Coaching 1 Running head: COACHING, MENTORING AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Leadership and Development of Leaders Annie Bradford ED 530

A paper presented in partial completion of course requirements for EDAD 530 Educational Research Fall 2012

Coaching 2 Abstract In order to provide the best leadership, businesses and other entities provide a variety of training tools for their leaders. Effective training from skilled leaders can produce a dramatic difference in the effectiveness of leadership within any organization. This paper explores the types of training styles for leaders within elementary and secondary school systems. Further, the research (Jay, 2000) suggests that executive coaching is an effective strategy aligned with the development of administrators into key professionals in the world of education.

Coaching 3 Chapter 1 Introduction 4

Chapter 2 Review of Literature 6

Chapter 3 Summary, Conclusion and Implications 15

References

17

Coaching 4 Leadership and Development of Leaders Developing into an effective leader requires time and specialized training. We all enter careers with philosophies and a vision of how things will be while seeking rewarding goals to accomplish. Acquiring new skills and polishing existing skills requires specific training and support from other professionals. In order to provide the best leadership, business and other entities provide a variety of training tools for their leaders. Effective training from skilled leaders can produce a dramatic difference in the effectiveness of leadership within any organization. John Fitzgerald Kennedy stated that, Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other" (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/here-there-andeverywhere/201102/36-quotes-leadership). The concept of leadership and learning is not new. However, school based leadership and coaching is a concept gaining traction linked to producing and maintaining effective leaders. In order to provide the best educational leaders, the most effective learning opportunities for significant leadership need to be provided. Problem Statement The purpose of this paper is to explore research-based learning and leadership strategies designed to strengthen administrator capacity to lead educational reform. The question guiding this research is, What type of training is most effective in developing effective school administrators? Definitions Before a review of literature can be accomplished, some terms must be defined. A mentor is defined as an organizational insider who is a senior expert and

Coaching 5 supports a novice (Wikipedia.org, 2012). A coach is defined as a person typically from outside the organization and is not necessarily senior-in age or depth of related professional experience compared to the coachee (Bloom, Castagna, Moir & Warren, 2005). Executive Coaching is defined on the Executive Coach Academy website as, A helping relationship formed between a client who has managerial authority and responsibility in an organization and a consultant who uses a wide variety of behavioral techniques and methods to assist the client achieve a mutually identified set of goals to improve his or her professional performance and personal satisfaction and consequently to improve the effectiveness of the clients organization within a formally defined coaching agreement http://www.executivecoachacademy.com/definitions.html. Limitations This paper is limited to a review of literature linking research-based learning and leadership strategies to successful administrator development. Any generalization to aspects other than the link between research-based learning and leadership strategies and successful administrator development is beyond the scope of this paper.

Coaching 6 Chapter Two During this evolving period where schools experience increased educational accountability, educational leaders are challenged to find innovative and creative ways to motivate teachers and insure that all students acquire the skills they need to be successful in society. For an administrator to be effective, he or she must rely on research-based professional development and mentoring strategies seeking to improve the teaching /learning relationship in a campus setting. While business and industry have long provided models of effective mentoring and coaching for executives, the practice of providing executive coaches for practicing school administrators presents a promising innovation, which may contribute to the strengthening of school-based leadership. DuFour, DuFour, Eaker and Many (2006), in reviewing successful organizations stated that, Every great company was characterized by effective leadership (p. 192). They also observed that, One of the greatest ironies in education is that it takes strong and effective educational leaders to create truly empowered people who are capable of sustaining improvement after the leader has gone. Further, Convey (2004) stated that, things dont have the power to choose. Only people do. So you lead (empower) people. You manage and control things (p. 101). Organizational training In Leading in a Culture of Change (2001), Michael Fullan states that, In the past, if you asked someone in a successful enterprise what caused the success, the answer was Its the people. But thats only partially true; it is actually the relationships that make the difference (Fullan, 2001 p. 51).

