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Cherry Creek rolls out PLC regrounding, expands instructional coaches to support 2030 literacy goal
Summary
District staff told the Nov. 10 board meeting that Cherry Creek is regrounding professional learning communities, implementing a "15-day challenge" for unit planning and expanding instructional coaches (IERCs) to about 65 positions to support literacy and whole-well-being goals through 2030.
Cherry Creek School District staff presented a multi-stage plan Nov. 10 to deepen professional learning community (PLC) work across the district and scale instructional coaching.
Presenters described the "15-day challenge," a unit-planning approach meant to align collaborative teams around essential standards and common formative assessments. The district has expanded its instructional excellence coaches (IERCs) to roughly 65 positions and aims to move toward a one-to-one coach-to-school ratio where feasible.
"We have expanded this program to 65. We're almost at a 1 to 1," a district presenter said, describing steps to onboard new coaches and principals and to continue professional learning through ADCO workshops and follow-ups next February and March.
Presenters tied the PLC work to research and the district's strategic plan, citing John Hattie's research on effect sizes and stressing the importance of shifting mindsets from compliance to commitment. Staff described practical supports coaches provide: co-planning, co-teaching, facilitating collaborative teams, and helping implement targeted intervention time known in schools as "win time." The district noted elementary rollout has been prioritized, with secondary coaching scheduled for further implementation in February.
Board members asked how coaching intersects with teacher evaluation and whether coaches document teacher performance. Presenters said coaches focus on building teacher capacity and that notes are used constructively; administrators become involved when coaching is not received or when issues are serious, but coaches are not evaluators.
The presentation closed with plans to measure progress on a PLC continuum and use feeder-group data to differentiate supports across schools. Directors expressed support and asked for continued reporting on implementation and resource needs.
