At Partners in School Innovation, our main aim as school improvement partners is to help schools create systems where every student and teacher can do well and thrive.

Our intensive collaboration with an elementary school in the West Contra Costa Unified District demonstrates what’s possible when one of our staff members is embedded within a school community for an extended period of time.

Within two years of collaboration and focused efforts from the school’s educators, this school not only met but exceeded expectations, showing some of the highest growth in reading and math SBAC scores in the district.

These improvements came from a collaborative focus on three key areas: developing results-oriented leadership, implementing systems for professional learning, and coaching on core instruction.

A blue graphic with a testimonial from the Principal at a West Contra Costa Unified Elementary School saying: “Working with Partners has changed our approach, not just in meeting targets, but in how we think about teaching and learning.”

Collaboration Overview

For three years, Amanda Faulkner, a senior improvement partner from Partners in School Innovation (PSI), worked closely with this elementary school, spending 3.5 days each week there.

Becoming a key part of their educational community, Amanda started by building a strong relationship with the school’s principal, working together to create a plan that was customized for their school’s specific needs and goals.

"Partners didn't just tell us what to do; they understood our unique challenges," shared the principal. "They gave us the freedom to focus on what we needed and helped me set clear priorities."

Defining Educational Focus Areas For Coaching

School leadership worked with Amanda to develop a Theory of Action (TOA) focused on boosting reading skills for all students. The school and its teams analyzed their challenges, selected actions to advance educational equity, and assessed whether these actions are driving positive change.

What’s a Theory of Action (TOA) plan?

A TOA plan pinpoints opportunities for improvements and suggests effective solutions. To learn more about Theory of Action plans and how to create one, see this guide.

*An infographic titled 'What is Included in a Theory-of-Action Plan?' detailing the components of one such as Student Learning Goals, Change Testing, and Professional Learning Plans.*

Creating a Theory of Action is part of a larger coaching approach known as the Results-Oriented Cycle of Inquiry (ROCI), which Amanda used to support the school leaders with leading reading improvements at the school.

What’s a Results-Oriented Cycle of Inquiry (ROCI)?

An infographic labeled "Results-Oriented Cycle of Inquiry." The cycle is presented with arrows connected in a clockwise direction with five segments: "Set Goals”, “Plan", "Act", "Assess", and "Reflect & Adjust" leading back to "Set Goals.“

ROCI is a straightforward five-step method that promotes continuous improvement. It involves setting specific goals, planning and carrying out actions, checking the outcomes, and making necessary adjustments based on those findings.

This method keeps educators focused on student learning, pushing them to adjust their teaching based on solid evidence.

Setting Up Systems for Professional Learning

With a clear focus in place, the school’s teacher leaders determined what professional development their grade level teams needed, with Amanda serving as a thought partner. Together they organized quarterly half-day sessions where each grade team worked together to analyze reading performance data, plan instructional units, and set goals for upcoming assessments.

A blue graphic with a testimonial from a Kindergarten Teacher at the West Contra Costa Unified Elementary School: “Partners helped us figure out how to work well together, how to look at data, and what to look for.”

These professional development sessions gave grade-level teams the time and space to identify what was going well for them, plan their lessons, and prepare for future assessments.

The principal also reviewed information from these sessions to spot trends across grades and recommend improvements to the training programs.

Personalized 1:1 Coaching

In addition to group professional development, Amanda provided personalized support to teachers and teacher leaders that aligned with district-wide educational goals.

As a seasoned educator herself, she found it rewarding to connect one-on-one with the school’s teachers, helping them build on their strengths while supporting their growth. Over three years of collaboration, her support varied widely, including:

Instructional coaching on how to refine teaching methods
Helping teachers develop systems for small-group student interventions
Leading studies on trauma-informed teaching practices
Conducting workshops on how to use digital tools like Zoom

Her support for newer teachers was particularly appreciated by the school community.

“Amanda helped them look at lessons, analyze the objectives, and then pushed them to answer questions about how to get students to understand those concepts,” reported one teacher. “I’ve seen those teachers grow into people who are now being consulted by others and asked for advice on teaching certain lessons.”

Leading Sustainable Improvement

This elementary school was already working on a plan for all students to succeed academically, but teaming up with an outside partner like Partners in School Innovation helped to focus their efforts and speed up their progress.

A blue graphic with a testimonial from the Principal at the West Contra Costa Unified Elementary School: “[Partners] helped me clarify my vision for the school and think purposefully about what I’m doing.”

Inspired by This School’s Journey?

If you're interested in learning more about how Partners in School Innovation can support your district’s and school's path to transformation or want to explore how our staff can empower your team to achieve exceptional outcomes, contact us today.

Empowering Elementary Educators to Excel in Reading Instruction