Learn. Teach. Lead. - Principal/Coach Checklist

Principal/Coach Checklist

Practical walkthroughs, discussion tools, and implementation supports for turning research into consistent instructional practice.

A curated set of leadership tools designed to help principals, instructional coaches, and district leaders support consistent, research-aligned instructional practice across classrooms. Each tool aligns directly to the Research Briefs and is intentionally simple, practical, and easy to use during the school day.

Walkthrough Tool

A short, targeted walkthrough guide aligned to each Research Brief.

What’s included:

Key look-fors connected to the brief
Teacher and student behaviors
Evidence of implementation
Notes section for feedback

How to use it:
Use during 5–10 minute walkthroughs to gauge implementation and guide coaching conversations.

PLC Discussion Guide

A one-page framework for PLCs to turn research insights into shared instructional actions.

What’s included:

Essential discussion questions
Classroom examples
A space for selecting 1–2 actionable strategies
Reflection prompts

How to use it:
Use during PLCs to build shared understanding and align next steps across classrooms.

Implementation Checklist

A simple, strategy-specific checklist aligned to each brief’s Key Classroom Moves.

What’s included:

Quick list of essential instructional elements
Space for evidence collected during walkthroughs
Optional rating scale (Not Yet / Emerging / Consistent / Embedded)

How to use it:
Use during cycles of learning or coaching rounds to monitor implementation.

Feedback Prompts

Clear, supportive prompts that help leaders guide reflective, actionable coaching conversations.

What’s included:

Strength-based conversation starters
Clarifying questions
Coaching prompts
“Next step” sentence frames

How to use it:
Use during post-walkthrough conversations, coaching meetings, or PLC follow-up discussions.

Rollout Planning Tool

A planning framework for introducing, modeling, and supporting a new instructional strategy schoolwide.

What’s included:

Goal statement
Staff learning plan
Student outcomes
Required resources
Implementation timeline
Monitoring plan

How to use it:
Use when launching a new strategy from the Research Brief Library to ensure clarity and consistency.

Teacher Reflection

Support teacher reflection on how new strategies impact instruction and student learning.

What’s included:

“What I tried”
“What I observed”
“What students demonstrated”
“Next steps based on evidence”

How to use it:
Use in coaching cycles, PLCs, staff meetings, or independently between walkthroughs.

Schoolwide Reflection

A big-picture tool for analyzing strengths and needs across classrooms.

What’s included:

Implementation snapshots
Top strengths
Top needs
Action step recommendations
Implications for professional learning

How to use it:
Use monthly or quarterly as part of your instructional leadership routines.

Implementation Calendar

A month-by-month guide for building a cohesive instructional focus across the year.

What’s included:

Monthly Research Brief focus
Staff learning touchpoints
Coaching cycles
Walkthrough targets
Progress indicators

How to use it:
Use to design a consistent, yearlong implementation plan or adapt it into a 90-day cycle.

“1–3–1” Strategy

A fast, structured summary tool for introducing or reinforcing a strategy.

What’s included:

1 big idea from the brief
3 key teacher actions
1 measure of success

How to use it:
Use in PLCs, staff meetings, or brief coaching touchpoints to keep strategy implementation tight and focused.

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