Internal Coaching Guide
The purpose of this guide is to provide guidelines for early learning programs as they move forward in the Silver State Stars Quality Rating Improvement System and internalize the coaching process to best fit their program’scontinuous improvement goals.
An internal coach is a coach that is chosen from the administration and/or staff of the early learning program. The Children’s Cabinet’s QRIS coach will continue to provide support to the program internal coach.
Purpose of Internal Coaching
The purpose ofinternal coaching is to allow early learning programs to move forward after initial coaching with a QRIS coach to be able to self-regulate their programs quality improvement goals on a long term basis. The internal coach will help improve staff skills, knowledge, and practices in working with children and families. Programs that decide to provide internal coaching should identify explicit goals (based on Environment Rating Scale (ERS) Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) perhaps) so that they can better plan and monitor progress toward these goals. Program goals for coaching can include the following:
•Effective use of assessment tools (e.g., use of child progress data in lesson planning)
•Improving instructional practices (e.g., pedagogy, implementing a specific curriculum)
•Improving classroom organization and behavior management
•Improving communication with and engagement of families
•Fostering staff’s continuing education, training, and professional growth
•Staff support (e.g., stress reduction, personal growth)
•Organizational goals (e.g., increasing the use of technology, reducing turnover) (McGroder et al., 2014)
Note: When setting overarching goals for the coaching initiative, programs should consider the particular needs of their staff and the children and families that they serve. Overarching goals should be linked to specific measureable progress on targeted outcomes. Again, these can be from the ERS QIP.
Focus of the Internal Coach
The internal coach(s) can focus on areas that the early learning program administrator(s) have established as areas of needed improvement or from a QIP designed by either the administrator or coach, referencing the ERS Assessment of the program. An early learning program may choose to have more than one internal coach if they are utilizing more than one scale (e.g., Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS), Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS), Classroom Assessment and Scoring System (CLASS).
When and Where does Internal Coaching Occur?
Internal coaching is best suited to occur at the internal coach’s program site. Their might be the opportunity for an internal coach and QRIS coach to observe other early learning programs to help develop the internal coach’s skills and broaden the internal coach’s perspective on different techniques towards quality. The internal coach and the QRIS coach will determine the frequency and the method best used for coaching (i.e., onsite, email, phone calls, and video conference). The early learning programs current ERS assessment score will also be used as a factor in determining the frequency of the QRIS coaching involvement.
Time Involvement for the QRIS Coach
The length of time that QRIS coaching will occur at a specific early learning site will vary. Some of the various factors might include:
- Dosage (how often coaching occurs): Varies by program and need.
- Duration (how long coaching occurs): Our coaching periodslast for 24 months, although participation in QRIS is ongoing.
- Frequency of observation: Coaches should consider scheduling observations at regular intervals or whenever a new skill has been introduced. Whatever the mode, more frequent observations allow for more frequent self-reflection and feedback on practices and guidance on solutions to challenges.
- The Maintenance Period that anearly learning program is in and at what level the ERS assessment has been consistent (i.e. Maintenance Period 4 with a consistent 4 ERS assessment score).
- Current Star Level of the program.
- Request from the early learning program to no longer have a QRIS coach.
- A change of early learning program staff resulting in a new internal coach.
* Frequent in-person observation is time intensive, expensive, and can be disruptive to staff activities. For this reason, programs and coaches must decide on the mix of observation strategies, perhaps balancing frequent, less invasive modes (such as self-report logs and videotapes) with in-person observations (McGroder et al., 2014).
Who Supervises the Internal Coach?
Programs will need to decide whether and how to provide oversight to their coaches. They may take a lenient or passive approach and trust that the coaching is progressing as intended. However, some form of oversight may make the coaches more accountable, and there are many ways this oversight can occur. Program leadership should periodically touch base on how the coaching is going. Programs can also elicit feedback from the staff receiving coaching on the helpfulness of the coach and the perceived effectiveness of the coaching methods. This information could be used to inform The Children’s Cabinet QRIS coach and program leadership improves and refines coaching practices. Administrator involvement in the oversight of the coaches may lead them to be more effective when challenges arise and may result in greater staff buy-in to the overall coaching initiative. (McGroder et al., 2014)
Characteristics of the Internal Coach
The following considerations(not requirements) are gathered from Early learning programs that are already implementing internal coaching and from Putting the Pieces Together: A Logic Model for Coaching Head Start (McGroder, et al., 2014). There may be additional requirements at the discretion of the early learning program in which the internal coach is employed.
- Accepting of diverse personalities and good interpersonal skills.
- Good at communicating with others on multiple levels (written & verbal).
- At least 2 years of experience at the early learning program or 2 years in the early childhood education field.
- Knowledge of the curricula and/or assessments used by each room in the early learning program, or by the rooms in which the internal coach is coaching.
- Knowledge of child development and developmentally appropriate practices (DAP).
- Possession of a CDA or degree in early childhood education or a related field
- Nevada Registry ECE Trainer and knowledge of how adults learn (preferred)
- Knowledge of the ERS for the ages they will be coaching.
- Passion for quality improvement (position is not a paid position).
- Ability to separate coaching from supervising if they hold both positions (staff need to feel they can talk with the coach without it showing up on their evaluation).
Essential Reading for the Internal Coach
The National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning under the Office of Head Start has developed a Practice Based Coaching Summary and three Practiced Based Coaching briefs to help internal coaching establish an effective coaching model in their program. All materials can be found on the Silver State Stars website: These briefs provide guidance on:
- Planning goals and action steps
- Engaging in focused observation
- Reflecting on and sharing feedback about teaching practices
Resources for the Internal Coach
In order for the internal coach to be supported in his/her role, they will have access to some tools that are currently being used by QRIS coaches.
- Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) forms and observation technology.
- Environment Rating Scale (ERS) Materials
- Coaching with Powerful Interactions: A Guide for Partnering with Early Childhood Teachers by Judy Jablon, Amy Laura Dombro, and Shaun Johnsen
- Strengths Based Coaching web-based training through Child Care Aware of America (contact Cabinet coach for fee support availability)
- The Early Childhood Coaching Handbook by Dathan D. Rush and M’Lisa L. Shelden
- Coaching For Success: A Pocket Guide for Coaches by Constant Hine
- Licensed child care facilities only - Access to request ECSN teacher from The Children’s Cabinet at no cost when doing an observation (if they need to have their classroom covered)
- Help Line staffed by QRIS Coaches
Incentives for Internal Coaching
In addition to helping improve the everyday experiences of children in your care, there are additional incentives for internal coaches. Below are some examples but please check with your Children’s Cabinet QRIS coach or the Office of Early Learning and Development for additional incentives.
- Scholarships from the Office of Early Learning and Development for NevAEYC Conference
- Professional Membership to NAEYC for the first two years paid for by the Office of Early Learning and Development
- First consideration for specialized training provided by the state (e.g., Zero to Three, Leadership Series, Strengths-Based Coaching)
- Coaching Tool Kit
- Quality indicator credit for internal coach completion leadership training. Documentation of hours must be signed off by The Children’s Cabinet QRIS coach.
This guide has been adapted from:
McGroder, S. M., Howard, E. C., Fishman, M., Rankin, V. E., & Helsel, F. K. (2014).Putting the Pieces Together: A Program Logic Model for Coaching in Head Start.From the Descriptive Study of the Head Start Early Learning Mentor Coach Initiative. OPRE Report # 2014-06; Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation.
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