The Coach’s Compass: Navigating Tiered Coaching in a PLC at Work® (Navigating instructional coaching toward true north) - Softcover

Tesha Ferriby Thomas; Jennifer Parker

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798893740950

Publisher: Solution Tree Press, 2026

Synopsis

The Coach’s Compass model, from authors Tesha Ferriby Thomas and Jennifer Parker, presents instructional coaching as a collaborative journey toward a shared destination. The unique MTSS-C framework adapts MTSS student intervention principles to support teachers through tiered coaching interactions. Founded on four quadrants—trust, goals, modeling, and resources—the Coach’s Compass provides a framework that fuels professional growth and drives continuous improvement.

This guidebook equips K–12 instructional coaches and leaders to:

• Align coaching efforts with PLC priorities and instructional improvement goals
• Adapt coaching strategies based on readiness, context, and need
• Identify who to support using the MTSS-C framework to differentiate coaching for teams and individuals
• Define what to focus on through four coaching quadrants—trust, goals, modeling, and resources
• Determine how to shift from isolated interventions to purposeful, tiered interactions

Contents:
Introduction: The Importance of Coaching in Education
Chapter 1: PLC Approach to Coaching
Chapter 2: The Coach’s Compass
Chapter 3: Quadrant 1—Trust and Relationships
Chapter 4: Quadrant 1 Scenarios and Debriefing
Chapter 5: Quadrant 2—Goals and Outcomes
Chapter 6: Quadrant 2 Scenarios and Debriefing
Chapter 7: Quadrant 3—Teaching and Modeling
Chapter 8: Quadrant 3 Scenarios and Debriefing
Chapter 9: Quadrant 4—Support and Resources
Chapter 10: Quadrant 4 Scenarios and Debriefing
Chapter 11: Navigating the Tiers and Quadrants With the Coaching Log
Epilogue
Appendix A: Coaching Interactions Log
Appendix B: Personal Interest Survey
Appendix C: Free Personality Assessments
Appendix D: Protocols for Creating Norms and Collective Commitments
Appendix E: Conflict Resolution Tool Kit
Appendix F: Chalk Talk
Appendix G: Structured Dialogue Protocols for Teacher Teams
Appendix H: Accountable Talk Frames
Appendix I: Celebrate Small Wins Tool Kit
Appendix J: Ladder of Inference
Appendix K: Courageous Conversations Compass
Appendix L: Protocols for Constructive Conflict
Appendix M: SCARF Protocol
Appendix N: Reciprocal Peer Observation Walkthrough Protocol
Appendix O: SMART Goal Template
Appendix P: Root-Cause Analysis Protocols
Appendix Q: Data Analysis Protocols
Appendix R: Last Word Protocol
Appendix S: Retrieval Practice Planning Guide
Appendix T: Graphic Organizer Planning Template
Appendix U: Learning Labs
Appendix V: Instructional Rounds
Appendix W: Stop and Jot Protocol
Appendix X: Four Hats Protocol
Appendix Y: Shifting Mindset From Fixed to Growth
Appendix Z: Coach Goal-Setting Worksheet—Coach, Team, Teacher, Standards, Students
References and Resources
Index

About this title

About the Author

Tesha Ferriby Thomas, EdD, is a school-improvement facilitator and language arts consultant at the Macomb Intermediate School District in Macomb County, Michigan, where she supports struggling districts and school leaders by helping them embed systemic practices that result in improved student achievement. Her passion for the power of professional learning communities (PLCs) has grown over the twenty-five years she has worked to support PLC implementation as a teacher, department chairperson, assistant principal, and assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
She is a coauthor of Amplify Your Impact: Coaching Collaborative Teams in PLCs at Work and How Schools Thrive: Building a Coaching Culture for Collaborative Teams in PLCs at Work. She presents regularly at local, state, and national conferences on topics ranging from writing across the curriculum to implementing an instructional learning cycle in a PLC. She has been a member of the Michigan Learning Forward board and the Michigan Department of Education Surveys of Enacted Curriculum Steering Committee, and is a National Writing Project fellow.
She earned a doctoral degree from the University of Michigan–Flint, where she researched the impact of coaching on PLCs.
To learn more about Tesha’s work, follow @tferribythomas on X.

Jennifer Parker, EdD, is an instructional technology and school data consultant for Macomb Intermediate School District and adjunct faculty member for Central Michigan University’s master of arts in learning, design, and technology program. She has collaborated on hundreds of educational websites and online courses, most notably as cocreator of the 21things4 Project. She is recognized as a leader in connecting standards to best practices in educational technology and has led many state initiatives.
Jennifer has been a keynoter and presenter at many state, national, and international conferences and served as a proposal reviewer and conference chair for several organizations. In addition, she has over thirty years in education as a career and technical education teacher, K–12 library media specialist, district technology coordinator, and curriculum and school-improvement expert.
Jennifer is an ISTE Certified Educator and ISTE’s 2018 Digital Leader of the Year. Her consultant work includes ISTE Certification, ISTE Library Standards, and authorship of ISTE-U courses. Her projects include several ISTE Seals of Alignment. Tech and Learning magazine recognized Jennifer as one of the top ed tech leaders to watch (2018) and for best digital curriculum (2022). She served on the state executive board for the Michigan Continuous Improvement Facilitators Network and as the state lead for professional development on Michigan’s data portal, MISchoolData.
She has a bachelor of science in education, a master of arts in library media, and a doctor of education from Central Michigan University. She also holds a master of business education from Eastern Michigan University.
To learn more about Jennifer’s work, visit her website (https://drjenniferparker.com) or follow @drjennparker on X.

Edition details

• Publisher: Solution Tree Press
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798893740950
• Binding: Perfect Paperback
• Number of pages: 280