Coaching 7 Administrator development. It has recently been proposed, Coaching at the Core: Leadership for School Improvement (Meyers, Metz & Weatzel, September 14, 2012) that the State of Iowa recruit and train 40 executive coaches who will be assigned to work directly with 100 identified principals throughout the state. The questions among the educational world are how will these coaches and principals be selected and what will these coaches do to enhance education? With that background and the demands for on-time, on-target, and on-going administrative professional development, the investigation of executive coaching as it relates to development of aspiring and practicing school administrators, is a worthwhile topic. The question guiding this investigation is which characteristics of executive coaches lead to strengthened relationships and the capacity to lead faculty and staff in improving the teaching/learning relationship in a school setting? Mentoring. Mentorship, a personal development relationship, is established when a more experienced or knowledgeable person helps to guide a less experienced or knowledgeable person (Wikipedia.org, 2012). However, true mentoring is realized when an ongoing relationship of learning, dialog, and challenge is witnessed. Therefore, mentoring is a relationship based process that involves communication. When aligned, designed and implemented effectively, coaching is a viable solution for a number of issues across business functions. Workforce or critical skills shortages, major events like a merger or restructuring, and individual transitions like promotions and relocations can negatively impact individual and/or organizational performance. For a variety of business issues, the right combination of individual coaching, group/team coaching, and coaching skills

Coaching 8 training for managers forms part of an effective solution (http://www.deloitte.com/us/talent/coaching on 10/9/12).

Mentoring Principals in Iowa. Principals, who are new to administration in Iowa, receive one year of mentoring services provided by a veteran administrator (B. DeWald, principal, CRSD, Personal Communication, Sept. 2012). A practicing or veteran administrator is assigned to a first year principal once the new job is secured. Most of what one learns for the job of being administrator is on the job training. Being a mentor for both first year principals as well as aspiring principals allows mentors to also reflect on their own responsibly and interactions with their school community (L. Fitzgerald, retired principal, CRCSD, Personal Communication, Oct. 2012). While the mentor may also serve as an administrator in the same school district as the new administrator, principals in more rural school districts may have a mentor serving as administrator in a neighboring district. According to the School Administrators of Iowa (SAI) website (http://www.sai-iowa.org/), SAIs beginning administrator mentoring and induction program is created to promote excellence in school leadership, improve classroom instruction, enhance student achievement, build a supportive environment within school districts, increase the retention of promising school leaders, and promote the personal and professional well-being of administrators. Expectations of the Mentee are noted as follows: Attend statewide meetings with your mentor,

Coaching 9 Participate in weekly conversations with your mentor, Meet face-to-face monthly with your mentor, Host mentor at your school at least once, Visit your mentors school at least once Complete surveys to assist with program evaluation, Inform SAI if the relationship with your mentor is not meeting your needs or these expectations, Fully participate in the program throughout the 2012-13 school year (this is a one-year commitment as required by Iowa law for principals and superintendents only). While the expectations of the Mentee are clear, the SAI Mentoring guidelines also identify expectations for the Mentor. Those expectations include: View mentor orientation and training webinar, Attend statewide meetings with your mentee, Contact your mentee at least once a week, Conduct monthly face-to-face visits with your mentee, Keep records of contacts with your mentee and submit to SAI (template will be provided), Visit your mentees school at least once, Host mentee at your school at least once, Complete surveys to assist with program evaluation, Inform SAI if the relationship with your mentee is not meeting expectations,

Coaching 10 Keep the interactions between you and your mentee confidential, Support your mentee throughout the 2012-13 school year, this is a oneyear commitment as required by Iowa law for principals and superintendents only (http://www.sai-iowa.org/mentoring/). Executive Coaching. The practice of mentoring aligned with improved leader performance has a rich tradition of success, however, the need to more effectively support new and veteran administrators has led to an expanded mentoring role often referred to as coaching (Kombarakaran, Baker, Yang & Fernades, 2008). According to the Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research (2008), organizations have practiced several ways to train their leaders and managers (Kombarakaran, Baker, Yang & Fernades, 2008). Unlike most other methods of executive development, such as conferences and training sessions, coaching, uniquely addresses behavioral practice as its central component (Kombarakaran, Baker, Yang & Fernades, 2008). The coaching plan encourages the executive to develop new approaches and behaviors, practice them, reevaluate their impact, and try a revised approach for improved effectiveness. Therefore, a major strength of coaching is that it respects the style and the authority of the executive and provides both positive and negative feedback on the impact of the executives behavior (Kombarakaran, Baker, Yang & Fernades, 2008, p. 10). As administrators move through leadership careers it becomes evident how important feedback is on a number of levels and coaching provides a promising strategy designed to support continued administrator growth. Coaching outcomes.

