When Ohio set out to strengthen special education (SPED) outcomes through a federal State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG), they knew even the best content and professional learning wasn’t enough on its own.
The key piece was a robust, multi-layered coaching model that’s transforming how districts implement multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) in SPED.
The five-year SPDG from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs provides comprehensive training on integrated MTSS through regional State Support Teams. To bridge the gap between training and implementation, the support teams partnered with Marzano Research to incorporate a system of coaching and implementation support to complement the MTSS training.
We spoke with two of our partners in this effort to bring you a look behind the scenes: Aimee Troyer, Education Program Specialist at the Ohio Department of Education’s Office for Exceptional Children; and Michele Moore, Director of State Support Team Region 5.
A Layered Approach to Support
The coaching model operates at multiple levels, with State Support Team coaches working directly with districts while Marzano Research team members serve as “coaches of coaches.” Troyer explained:
“[Districts] have a State Support Team coach that walks alongside them throughout two years to support their work in anything that we present as well as just support the districts in their own implementation of integrated MTSS. Those coaches attending are in with the districts for the sessions and work with them between the sessions.”
Moore said this comprehensive support structure is designed to sustain momentum and address implementation challenges in real-time.
“What [the Marzano Research team brings] to the table would be the thought of, ‘How do you support adults through change?’ … What they bring and their training piece really helps support implementation of our grant, but also the key practices that help lead a district or school through any initiative.”
Understanding Adult Learning and Change
Like Moore mentioned, what makes this coaching model particularly effective is its focus on adult learning and change management. She emphasized:
“We’re coaching adults. So, the difference is really understanding change in adult learning. And what [the Marzano Research team] brought in is the idea of change acumen. There’s a skill set to support implementation and to help support change effectively.”
This attention to adult learning is crucial for success, Moore added.
“No matter how good your content is, no matter how good your learning is, it’s never going get traction unless you’re attending to what the adults need and supporting that change effectively.”
Moore also pointed out it’s not only about SPED or MTSS. The model also focuses on developing transferable skills:
“How do you become a change agent? And what are those skills for us? It’s, ‘What are the skills to implement integrated MTSS?’ but they can generalize those skills to implementing any initiative in their school or district.”
Enhancing Implementation Through Structured Support
A year into the grant, Moore said the team recognized the need to increase coaching support:
“After year one, we were seeing a very wide variance in what our schools and districts were able to do. We needed to really enhance our coaching to match districts where they were so that we could have better levels of implementation across the board.”
To structure this work, the team developed the “GPS” (Gather, Plan, Start) framework—essential practices that happen between monthly training sessions to support implementation.
The framework also builds in much-needed reflection time. As Moore described:
“People in the schools and the coaches, we’re all going so fast, you know, a mile a minute. But to actually pause and reflect on what’s happening, where we are, what do we need to do next based on that reflection—that has been built into the cycle for coaches so that they’re very intentional about their next steps and how they’ll coach moving forward.”
Districts’ Journey of Discovery
Districts participating in the program are experiencing significant revelations about their current practices. Moore reflected:
“They thought they were doing all of these things. And basically, you don’t know what you don’t know. On the surface level, they were like check, check, check. Then, as the year unfolded, and we talked about what this really looks like and modeled some of these practices and showed examples … they realized they weren’t doing the things that they thought they were doing to the level they needed to do them.”
Other district wins include shifts in mindset about core instruction, improved team practices, and more effective use of data to drive decision-making.
Customization and Continuous Improvement
The coaching model itself undergoes continuous refinement. Moore said,
“We’re fine tuning our coaching skills, customizing them for each coach, for each district, and addressing barriers to implementation up front.”
This attention to detail extends to the content delivery, with Troyer commenting that the Marzano Research team has “done a really nice job of putting examples in our content, tying it into the really specific content of integrated MTSS.”
Moore described how the program maintains a robust evaluation process:
“We do a deep dive analysis of what our coaches are saying … After each session—there’s 8 sessions—then we use formative feedback to plan our next steps and shift the way we’re delivering the next session in the series.”
Another important aspect of the program’s success is peer learning. Moore noted: “The practitioners sharing with each other is probably most relevant.” This network of shared experiences helps create a community of practice among participating districts.
From Short-Term to Long-Term Success
Looking forward, Moore said the program aims to reduce special education referrals through improved preventative systems, specifically that districts ” would have fewer students referred for special education because they would have proactive and preventative systems in place that would serve students without the need for identification. We’re hoping to close gaps before they grow.”
While good content and training are essential, it’s the addition of systematic, well-supported coaching that helps turn professional learning into sustainable practice. As states and districts look for ways to improve SPED outcomes and MTSS implementation, this coaching-enhanced model offers a promising blueprint. And no matter the initiative, incorporating a robust coaching element could be the critical factor that closes the divide between great ideas and lasting change.
Browse blogs from our School Improvement Coaching and Consulting series, or learn more about Marzano Research’s coaching, professional learning, and education initiative support services here. You can also contact Director Mike Siebersma at mike.siebersma@marzanoresearch.com.
