The Coaching Compass: Navigating a Multi-Tiered System of Support for Coaches (MTSS-C)

TESHA THOMAS, EdD

JENNIFER PARKER, EdD

https://tinyurl.com/CoachFETC25

Jennifer Parker, EdD

drjenniferparker@gmail.com

drjenniferparker.com

The Coaching Compass: Navigating a Multi-Tiered System of Support for Coaches (MTSS-C)

TESHA THOMAS, EdD

JENNIFER PARKER, EdD

https://tinyurl.com/CoachFETC25

Session Objectives

• Dig into the Coach’s Compass framework and the quadrants that set it apart from other coaching models;
• Explore how Compass-based coaching looks different at the team, subgroup, and individual levels;
• Apply practical coaching tools to address real world challenges.

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The Coach’s Compass

What connections do you make between the Griswold Family Vacation and your journey as an educator?

The Coach’s Compass

WHAT SHOULD YOU PACK?

Mission, Vision, Values, & Goals

WHERE ARE YOU HEADED?

The MTSS-C

Tiers

WHO ARE YOUR TRAVELERS?

Coaching Quadrants

HOW WILL YOU GET THERE?

Coming

Spring 2026

The Coach’s Compass

Navigating Tiered Coaching

in a PLC at Work

​

Tesha Ferriby Thomas, Ed.D.

Jennifer Parker, Ed.D.

The Coach’s Compass

• Define our direction for coaching and establish True North
• Ensure the coach and teacher(s) are moving toward the same destination
• Navigate the complexity of coaching across multiple needs.
• Make intentional, values-aligned decisions in a PLC context to:
• strengthens collaboration.
• build capacity.
• accelerate student impact.

Tiers

+Quadrants

The

Coach’s Compass

Notice and Wonder

MTSS-C

Coaching Quadrants

Tier 1 – Team Coaching for All

Tier 2 – Subgroup Coaching for Some

Tier 3 – Individual Coaching for Few

The Coach’s Compass, Thomas & Parker, 2026

1. Trust and Relationships

II. Goals and Outcomes

III. Teaching and Modeling

IV. Support and Resources

People

Purpose

Processes

Possibilities

Deconstructing the Coach’s Compass

THREE BIG IDEAS

1. Focus on Learning
2. Collaborative Culture
3. Results Driven Approach

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FOUR KEY QUESTIONS

1. What do we want students to learn?
2. How will we know they learned it?
3. What do we do if they don't learn?
4. What do we do if they already know it?

The Coach’s Compass in a PLC

Let

The

Journey

Begin…

​

The MTSS-C

Tiers

Tier 1 – Team Coaching for All

Tier 2 – Subgroup Coaching for Some

Tier 3 – Individual Coaching for Few

Traditional MTSS

​

Tier 2 and 3 = “Struggling Students”

​

These labels negatively influence perceptions about students, changing educator expectations and “impacting students’ opportunities to achieve their full potential”

(Farnham, 2024).

Flipping the Script on Support

“In a field [education] where we are all lifelong learners, what is it about being labeled as “needing help” that makes us feel uncomfortable?”

​

Thomas and Parker - 2026

Rethinking “Support”

MTSS-C

Tier 1 – Team Coaching for All

Tier 2 – Subgroup Coaching for Some

Tier 3 – Individual Coaching for Few

1

2

3

The Coach’s Compass, Thomas & Parker, 2025

• Strengthens the work of collaborative teams.
• Explicit learning on the PLC process.
• Builds collective efficacy.

• Teams, subgroups and individuals based on need.
• Targeted, differentiated, and temporary.
• Connected to team and school goals.

• Focuses on individual teachers based on need.
• Coach is acutely aware of team goals, collective commitments, and logistical agreements.

MTSS-C

Tier 1 – Team Coaching for All

Tier 2 – Subgroup Coaching for Some

Tier 3 – Individual Coaching for Few

1

2

3

The Coach’s Compass, Thomas & Parker, 2026

Tier 1: Team Coaching for All

“We do not advocate coaching individual teachers or collaborative teams; we advocate coaching for individual teachers and collaborative teams.”

​

—Many, Maffoni, Sparks, & Thomas, �Amplify Your Impact (2018), p. 7

Tier 1 Example:

Frame the coaching of teams in Tier 1 in your own professional practice.

• What examples can you think of where you are coaching teams? What challenges or successes did you have?
• Share an example with a colleague.