Coaching 11 Mentoring, coaching, and collaboration are shared processes, a shared journey of commitment to effective practice and improved learning for all students (Carr, Herman & Harris, 2005, p. 1). Coaching differs from mentoring in many ways, as it is based on a collaborative relationship designed to facilitate the development and enhancement of skills and performance through feedback, reflection, and self-directed learning (Greene & Grant, 2003; Green, Grant & Rynsaardt, 2007). Coaching represents a promising innovation offering many benefits and since the need is great, coaching has been the focus of many recent discussions in education. Coaching is not training. Coaching addresses the needs of the individual rather than conveying a particular curriculum (Bloom, Castagna, Moir & Warren, 2005, p. 9). Peter Taylor, in his book Motivating Your Team: Coaching for Performance in Schools (2007), suggests that good leaders and coaches do not change their people; instead they create the right culture and climate for their people to grow and develop, to be at their best (p. 10). With that promise, identifying the characteristics of effective coaches has the potential to strengthen administrator success and performance. Characteristics of Effective Coaches. While mentors may be selected from the administrative staff of the same school or district as the mentee, an important aspect to remember about executive coaches is that they have no direct affiliation with the coachees school district. According to Lindlay (2010), coaches should be experienced, affirming, supporting, non-judgmental, and trustworthy, demonstrating an independence from the business. Developing a sense of

Coaching 12 self-awareness is a skill few leaders reach naturally. In fact, most principals have difficulty rating themselves and their own deficit areas (Palmer & Cavanagh, International Coaching Psychology Review, 2010). Logically, we must believe that skill in identifying and remediating deficit areas leads to strengthened administrator performance. Whitaker (2012) in his book, What Great Principals Do Differently, suggested that, everyone wants to be good at what they do. But not everyone can tell when he or she falls short (p. 14). However, a comparison between administrator assessment of weakness and teacher assessment of administrator weakness reveals that teachers have very different viewpoints of principal weaknesses (Whitaker, 2012). When asked to complete a self-analysis, most principals rated themselves as effective in most if not all areas. In addition, (Whitaker, 2012) determined that there was no real difference in how principals who are known as effective and those how are known as ineffective rate themselves. In fact, When asked to describe their major strengths and greatest weaknesses, their lists are often familiar. On the other hand, teachers describe effective and ineffective principals very differently (Whitaker, 2012, p. 15). As a way to mediate those disparate perspectives and identify specific strategies aligned with improved administrative behaviors, an advantage to involvement of executive coaches allows the coach to draw on their non-biased relationship with the principals to help assess weaknesses, develop action plans, and provide feedback on skills. Relationships. Bloom, Castagna, Moir and Warren (2005) observe that Job one for a coach is to build and maintain trust with the coachee. Powerful coaching simply cannot occur

Coaching 13 without it (p. 14). Moreover, Lindsey, Martinez and Lindsey (2007), observed that coaching is based on rapport and relational trust between the coach and person being coached. They suggest that The trust level is enhanced when the coach is conscious of how culture influences the coaching conversation. The coachs understanding of self and others enhances the relationship and deepens the conversations below the surface level to reveal long held assumptions and beliefs about student achievement (Lindsay, Martinez & Lindsay, 2007, p. 14). While many skills are important, one of the critical characteristics of the coach and coachee relationship centers on honest, non-judgmental feedback (Jay, 2002). This behavior enhances the relationship rather than the feeling created when comments are perceived as a reprimand. Finally, the research shows, coaching is by far the leader in self-directed and supportive learning because it does not rely on the coach to be responsible, accountable or to have authority over the person being coached (Jay, 2000). Experience. Leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly they can come to see it in themselves (Covey, 2004, p. 98). Carr, Herman, and Harris (2005) posit that, Investing in coaching is one way to build toward collaborative learning (p. 81). However, not all exceptional school leaders are necessarily exceptional leadership coaches. Carr, Herman, and Harris (2005) further suggest that a leadership coach should meet at least three minimum qualifications. Those qualifications include: five years of successful educational leadership experience,

