Promoting Deep Learning

The Reach Institute for School Leadership offers three sequential programs. Educators may enter Reach training for a sequence of components or for a single segment:

• Professional Teacher Induction Program

• Leadership Academy

Program Practices:

Studies have found a recurring positive relationship between student learning and teachers' flexibility, creativity, or adaptability. Successful teachers tend to be those who are able to use a range of teaching strategies and who use a mix of interaction styles, rather than a single, rigid approach. In a focused effort to develop flexible and dynamic teachers, all Reach Institute programs employ six central Program Practices:

1.Job Embedded Coaching: Participants are regularly observed in the classroom by coaches and peers, and in turn observe peers and master teachers. Observations are structured to identify specific practices and are debriefed to maximize learning.
2. Personalized Professional Development: Each participant develops and implements, with the help of peers, master teachers, and coaches, an Individualized Learning Plan.
3.Need to Know Content Knowledge: Based on the practice of Emergent Curriculum, content knowledge (including the CCTC Teacher Preparation Standards), is selected, studied and discussed as topics become relevant to the teachers’ practice.
4.Coaching & Mentoring: Emphasis is placed on the participant through questioning, challenging, feedback, and help from master teachers and coaches.
5.Collaborative Work: Participants work both in cohorts of 8-12 new teachers and in small subgroups of 3 or 4 teachers. Cohort groups meet in dialogical seminars and reflection meetings to discuss theory, practice, and obstacles to great work. Sub-groups meet to co-plan lessons, develop projects, and provide ongoing support.
6.Reflection: Participants discuss their practice and the obstacles to great work in order to achieve “high performance.”

The Reach Institute for School Leadership affords equal opportunity to all students, and other participants without regard to race, color, religion, citizenship, political activity or affiliation, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition (as defined under California law), veteran status, family care status, sexual orientation, sex (which includes gender and gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), taking or requesting statutorily protected leave, or any other basis protected by law.)

About Reach

Reach began in 2004 as the On The Move School Improvement Program, which focused on supporting school leaders. As program leaders developed relationships with school principals, teachers, and community leaders, the need for a more comprehensive approach to fostering leadership at all levels within schools and supporting community organizations became increasingly apparent and urgent.

In 2006, a team of working educators came together to design and pilot the Reach Teacher Credential programs, which was subsequently accredited by the Commission on Teacher Credentials and is now in its third year of implementation.

All Reach Institute programs employ six central program practices including: job embedded coaching, personalized professional development, need to know content knowledge, coaching & mentoring, collaborative work, and reflection.

Reach was incubated and launched by

On The Move

www.onthemovebayarea.org