The Boston Plan for Excellence manages the reform efforts in the Boston Public School system. In 1996, with money from the Annenberg Challenge, the BPE adopted a new whole-school reform model to improve all aspects of its schools. Integral to this model is the Collaborative Coaching and Learning approach which is based on the premise that increased collaboration on instruction equals increased adult learning. Because the need for increased professional development is recognized, the plan calls for reform (change) and content (literacy and math) coaches.

The jobs of the literacy coaches are different at each school and the tasks vary from facilitating in-class coaching to facilitating lab sites where teachers gather to practice teaching. These coaches, along with the reform and math coaches, are providing principals and teachers with ongoing, in school, quality professional development that is focused on instruction.

Since 1999, all 132 schools in the district have had at least one reform coach or literacy coach. The model, when implemented correctly, is receiving praise from educators. One Boston teacher told Education World, "How coaching goes depends on the coach, not the model. The model is a sound one and it can work well."

Contact:

Boston Plan for Excellence
6 Beacon Street, Suite #615
Boston, MA 02108

Phone: (617) 227-8055
Fax: (617) 227-8446

Web site: http://www.bpe.org/