whose main purpose is to make principalsfeel better.Rather, in our model:In our model, two drivers shape what coachingpractice looks like in the field:1. The school’s needs. Coaching isgrounded in what needs to happen at theschool level. What are the goals that theprincipal and the school are working toward?These goals are informed by, among otherthings, student achievement data, the current level of instruction, and the state of theschool’s culture.2. The principal’s leadership needs. Allcoaching work starts with the question, whatdoes the principal need to know and be ableto do in order to move the school closer toits goals? Leadership needs are diagnosedagainst specific leadership competencies,discussed in the next section.NYCLEADERSHIPACADEMY.ORG Coaching is primarily facilitative; coachescreate an environment in which the principalengages in critical and targeted reflection onhis/her practice, with the goal of facilitatingthe paradigm or behavioral shifts necessaryfor the principal to develop his/her leadershipcapacity. Coaching is based on clear leadershipcompetencies intended to build the leadershippractice, skills, and behaviors of schoolleaders, ultimately in the service of changingoutcomes for students. Coaching is providing principals with a criticalthought partner who can create a space forthe principal to be reflective about his/her ownbehaviors and decision-making and can pushthe principal’s thinking. Coaching is an iterative process—as principalsgrow in capacity, engaging with their coachcontinues to move their leadership practiceforward in order to move the school where itneeds to go.We believe that through coaching, principals canlead instructional and cultural change in theirschools. Equity is a foundational value in ourapproach, embedded in all our work. Coachesare committed to their work with principals notfor the principals’ sake, but on behalf of students.

achingSupportPrincipalNeedsOur coaches support the principal in makingchanges in instructional quality and organizational capacity at the school level. These twoelements drive change that impacts students.PURPOSEOF THIS GUIDENYCLEADERSHIPACADEMY.ORGThis guide is a call to invest in school leadershipdifferently and better. Principals are being heldaccountable for more aspects of impactingstudent outcomes than ever before, and theydeserve the best possible support to help themsucceed.This guide shares our experience developing ourcoaching model, including our use of leadershipstandards, our approach to coaching, and thepurposeful decisions we’ve made around program design, ongoing coach development, andprogram evaluation.Our aim is to unpack our own thinking and intentionality about the decisions we’ve made andwhy we’ve made them. We provide an look at the core elements of our approach tocoaching, including our lessons learned and thequestions we are still asking ourselves abouthow to coach more effectively. Existing principal coaching programs canexplore our coaching model—including thefoundation of standards, our facilitative,competency-based approach, and programdesign—to spark ideas for ways to strengthentheir practice. New principal support programs in districts,states, and organizations can use this guide todevelop the most appropriate coaching solutions for their local needs. District leaders may consider how currentschool leadership support is being handled,and decide how desired outcomes can bebetter met to reduce principal turnover andimprove principal effectiveness. State policymakers can incorporate lessonslearned regarding the value of investing injob-embedded, standards-based coachingsupport for school leaders as they devisepolicy responses to the challenge of supporting principals to become more effective.

17INSIDE A COACHING SESSION: UNPACKING RIGORKate, an experienced coach, has been working with an early-career principal, Julia, onconducting observations using the Danielson Framework and engaging in role plays tobuild Julia’s confidence as a leader.During a recent coaching session, aligned to their ongoing work, Kate leveraged feedback that Julia received from her superintendent as the springboard for a rich conversation about rigor.Kate began the session by asking Julia to share her definition of rigor and her vision forhow increased rigor would manifest in the classroom—what would look and sound different? Kate helped Julia clarify for herself what she actually meant by “rigor.” When Juliastruggled to articulate her ideas, Kate asked her to write down some thoughts and thenshare them instead of doing the thinking for her.Once Julia was able to articulate her ideas clearly, Kate had Julia translate her ideas into aset of expectations for teachers. Julia honed in on student engagement and questioning.Kate then asked Julia to practice communicating those expectations. Julia talked aboutdifferentiating very purposefully and finding just the right opportunity to stretch each andevery student. Kate linked this to Julia’s own practice, asking, “How have you used rigor inyour observations of teachers—how are you pushing each one of them?” Kate then askedJulia to role-play a feedback conversation. Kate started out playing the part of the teacherbut later switched roles with Julia in order to model.Next, Kate led Julia in a gap analysis between current and desired states of teacherpractice in the areas of student engagement and questioning. Finally, she pushed Juliato identify what she would need to do differently in terms of her own leadership and herapproach to developing staff in order to effect the changes she desired. Kate’s questionswere intended to produce next steps, including milestones and evidence: “What do taskslook like now?” “What do you want them to look like?” “When would you want to see thisby?” “What are some of the things you need to do first?” After they had spoken specifically about questioning, student engagement, and checking for understanding, Kateasked Julia to consider who she had on staff that could engage in the development workwith her.NYCLEADERSHIPACADEMY.ORGKate brought the conversation full circle by returning the focus to Julia. “What will you dodifferently as a result of this conversation? What will your next steps be?”

