One of the most common concerns shared with SISEP is that, while many hours are devoted to training, it doesn’t seem to “stick”. Multiple days of training are provided in learning a new program or practice, yet many tell us it does not have a significant impact on the effective use of that program.

Providing professional development is an integral part of what we do in education. The effective use of evidence-based programs requires the learning and use of new knowledge and skills. New knowledge can be shared through multiple avenues: discussion groups, Communities of Practice, online resources, newsletter updates, and pre-training readings. Training and coaching are the principle ways in which new skills are learned.  Most new skills needed by educators can be introduced in training, but are actually practiced and improved on the job with the help of coaching. 

In this issue of SISEP eNotes, we offer two planning tools for training and coaching.

The Training Plan Template is designed to help guide your team’s planning process in developing a training program. This tool can be used to guide discussions around rationale, core components, knowledge, skills, outcomes and assessment.

The Coaching System Development Worksheet can be used to initiate those early discussions about the importance of coaching and the facilitative supports administrators need to consider to ensure a systemic commitment to coaching.