School Administrators

Principals are the on-site leaders who enable coaches and teachers to succeed in their collaboration. Important responsibilities of principals include the following. 

Culture Norms and Expectations

Principals clearly communicate to all staff that coaching is a non-evaluative, collaborative process aimed at supporting instruction and improving student outcomes. They also articulate a shared vision of high-quality literacy and numeracy instruction, aligned with the goals of the Third Grade Success Act, so that teachers understand how coaching supports the broader school mission.

Scheduling and Structure Considerations

Principals provide time, space, and structures that allow the coach to collaborate effectively with teachers. This means:

• Building coaching time into routine procedures
• Ensuring coaches have access to data and materials
• Refraining from assigning coaches to non-coaching duties (like daily substitute coverage or administrative tasks) that detract from their primary role

Principals collaborate with coaches to analyze instructional data and identify focus areas for schoolwide professional learning consistent with the WVImpact+ framework.

Active Partnership and Support

Principals work closely with the coach as an instructional leadership team. They also regularly meet with the coach to review data from coaching cycles and remove any barriers to implementation. They encourage all teachers to engage in coaching by normalizing it as a supportive, routine part of professional growth. For example, inviting coaches to model lessons or co-facilitate faculty discussions about effective practices. Principals recognize and celebrate improvements in learning that result from the coaching process, reinforcing its value. By partnering with the coach, principals reinforce that coaching is a collaborative path to instructional excellence rather than an evaluation.