Improving early learning: Millions more needed for teacher coaching, student testing

Improving early learning: Millions more needed for teacher coaching, student testing

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SALT LAKE CITY — If Utah wants to improve learning outcomes from preschool through the third grade, it needs teaching coaches to help educators improve their teaching practice, state lawmakers were told Wednesday.

“Just telling people how to change doesn’t change practice,” Jennifer Throndsen, the Utah State Board of Education’s director of teaching and learning, told members of the Utah Legislature’s Education Interim Committee.

Telling and showing teachers the best practices doesn’t work much better. Telling, demonstrating and rehearsing best practices results in teachers using those techniques in the classroom just 5% of the time, she said.

When teachers have consistent job-embedded coaching that also includes follow-up by administrators who observe teaching for desired changes, teachers will use those skills in the classroom 95% of the time, she said.

“Giving them the support to change their practice is what helps to get the change to occur,” Throndsen said.

“This is where job-embedded coaching changes the conversation,” she said.

Sen. Deidre Henderson, R-Spanish Fork, questioned why schools have spent so much on other forms of professional development when the rate of return is so low.

“I’m sorry, this is just a little bit alarming to me. We’ve been spending a lot of time, effort and money the past few years to increase professional development and you’re telling us it’s doing absolutely no good, whatsoever. Is that what you’re telling us?” Henderson asked.

“Likely it’s not without coaching,” said Throndsen. “If we really want to change practice, it requires job-embedded coaching.”


Just telling people how to change doesn't change practice.

–Jennifer Throndsen, Utah State Board of Ed


The State School Board is asking lawmakers for funding for grants for job-embedded coaching for school districts and also funding for support coaching for charter and rural schools. Some school districts, such as Davis School District, already have teacher coaching in place. Most rural schools and charter schools lack the resources for ongoing coaching.

In recent years, state lawmakers have devoted more resources and attention to early learning, but Utah’s offerings lag behind other states.

Nationally, 80% of students attend full-day kindergarten. In Utah, 20% attend optional enhanced kindergarten programs. The programs provide opportunities for students demonstrating academic risk upon kindergarten entry to participate in extended learning time beyond half-day kindergarten. Parents must opt in to the program.

According to the State School Board presentation, about 40% of Utah students enter kindergarten at risk of academic failure, but only half of them are served through extended learning experiences.

Among students at risk for academic failure who enrolled in optional extended kindergarten, 70% improved in literacy and math, according to state board data. Without intervention, slightly more than half improve.

Standardized test scores

Standardized test scores indicate there is room for improvement.

Less than half of Utah public school students — 48% — are proficient in language arts while 52% are proficient in math by the end of third grade, according to the latest published statewide testing results.

One challenge is that Utah begins standardized testing in the third grade, which means there is no data to guide instruction, interventions and enrichment activities between the Kindergarten Entry and Exit Profile and the third-grade test.

Data is also needed to ensure whether the outcomes of job-embedded coaching are producing the desired goals, Throndsen said. The board’s request includes funding for assessment in those grades.

The science of reading

The State School Board is also requesting an appropriation to test candidates for teacher licensure on the science of reading.

A statewide survey and focus group showed teachers feel least confident in teaching foundational reading skills, she said.

“This truly measures the science of reading and whether our teachers have the knowledge and skills needed to be early learning teachers. In states that have similar assessment they have higher outcomes for students in early learning, especially in literacy, than states that don’t have that an assessment of this kind,” Throndsen said.

All told, the teacher coaching, assessment and teacher assessment would require an ongoing appropriation of $17.7 million, plus $485,000 in one-time funding.

The board also seeks more than $18.6 million for more access to extended kindergarten and enriched kindergarten experiences. Board staff will make a presentation on that request to lawmakers next month.

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