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Start Here - Goal Development

Friday, September 10, 2021

It is the start of a new year, and as educators we often start with the end in mind and work backwards. One helpful framework for doing this is goal setting. Sometimes, though, this process can feel like harnessing the wind. How do you set a focused goal as a coach when there is so much to consider? In Wisconsin, the Coaching Competency Practice Profile (CCPP) provides the focus for you by clearly defining and operationalizing coaching. It’s still a lot to consider though. What are your strengths and where are there still opportunities for growth? That’s why we’ve developed the Coaching Self-Assessment as a tool to guide goal setting. Now, at the beginning of a new year, is a perfect time to reflect on your skills.


If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else

-Yogi Berra


The coaching competency self-assessment is a private reflection of an individual’s coaching skills and needs related to each of the competencies within the CCPP. There are a series of statements taken from the “expected use in practice” column of the CCPP. Each individual should read the statements and score themselves on a scale from 1 being low and 4 being high. There is also an optional space to provide rationale. Although rationales are optional, information entered will be valuable in informing your professional development and coaching needs.

It is important to note that neither personal data (who is taking the survey) nor evaluation data (how you score) is being recorded. At the end of the assessment, you will have a high-level overview which provides you with an average rating for each competency. The assessment will also point out competencies where you scored high, “Great! One of your strongest areas,” as well as opportunities for growth, “Consider creating a professional growth goal related to this area.” Enter your email address and your personal report will be sent directly to your inbox! A new feature this year! 

It is the hope that this assessment will inform professional learning in two ways. First, it should provide a starting place for coaches to set their own growth goals. If, for example, an individual coach rated themselves lowest in the Knowledge Base Development competency, they would want to take a closer look at each of the embedded components to see if there was one component where they self-assessessed exceptionally low, or if they rated themself lower across the entire competency.

Also, in districts where there are multiple coaches, this data could be collected anonymously to direct a district (or building) of professional learning to support all the coaches within the system. When field testing this tool with a group of coaches, it was noted that the majority of the coaching team self-assessed low for component 6a, “Analyzes data, evolving and fluid situations, and systems for the conditions of change.” The leadership team responded to this collective need and used this information to develop targeted professional learning opportunities connected to incorporating data into coaching conversations.

In the case of both individual and system assessment, the learning should be intentional and connected to need. It is important to take a few extra minutes to dive into the individual component ratings and rationale to develop goals. Individual coaches can then seek opportunities to connect their coaching craft to their growth goals and aligned competencies. Similarly, a building or district may take the combined data and develop a professional learning plan for the year based on the collective needs of their system coaches.

Take the opportunity to dig into this self-assessment tool. Use it in your professional growth and reflection practice.

Check out the Tool Here

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