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19COACHING ALIGNED TOLEADERSHIP STANDARDSCommitment to a standards-based approach to leadership development is a hallmark of NYCLA’s work. Our coaching work ismapped to a codified definition of leadership.Our leadership standards for principals arecomprised of eight dimensions:1) Personal Behavior2) Resilience3) Communication4) Student Performance5) Situational Problem Solving6) Learning7) Supervision of Staff8) ManagementThese eight leadership dimensions distill themost critical leadership competencies for schoolleaders, and were developed in consultationwith The Wallace Foundation and the stateeducation departments of Delaware, Missouri,and Kentucky. They reflect a thorough reviewand synthesis of principal leadership standardsused nationally, and are grounded in the beliefthat focused work on a subset of clearly definedleadership competencies helps school leaderspromote student success.Many of the districts and states we’ve workedwith across the country around school leadershipcoaching use the LPPW; we typically help themcrosswalk the LPPW against the local schoolleadership performance standards, makingadjustments where necessary. The core idea isthat coaching needs to be anchored in a standards-aligned, contextually relevant competencyframework that identifies what principals need toknow and be able to do to raise achievement forall students. All aspects of the work are alignedto a description of competencies, which involvesknowledge, a set of skills, and dispositions. Theanchoring competencies inform the coachingstrategies that hone the skills of school leaders.The goals of the LPPW are to ground the coaching relationship in concrete skill and knowledgedevelopment; to give coaches and principals acommon language; and to provide a roadmapfor coaching support. The LPPW standards areunique in that they are articulated in very specificbehavioral terms, describing the actions of effec-NYCLEADERSHIPACADEMY.ORGOur leadership standards (or competencies)are codified in a tool called the LeadershipPerformance Planning Worksheet (LPPW). Thetool makes the competencies actionable byarticulating a set of observable behaviors foreach leadership dimension.The LPPW was pilot tested with principals andcoaches in almost 1,000 schools in urban, rural,and suburban school districts across sevenstates. Regardless of geography, demographics,or school setting, the leadership behaviors resonated with pilot users as essential to principalsuccess.

20tive school leaders. These actions include skillssuch as managing ambiguity, solving problems,implementing action plans, and conducting difficult conversations.The LPPW identifies core behaviors criticalto each of the eight leadership dimensions.These core behaviors address the day-to-daychallenges of school leadership.LPPW DIMENSION 3.0:COMMUNICATIONLEADERSHIP DIMENSIONBEHAVIORS THAT MEET THE STANDARDPROGRESS UPDATE3.1 Communicates in waysthat reflect analysis andthe ability to listen Leader’s communication is clear andappropriate for each audience andmatches media with message. Leader understands cultural patternsand adjusts his/her communicationstyle accordingly. Leader attends and responds to subtlenonverbal cues in others. Leader consistently checks for mutualunderstanding. Leader does not avoid difficult issues,he/she deals with then honestly anddirectly by using low-interference dataand providing examples. Leader actively pursues disconfirmingevidence when drawing conclusions.Progress updateO Meets StandardO Approaches Standard3.2 Promotes the successof all students throughconsistently direct communication with studentsand by understandingand responding to theirbroader political, socioeconomic and culturalcontexts. Leader interacts with student body ona consistent basis. Leader models behavior for staffand encourages staff to engage inpurposeful solicitation of studentideas regarding successful classroomapproaches to teaching and learning.O Meets StandardO Approaches StandardNYCLEADERSHIPACADEMY.ORG3.3 Collaborates with StaffO Meets StandardO Approaches StandardArea for Improvement Leaders know all staff members andpublicly acknowledges individualcontributions Leader models, encourages, andreinforces efficacy in individuals toproduce results and persevere evenwhen internal and external difficulties interfere with the achievement ofstrategic goals. Leader generates a sense of urgencyby aligning the energy of others inpursuit of strategic goals.Next StepsLPPW page 4 of 11

21LPPW DIMENSION 3.0:COMMUNICATIONLEADERSHIP DIMENSIONBEHAVIORS THAT MEET THE STANDARDPROGRESS UPDATE3.4 Collaboration with familiesand community Leader establishes interaction withfamilies and community members. Leader develops clear process forgathering and transmitting informationfrom and to families, with awareness ofwhat families in the community do anddo not do have access to, in terms ofelectronic communication. Leader is able to identify all stakeholders involved in the school. Leader’s presentations to parents andcommunity members are organizedand logical, include analysis, and aredelivered in an engaging and dynamicstyle. Leader provide clear, specific responses to questions. Leader accords individuals consistentamount of attention, time, and respect. Leader demo

Leadership Academy's approach to coaching. It is our hope that system leaders, coaches, and principals use the information here to create more sustainable systems for leadership support, ultimately benefiting the students we collectively serve. Sandra J. Stein Former CEO of NYC Leadership Academy July 2015