Description of New Teacher Center PLS for Mentors and Instructional Coaches

The Professional Learning Series (PLS) for mentors and coaches differs in stance and language use, but content is nearly identical.
PLS 1: Instructional Mentoring (Instructional Coaching 1: Formative Assessment). Employ the roles, language, and stances of effective instructional mentoring; build collaborative, trusting relationships with and among beginning teachers; use the Collaborative Assessment Log to assess and advance teaching practice; use standards and criteria to anchor assessments about teaching and learning.
PLS 2: Observing and Conferencing (Instructional Coaching 2: Effective Coaching Cycles). Reflect upon and discuss mentoring experiences since Instructional Mentoring; extend and expand upon the use of instructional mentoring language use protocols and tools that support an effective observation cycle; communicate, collaborate, and coordinate with a site administrator for beginning teacher assessment and support.
PLS 3: Using Data to Inform Instruction (Instructional Coaching 3: Analyzing Student Work). Reflect upon and discuss mentoring experiences since Observing and Conferencing; use protocols for analyzing student work with beginning teachers; incorporate relevant aspects of brain research to inform and transform instructional mentoring and teaching practice; extend and expand upon the use of instructional mentoring language.
PLS 4: Designing Effective Instruction (Instructional Coaching 4: Supporting Effective Instruction). Use learning and experiences (from self and others) to inform future mentoring practice; use tools and protocols to support teachers as they plan assessment-driven differentiated instruction aligned to content standards; apply strategies for providing meaningful feedback; reflect upon professional growth and set next steps .
PLS 5: Creating Conditions for Equitable Instruction. Select and use appropriate strategies, tools and/or processes to respond to beginning teachers’ needs; articulate the role of equity in effective instruction and student learning; support teachers to examine the influence of race, language, and culture on learning and to apply elements of culturally responsive teaching; use a social-emotional learning framework to support teachers in creating an equitable environment of safety, respect, and rapport.
PLS 6: Advancing Instruction to Support Language Development. Support teachers to identify and address students’ literacy and language needs; articulate best practices for instructional support in alignment with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS); facilitate and advance teachers’ ability to engage in a focused inquiry (analyze/reflect; plan/prepare; teach/assess) designed to improve teaching practice and student learning.
PLS 7: Differentiating Instruction to Support Diverse Learners. Use FAS tools and processes to support teachers in meeting needs of diverse learners, particularly students with learning differences; use Response to Intervention and Differentiated Instruction as a framework for responsive and equitable instruction; advance mentoring skills in relation to using entry points, planning differentiated instruction, assessing teaching practice, providing feedback, and navigating complex conversations; use the 3 Cs (Coordination, Communication, Collaboration) to support a teacher’s engagement with resource personnel and co-teachers.
PLS 8: Mentoring as Leadership. Explore building collective efficacy through professional inquiry, language, and collaborative culture; develop knowledge and skills that support mentor leadership and organizational literacy to advocate for equitable teaching and learning conditions; assess mentoring practice and examine its impact on teaching and learning in order to set professional next steps.