Literacy Coach Program - Okaloosa County School District

OKALOOSA COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
LITERACY COACH PROGRAM
Literacy Coach Program Goal:
To improve academic performance of students in the area of literacy (i.e. reading and
writing)
Literacy Coach Program Objectives:
1. Increase instructional skills of teachers in the area of literacy through a variety of
reflective and job-embedded professional development activities.
2. Increase content area and instructional knowledge of all teachers in the area of
literacy through a variety of reflective and job-embedded professional development
activities.
Literacy Coach - Areas of Responsibility:
1. Assist the staff in the administration of assessments through professional
development sessions & activities such as modeling and coaching as well as assisting
with the actual assessment administration through class coverage and other activities
2. Assist teachers in analyzing test results from assessments within the Pupil
Progression Plan and other assessment measures
3. Work collaboratively with administration and staff in the creation or further
development of the professional library through the identification and purchase of
professional library selections
4. Work collaboratively with administration and/or staff in the identification of school
wide, grade level and individual professional development needs, the development of
professional development programs in these areas, and presentations/ coaching/
modeling activities related to those needs
5. Provide professional development and assistance to staff through whole faculty, grade
level, small group presentations or individual work with teachers as well as coaching
and modeling in classrooms in the following areas:
• Interactive Read-Alouds
• Running Records
• Higher level questioning/lesson strategies
• Data analysis/diagnostic-prescriptive teaching strategies
• How currently adopted materials/programs interface with a Balanced Literacy
program
• How to match texts with readers
• Fluency assessment including rationale, administration & analysis
Quality Assurance
Literacy Specialist Office
McAllister/sgm
Rev.03/06
1

• AIP & POC development including goals, objectives, student action plans
with the identification of research based instructional practices and public
relations strategies to use with parents
• Various vocabulary and comprehension strategies
• Effective classroom management strategies, both programmatic and
behavioral
• Forming and conducting flexible reading groups including strategies for use
with the remainder of the class
• Integrating effective literacy practices in all content areas
• Components of the basal series
• Guided Reading
• Action Research
6. Provide support for beginning teachers in effective classroom management strategies
and instructional practices related to Balanced Literacy
7. Support and collaborate with teachers in aligning instructional and assessment
strategies with the Sunshine State Standards
8. Work collaboratively with staff in the identification of supplementary materials for
use in literacy instruction
9. Work collaboratively with administration and staff in the implementation of job
embedded and reflective professional development activities including, but not
limited to, action research, study groups, peer coaching and modeling of effective
instructional practices
10. Serve as an assessment specialist and trainer for assessments indicated in the Pupil
Progression Plan and other assessments as indicated or requested by administration.
3. Ensure adequate individual and group support is provided Literacy Coaches so that all
become proficient in skills and strategies of effective literacy instruction.
4. Provide guidance to Literacy Coaches to ensure that only research based instructional
strategies are implemented in all buildings.
5. Serve as trainers in the use of assessment instruments identified in the Pupil
Progression Plan and other assessments as indicated.
Literacy Coach Selection Process:
Literacy Coaches will be recruited from within and outside the Okaloosa School District. All
applicants must meet the requirements outlined in the Board approved job description. All
applicants will undergo a rigorous interview process including a screening interview, interviews
Quality Assurance
Literacy Specialist Office
McAllister/sgm
Rev.03/06
2

with district and building administrative personnel and a model lesson. Each step of the
interview process will be scored on a rubric and applicants will be ranked accordingly.
Literacy Coach Program Accountability:
An outside agency will be retained to conduct a program evaluation to review achievement of
program goals and objectives. Meetings will be held quarterly with the building principal,
district representative and Literacy Coach to identify specific, short term goals and to ensure all
Literacy Coach activities fall within the indicated program parameters. Additionally, data from
Literacy Coach logs will be collected and reviewed monthly to ensure program integrity.
Finally, assessment measures indicated in the Reading Coach Grants will be used across the
Literacy Coach Program to determine success.
Quality Assurance
Literacy Specialist Office
McAllister/sgm
Rev.03/06
3