For the next edition of the newsletter, Bridgeport was asked to share what’s working in the district. The following article, co-authored by Jennifer Bernheim and Dr. Ricardo Rosa, was submitted on behalf of Bridgeport Public Schools.

 

In Bridgeport Public Schools, coaching is vital not only on the ball fields, but also in the classrooms, seeking to lessen the alarming disparity that exists between achievement in mathematics of Bridgeport’s diverse student population and the state average. Budget constraints and the overall lack of resources in Bridgeport prohibit traditional, continuous, and sufficient professional development opportunities necessary for teachers to acquire the knowledge of mathematics-related content and pedagogy needed to significantly impact student performance.

 

The Bridgeport Instructional Coaching (BIC) project, developed and implemented by Dr. Ricardo Rosa, Director of Mathematics for the Bridgeport Public Schools, upgrades the quality of teacher effectiveness and lessens the achievement gap in mathematics. “Over the last ten years, utilizing instructional coaching has become a great alternative to the traditional professional development teachers regularly receive,” Rosa said. “When done well, instructional coaching is a powerful tool not just for our district, but for all districts.”

 

The overarching goal of the BIC project is to support the district’s mathematical improvement initiatives by increasing the school-based leadership capacity by establishing a cohort of teacher-leaders who will serve as building-based resources. The BIC project is a three-pronged approach, consisting of a (1) Teaching Academy, (2) Instructional Coach Implementation, and (3) an Accountability Plan.

 

The Teaching Leadership Academy Model, which is based on national research, integrates theory and practice. Numeracy coaches attend a two-day academy, once per month throughout the academic year.  On day one, mathematics content and pedagogy is presented by college instructors from the University of Bridgeport, consultants from Wesleyan University’s Project to Increase Mastery of Mathematics and Science (PIMMS), and Bridgeport’s Mathematics Department. Content is introduced through interactive seminars that are integrated with discussions that explore how to accommodate the learning needs of Bridgeport’s diverse student population. College faculty also serve as consultants to advise on overall project implementation and assist training in selected areas of expertise.

 

Day two is led by the district’s math department and supplemented by consultants; all of whom build capacity in skills and provide tools for implementing coaching, making data-driven decisions, delivering effective professional development, facilitating and maintaining study group, and conducting action research and planning. Approximately 200 classroom teachers indirectly benefit from the Academy training, resulting in 5,000 students receiving direct instruction from teachers who had the benefit of working in close collaboration with a numeracy coach or teacher leader. The resulting cost of the Academy is about $31 per student.

 

The second prong of the three-pronged approach is the Instructional Coaching Implementation Model that includes the following components: collaborative planning, in-class support for classroom teachers through demonstration lesson co-teaching and observation, debriefing, and self-reflection by both the teacher and the coach. Twenty-five full time numeracy coaches provide classroom embedded support for math program improvement.  Numeracy coaches do not have teaching assignments because their responsibilities are to provide professional development for teachers, assist with new program implementation, utilize and manage available resources, and serve as mentors while building professional relationships with teachers. “By being in a school on a consistent basis we are able to develop relationships with the teachers and students that make the support we give more effective,” numeracy coach Elena Mayorga said. Robert Listori, also a numeracy coach, agrees. “While most elementary teachers are charged with instructing in all subject areas, we can provide teachers with the most current practices in mathematics instruction,” he said.

 

The BIC coaching model is implemented in flexible nine week coaching cycles during which a numeracy coach engages five teachers for three hours each week. The coaches initiate on-going school-based learning groups in order to regularly examine teacher practices and student work. Each numeracy coach is provided with 100 hours of training, yielding a total of 3,000 hours of professional development. It is the goal of the teacher-coach relationship to provide targeted and in-classroom support for teachers through collaborative planning, modeling, co-teaching, feedback, and study groups.  It is believed that through building these relationships, teachers and coaches will develop into more reflective professionals who will continue to value education and engage in learning as a life-long process. According to Rosa, part of the process is the challenge of implementing new teaching strategies. “When teachers have difficulty implementing what they’ve learned through professional development they now have the support and assistance of the numeracy coaches,” Rosa said.

 

The third-prong is the Accountability Plan (AP), which includes observations by the Mathematics Director, Curriculum Specialists, and college instructors. The AP helps both coaches and supervisors to better monitor with whom time is spent and the distribution of time on various coaching model components.  Additionally, online assessments allow for timely and specific feedback and supplement state test data in determining coaching effectiveness. Student achievement is also a vital component of the AP, comparing student achievement in classrooms where teachers worked with numeracy coaches to student achievement in classrooms where teachers were not coached.

 

The BIC project is a three-year initiative that is currently funded on a year-to-year basis by a Mathematics and Science Partnership Grant awarded by the Connecticut State Department of Education’s Division of Teaching, Learning and Assessment. Bridgeport is one of only six districts in Connecticut to receive this award. Grant funding is applied toward professional development costs while numeracy coaching salaries are funded by the district.

 

 

 

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