Coach Community

Supporting coaches to gain the knowledge and skills to make data-informed decisions!

What is a Coach Community?

A Coach Community provides an opportunity for coaches to access Practice-Based Coaching (PBC) and data-informed decision making support and guidance. The community is facilitated by a Lead PBC Coach whose primary role is to support other coaches who work in the same or similar settings. Effective Coach Communities connect on a regular basis and can use any format that meets the needs of the members of the community (e.g., live, video-conference).

Why is a Coach Community important for PBC-DIDM?

Coaches need support to gain knowledge and skills related to effective practices, PBC, and data-informed decision making. When coaches are supported they can have a positive effect on practitioners, children and their families.

The Coach Community provides a place for coaches to receive “just in time” professional support and to engage in data-informed decision making about their coaching. When a program is getting started with PBC-DIDM, some meetings of the Coach Community will focus on building the coaches’ capacity to (1) collect effort and effect data and (2) engage in the Prepare, Look, Think, Act (PLTA) Process.

Over time, the content focus and implementation supports provided during meetings of the Coach Community will be informed by the available data, PLTA Process, and priorities of the Coach Community and Leadership Team.

How could teams or individuals use this information?

When a program is getting started with PBC-DIDM implementation, program leaders might need to: a) hire or identify coaches, b) develop new systems for how coaches engage with each other and the Leadership Team, and c) support coaches to gain new skills related to PBC and data-informed decision making.

Below are a few modules that can support your program in establishing an effective Coach Community that regularly uses the PLTA Process to engage in data-informed decision making about PBC and related professional development.

Coach Competencies

Coach Competencies describe the knowledge, skills, and dispositions coaches need to implement PBC-DIDM. The Coach Competencies module describes considerations for hiring or identifying who will serve as a PBC Coach or Lead PBC Coach. When coach competencies are clearly stated and regularly used to inform coach professional development, it can help coaches to focus on developing knowledge and skills aligned with program priorities.

Foundational Coach Learning Experiences

The Foundational Coach Learning Experiences are designed to help individuals and teams learn more about how to develop, install, and implement processes for collecting data about coaches’ PBC implementation and practitioners’ use of effective practices which are the focus of PBC. This module will also teams and individuals to consider how to support the Coach Community and individual coaches during Foundational Coach Learning Experiences.

The Foundational Coach Learning Experiences module is recommended for programs who are working toward goals aligned to the Foundational Tier of the PBC-DIDM Implementation Profile.

PLTA Process Coach Learning Experiences

The PLTA Process Coach Learning Experiences module is designed to help teams and individuals learn more about how to build capacity among coaches to engage in the PLTA Process. When coaches are regularly collecting effort and effect data about (1) their PBC implementation and (2) practitioners’ use of effective practices with children and their families, they are ready to engage in learning experiences related to the PLTA Process.

The PLTA Process Coach Learning Experiences module is recommended for programs who are working toward goals aligned to the Initial, Mid, or Advanced Tiers of the PBC-DIDM Implementation Profile.

What resources are available?

Learn more about how to prepare for and facilitate a Coach Community meeting using the video link below or check out the Resources Library where you can search for “Coach Community.”

Tips for a Great PLTA Coach Learning Experience Video

Go to Resources

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10 Tips for a Great Coach PLTA Learning Experience

Watch this 5 minute video to learn about ten tips for facilitating a PLTA Coach Learning Experience and see them in action!

“New information takes time to digest and collaboration in the meeting was helpful in making sense of it. The PLTA Process is a concept that I have already embedded within coaching, trainings, and the like. I think it is invaluable.”

Coach, Early Intervention

“I appreciated having the consistency of the meetings and the focused content. It was helpful to practice hands-on organizing the data. The PLTA Process is great! I like the visual chart and the way that most anyone can utilize it because it’s so user friendly. I plan to use it frequently.”

Coach, Public PreK Education

“The PLTA Process has been the most helpful. I am making better, more informed decisions about how to proceed with my coaching in regard to frequency, area of focus, and tracking progress over time. This framework inspired me.”