LEADS | Preparing for a Successful Post-Conference

Louisiana Department of Education sent this bulletin at 11/21/2024 04:30 PM CST

LEADS Newsletter | 11.21.24

This month’s newsletter focuses on a critical element of the LEADS process: the post-conference session. This step, which follows your observation, is an incredible opportunity to reflect, learn, and grow. Your active participation is the key to making it a truly impactful experience.

By coming prepared, staying open to feedback, and engaging fully, you’ll gain the most from this personalized process. The post-conference session is your chance to ask meaningful questions, address challenges, and align your professional goals with actionable coaching plans. It’s designed to help you achieve breakthroughs and make real progress in your growth journey.

Below, you’ll find valuable insights and hear directly from colleagues currently participating in the LEADS Learning Year. Their experiences highlight just how transformative this process can be. As always, the LDOE team is here to support you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with your questions.

Arthur M. Joffrion, Jr., Ed.D.

Success Stories

“One of the most valuable professional growth experiences for me as a teacher has been through the LEADS post-conference process. During the post-conference the teacher and the observer reflect on the lesson observation together, which creates a supportive coaching environment. The feedback my observer provided was clear, specific, and achievable. Our conversation was grounded in what’s best for students and how I could adjust instruction to better meet the needs of my students. My LEADS post-conference experience boosted my confidence and reassured me that my hard work and dedication are not going unnoticed!”

Alexis Carlos Cook
4th Grade Math Teacher
Southside Elementary
Livingston Parish Schools

“In order to prepare for a meaningful and successful post-conference, my advice to teachers is to be open to the feedback and evidence the observer provides during the post-conference. Teachers should think of the post-conference as a professional development opportunity targeted to help improve teaching and student learning.

Teachers should also think about what their own reinforcement (strength) and refinement (growth) areas would be and bring evidence or artifacts to support their thinking. Teachers should understand this is an opportunity to learn, self-reflect, and grow in areas that will increase their instructional delivery as well as student performance.”

Shamekia L. Cooper
K-2 ELA and 6-8 Math
Instructional Coach
Webster Parish Schools

Teacher Toolkit

Feedback that Fosters Growth: The LEADS post-conference is designed to empower teachers to meet their professional goals.

Feedback is fundamental to a growth-oriented system and teachers appreciate and deserve valuable feedback, especially following a formal observation. The LEADS post-conference promotes teacher reflection and provides feedback that catalyzes continuous improvement toward professional goals. The reflection and feedback on teaching and learning are rooted in student outcomes.

Both the observer and the teacher play a role in preparing for a successful LEADS post-conference. The observer carefully crafts feedback that highlights a strength, or reinforcement area, from the rubric that positively impacted student learning. The observer also thoughtfully prepares feedback for the teacher that is focused on an area of the rubric for continued growth, or refinement area. Reinforcement and refinement areas are deeply rooted in evidence from the lesson observed and student work from the lesson. During the post-conference the teacher and observer will also discuss a recommended action, or concrete next steps, the teacher may take to improve in the refinement area.

Teachers also play a key role in preparing for a successful post-conference. This preparation includes reflecting on their instructional practices, how their practice impacted student learning and outcomes, and evidence that the lesson objectives were met. The following guiding questions can be found in the Teacher Handbook on page 134.

What does a successful post-conference experience look and sound like?

Improved feedback and real, measurable progress toward your professional goals are at the heart of the LEADS evaluation system. The post-conference provides the opportunity for that growth conversation to begin, and the coaching plan creates the structure to support continuous improvement.

Evidence-Based Feedback:
Feedback is based on evidence from the lesson observed, including teacher, student, and impact evidence. By receiving constructive and evidence-based feedback, teachers can actively work towards refining their instructional practice and expanding their knowledge base.

Differentiated Support:
Feedback reinforces a teacher’s instructional strength that positively impacts student learning while also highlighting an area of instruction for improvement that has the potential to expand the impact on student learning.

Collaborative Dialogue:
The observer and teacher reflect on the lesson together and discuss evidence to deeply understand how the teacher’s instructional practices impacted student learning.

Action-Oriented:
Feedback includes clear next steps and a coaching plan for the teacher to strengthen instructional practice and elevate student learning.

Teacher Handbook

Did You Know?

Section 309 of Bulletin 130 requires evaluators to provide feedback following all formal observations. Feedback should include an area of reinforcement (area of strength) and an area of refinement (area for growth). Observation feedback is provided during a post-conference, and the recommendations are to be used to develop the professional growth plan, or coaching plan. During the coaching cycle, an informal observation, targeted to the specific area of refinement, will be conducted to provide feedback to the evaluatee regarding progress toward the area of refinement.

Bulletin 130

Action Item

Prepare for an upcoming post-conference by using the rubric and the student work from the lesson observed to reflect on student learning outcomes and complete your self-assessment. Focus on students and how instructional practice impacted their learning. During the post-conference, take full advantage of the collaborative opportunity to grow in your professional practice.