Coaching 14 evidence of successful informal mentoring relationships, and evidence of appropriate dispositions, knowledge and skills (Bloom, Castagna, Moir & Warren, 2005). The evidence supporting the potential for executive coaching is clear. According to an Education Leadership (EL) article by (Knight, 2011), identifying coaching principles is important to guide the way we (humans) act for we, as humans, tend to act and grow based on what we believe. Further, Knight suggested that the coaching partnership principles of equality, choice, voice, reflections, dialogue, praxis, and reciprocity provide the basis for how coaches strive to work with individuals. Moreover, effective coaching (Knight, 2011) is characterized by: the power to share ideas and make decisions as equals, allowing the trainee to have the authority to be the final decision maker, candid conversations that are as open as conversations with a trusted friend, providing a thinking partner and allowing the notion that the idea will win through thoughtful discussions, and, applying new knowledge with support and allowing the opportunity to learn together. As Knight (2011) suggested, these components can be recognized and enhanced as effective components of executive coaching. Further support is found in the work of Robbins and Alvy, (2009), who suggested that the first year can be overwhelming for any new principal. Being a part of a school community and knowing that a difference can be made is extremely rewarding. The principal will grow professionally if he or she is a learner and will learn through each mistake. As the principal grows, he or she will gain trust and together the staff and students can grow together.

Coaching 15 Chapter 3 Educational leaders are challenged to find innovative and creative ways to motivate teachers and insure that all students acquire the skills they need to be successful in society. The purpose of this paper is to explore research-based learning and leadership strategies designed to strengthen administrator capacity to lead educational reform. Summary The research referenced in this paper suggests that there are several different ways that leaders can be developed. Training for administrators is essential during this evolving period where schools experience increased educational accountability. Providing a mentor or coach to new principals can help support that administrator in developing skills that will promote his or her effectiveness in the school organization. While a number of researchers have investigated this subject, most suggest a strong relationship between the new principal and an experienced principal, which is based on trust and benefits the organization (Fullan, 2001; Jay, 2000). The opportunity for non-judgmental feedback as weaknesses are identified and skills built enhances effectiveness (Jay, 2002).. The focus of the public on student achievement demands that an effective administrator and staff are learners themselves always seeking ways to improve. The mentor or coach relationship can provide the skills to support new principals in this challenging time. Conclusion Providing effective leadership in any organization requires a set of welldeveloped skills. Businesses have this solved and now is the time for education to

Coaching 16 provide mentors or coaches to provide an opportunity for new administrators to learn the skill set needed to lead a staff in setting goals, building trust, and communicating effectively. A review of the literature in this area supports the idea of providing mentors or coaches who are able to develop strong relationships to give new principals feedback, as they become learners together (Knight, 2011). Implications Although the results of this literature review of learning, leadership, and executive coaching identifies the benefits for new principals to have a mentor or coach and a positive outlook on educational leadership, further investigation is recommended.

Coaching 17 References Bloom, G., Castagna, C., Moir, E., & Warren, B. (2005). Blended coaching: skills and strategies to support principal development. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press. Carr, J., Herman, N., & Harris, D. (2005). Creating dynamic schools through mentoring, coaching, and collaboration. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Develop. Coaching Retrieved from http://www.deloitte.com/us/talent/coaching Covey, S. (2004). The 8th habit: from effectiveness to greatness. New York: Free Press. Definition of Executive Coaching retrieved from http://www.executivecoachacademy.com/definitions.html DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2006). Learning by doing: A handbook for professional learning communities at work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press. Ellison, J., & Hayes, C. (2006). Effective school leadership: developing principals through cognitive coaching. Norwood: Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc. Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc Pub. Green, S., Grant, A.M. & Rynsaardt, J. (2007). Evidence-based life coaching for senior high school students: Building hardiness and hope. International Coaching Psychology Review, 2(1), 2432. Kombarakaran, F. A., Baker, M. N., Yang, J. A., & Fernades, P. B. (2008). Executive coaching:it works!. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 60(1), 78-90. doi: 10.1037

Coaching 18 Knight, J. (2011) What good coaches do. Educational Leadership, Vol. 69, No. 2, pgs. 18-23. Lindsey, D., Martinez, R., & Lindsey, R. (2007). Culturally proficient coaching: supporting educators to create equitable schools. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press. Lovely, S. (2004). Staffing the principalship, finding, coaching, and mentoring school leaders. Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development. Manges, C., & Hollingworth, L. (EDS.) (2011). Organization & administration of Iowa public and private schools. Dubuque: Kendall Hunt. Mentoring, Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentoring Palmer, S., and Cavanagh, M, (2010) International Coaching Psychology Review, Vol. 5, No. 1. Reeves, D. (2002). The daily disciplines of leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Boss. Robbins, P. & Alvy, H. (2009). The principal's companion. (3 ed.). Thousand Oaks: Corwin Publishing. Taylor, P. (2007). Motivating your team: coaching for performance in schools. Thousand Oaks: Paul Chapman Publishing.