MTSS-C

Tier 1 – Team Coaching for All

Tier 2 – Subgroup Coaching for Some

Tier 3 – Individual Coaching for Few

1

2

3

The Coach’s Compass, Thomas & Parker, 2025

Tier 2: Subgroup Coaching for Some

• Teams who need additional time and support in meeting their goals.
• Subgroups of individuals who have similar needs.

​

​

Tier 2 Example:

Frame the coaching of teams in Tier 2 in your own professional practice.

• What examples can you think of where you are coaching subgroups? What challenges or successes did you have?
• Share an example with a colleague.

MTSS-C

Tier 1 – Team Coaching for All

Tier 2 – Subgroup Coaching for Some

Tier 3 – Individual Coaching for Few

1

2

3

The Coach’s Compass, Thomas & Parker, 2025

Tier III: Individual Coaching for Few

• “By supporting individual teachers through multiple layers of coaching - and simultaneously supporting the teams with whom those teachers work - coaching becomes part of a system rather than a stand-alone measure intended to “fix” teachers.”
• Thomas & Parker, 2025

​

Tier 3 Example:

Frame the coaching of teams in Tier 3 in your own professional practice.

• What examples can you think of where you are coaching individuals? What challenges or successes did you have?
• Share an example with a colleague.

Tiered �Coaching

WHAT CONNECTIONS DO YOU MAKE TO THE COACHING TIERS AND YOUR SCHOOL?

The Quadrants

• What is our destination?
• What route will we take?
• Who will drive?
• What should we pack?

• “The Coaching Quadrants have been comprised through an interweaving of multiple coaching and instructional models, resulting in a system that meets the various needs of teachers and teams.”

​

• Thomas & Parker, 2025

Traveling the Coaching Quadrants:

The Focus of Coaching Interactions

• Trust and Relationships

II. Goals and Outcomes

III. Teaching and Modeling

IV. Support and Resources

People

Purpose

Processes

Possibilities

Quadrant I:

Trust and Relationships�

Connecting with our passengers.

Which image best represents your interactions with your coachees?

1

2

3

4

5

42

​

“The Four Assessments of Trust”

​

Feltman, 2008

Checklist of Essential Interactions for the Four Assessments of Trust

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Care

• I begin conversations with empathy and genuine curiosity.
• I listen actively without interrupting or redirecting.
• I acknowledge and affirm the teacher’s emotions and experiences.

Sincerity

• I am transparent about my role and intentions.
• I set clear boundaries for confidentiality and support.
• I show humility and stay grounded in the teacher’s goals.

Reliability

• I follow through on every commitment I make.
• I show up on time and prepared.
• I remain consistent, even when conversations get hard.

Competence

• I provide feedback that is specific, corrective, and criterion-based.
• I offer strategies grounded in research and instructional best practices.
• I adjust my coaching to meet the teacher’s unique needs.

Quadrant II:

Goals & Outcomes

Choosing the Destination.

Which image best represents your current coaching journey?

1

2

3

4

5

Goals and Outcomes:�Choosing the Destination.

• “Effective coaches start by guiding teams to identify the root cause of an existing challenge, opening the door for dialogue, and helping teams co-create goals that target specific and measurable change around student achievement.”

​

• Thomas & Parker, 2025

Root Cause Analysis

The Problem:

Students are not showing expected growth in Math, even though the school has adopted IXL Math as a core practice tool.

Five Why’s

Why #1

Q: Why aren’t students showing expected growth in Math?

A: Because they are not using IXL consistently or with enough targeted practice.

​

​

Five Why’s

Why #2

Q: Why aren’t students using IXL consistently or in targeted ways?

A: Because teachers across the school are using IXL differently, with no shared expectations or routines.

Five Why’s

Why #3

Q: Why are teachers using IXL inconsistently?

A: Because the leadership team hasn’t established a clear schoolwide strategy for how IXL should support instruction and intervention.

​

​

Five Why’s

Why #4

Q: Why hasn’t the leadership team established a clear strategy?

A: Because the focus has been on providing access to the tool rather than planning for instructional integration.

Five Why’s

Why #5

Q: Why was access prioritized over instructional integration?

A: Because the team assumed teachers would naturally incorporate IXL into their math blocks without additional guidance.

​

Root Cause:

There is no shared schoolwide vision or consistent expectations for how IXL should be used to support math growth.

