Prosocial learning communities: one step at a time, these three school districts are successfully working at the process of reform, using coaching to bring about change

Leadership, May-June, 2005 by Michelle Karns

In quantum mechanics, it is believed that whatever you focus on expands. So it is with schools. Many districts serving low-income minority youth are focusing on different aspects of the school culture to develop the prosocial learning communities needed for all students to succeed. The three districts featured herein are using various types of coaching as a means to build their prosocial learning communities.

Coaching is a multi-faceted process that helps develop district ideals into realities. The lessons they are learning are offered here as feedback from the frontlines.

Honest conversations

Lou Obermeyer, superintendent of the Atwater Elementary District in California since August 2002, maintains that "honest conversations are the core of the institutional culture necessary to building positive learning climates at the site level." These conversations are best facilitated by administrators and translated into instructional action by teachers, eventually in partnership with students.

Obermeyer initiated this process in her first superintendency in Atwater through an administrative retreat. She focused on possibilities and creativity, a book study targeting the necessity of trust and relationship in a leadership cadre, and openness to taking meaningful action responsive to the unique needs of the children. Atwater's K-6 schools successfully parlayed these studies in 2003-2004 into all the elementary sites meeting their federal Adequate Yearly Progress and state Academic Performance Index objectives handsomely.

The Atwater administrators had been given significant support through staff development that targeted Dufour's (1993) learning communities strategies and trust-building and highly effective instructional strategies. The school site administrators and the administrators in charge of curriculum, Title I and English Language Development had monthly staff development and access to individual coaching.

The training emphasis has been scientifically based and organized around guidelines established by No Child Left Behind, Title I, Reading First and other federal entitlements.

The candor of the principals and their willingness to work collaboratively and collegially is remarkable at Atwater. Sharing resources and strategies seemed to strengthen their resolve to make the challenges of API and AYP attainable.

Lessons learned: Principals are key to developing a school culture responsive to student needs. The superintendent must set the stage and then support the principal's focus on the students.

Developing connections

Wendy Webb, superintendent in Youngstown, Ohio, maintains that school reform in a poor urban district requires building positive learning climates by developing connections with the students, parents and teachers and sustaining those relationships. She is the change we wish to see. She is one of the most hands-on, student/parent/teacher-centered superintendent that I know, and this is no small feat in a district of 11 elementary, four middle and three high schools.

She employs parents to call other parents from the superintendent's office to announce new policies or procedures, or to request information regarding concerns and issues that are facing the parents. She walks the neighborhoods prior to school opening, welcoming families back to school after summer break; she does storytelling in neighborhood libraries; she makes school uniforms available in every church so children can access them easily; she makes sure that monthly meetings are held for parents with questions on homework; and she meets monthly with students to talk about school.

She uses the tools of social marketing with parents and students to determine priorities and programs. Increased parental involvement in all areas of school service has resulted in practices that have improved school cultures, increased test scores and brought focus to students.

She has established teacher advisory councils for curriculum as a means to establish curricular objectives with teachers. The Curriculum Instructional Council has a defined protocol to conduct meaningful dialogue that no longer consumes district time in constant grievances, negativity and teacher withdrawal from the work effort. This venue provides a real voice for teachers.

She uses personal coaching and technical assistance for her Cabinet to design strategies to attain her primary objective, building productive, prosocial learning environments in an urban, highly impacted school district.

Lesson learned: Parents, students and teachers must become re-enfranchised if reform in a poor urban district is to be fully realized.

The value of relationships

In a presentation to her Reading First principals and coaches on Valentine's Day 2005, Supt. Jean Fuller offered that Bakersfield City School District made 45 commitments to start Reading First in 15 schools with 15 coaches.

With the help of Aida Molina, Bakersfield has evolved in short order to 15 positive learning communities with 365 teachers that embrace educating every child as a responsibility congruent with the rights of the child.