Specific and Strategic

Measurable

Attainable

Results Oriented

Time-Bound

SMART framework (Doran, 1981; Conzemius & O’Neill, 2009)

SMART Goal Frame:

By __[time frame]___, __[number/percent]_______% of all ___[grade/discipline]______ students

will demonstrate proficiency in _______[target area]________

as measured by ______[assessment]_______.

Root Cause ⇒ SMART Goal

ROOT CAUSE:

There is no shared schoolwide vision or consistent expectations for how IXL should be used to support math growth.

SMART GOAL:

By May 2025, 75% of all K–8 students will demonstrate proficiency in grade‑level Math standards as measured by the IXL Diagnostic Growth Report.

Goal Setting Cycle Checklist

​

• Identify a challenge, issue, or objective and work to identify the root cause.
• Review data connected to the root cause.
• Determine how you will make the goal specific, measurable, and achievable.
• Determine the activities that will be implemented to support the goal, achieve participation and buy-in from all parties, and define accountability.
• Decide how long the goal should take to achieve, and what resources or support are needed.
• Investigate the research, professional development, and resources available to support achievement of the goal.
• Implement activities and ongoing monitoring of implementation in support of the goal.
• Regroup to review and reflect; redirect if necessary and continue the cycle of improvement.
• Revisit the goal and make adjustments or move on to the next goal.

Quadrant III:

Teaching & Modeling�

Planning the Route.

Which image best represents your current coaching style?

1

2

3

4

5

Teaching and Modeling:�Planning the Route.

Building an

Instructional

Coaching

Playbook

Teaching and Modeling Examples:�Planning the Route.

• Strategy Modeling Menu
• Learning Protocols
• Instructional Playbook
• Live or Video Modeling
• Lesson Deconstruction Template

• Side-by-Side Co-Teaching Plan
• Think-Aloud Planning Sheet
• “Look Fors” Observation Guide
• Modeling & Debrief Protocol
• Reflective Journal Prompts
• Gradual Release

Pull A Play from the Playbook

Consider your teaching and modeling as a coach.

• What examples of teaching and modeling have you tried? What challenges or successes did you have?
• Share an example with a colleague.

Quadrant IV:

Support & Resources�

Packing the Suitcase.

Which image best represents the needs of your coachees?

1

2

3

4

5

Coaching Hats

How does each hat represent your work as a coach?

Coach

• Acts as a thinking partner.
• Guides the coachee to think through their own problems, challenges, and solutions.
• Practices active listening, pausing and paraphrasing, posing questions, and presuming positive intentions.

Collaborator

• Works together with coaches to think through challenges and possible solutions.
• Engages in joint meetings that promote positive interdependence and individual accountability.
• Co-creates goals and outcomes.

Facilitator

• Walks coachees through protocols.
• Uses tools such as “look fors” and checklists to support implementation.

Consultant

• Provides technical expertise in specialty areas.
• Makes recommendations, provides insights and suggestions for improvement.

Needs Alignment: Choosing a Hat

Consider the needs of your own coachees.

• What hats have you worn? What challenges or successes did you have?
• Share an example with a colleague.

Tiers

+Quadrants

The

Coach’s

Compass

Finding Your True North

Finding Your True North

• Your True North is “shaped by your values, your beliefs about teaching and learning and your lived experiences in classrooms.”

Thomas & Parker, 2025

My Coaching True North

1. The goal of coaching is to support high levels of learning for all students. Every. Single. Day.
2. Coaching is not about what’s wrong. It’s about what’s next.
3. Growth is not optional. Continuous learning is our moral obligation as educators.
4. Educators grow best through reflection, learning, and shared practice.
5. Good coaches assume positive intent. Everyone cares about kids and is doing the best job that they can.

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Finding Your True North

• Why do I coach?
• What do I believe about teachers and their capacity to grow?
• What does effective coaching feel like for both coach and teacher?
• What values do I want to lead with when things get hard?
• I believe coaching should…
• Great coaching happens when…
• Teachers deserve coaching that…

Session Objectives

• Dig into the Coach’s Compass framework and the quadrants that set it apart from other coaching models;
• Explore how Compass-based coaching looks different at the team, subgroup, and individual levels;
• Apply practical coaching tools to address real world challenges.

​

Coming

Spring 2026

The Coach’s Compass

Navigating Tiered Coaching in a PLC at Work

​

Tesha Ferriby Thomas, Ed.D.

Jennifer Parker, Ed.D.

https://www.solutiontree.com/

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