KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools: Increasing Teacher Capacity and Improving Student Outcomes

How KIPP Metro Atlanta increased their teachers’ capacity and improved student outcomes through instructional coaching.

Location: Atlanta, GA
Website: KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools
Enrollment: 5,100 students
Demographics: NCES Data

The Challenge

KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools is located in the Atlanta area and has a network of 10 public charter schools and one district partnership school.

Creating a consistent approach to coaching, professional development, and evaluation across all schools was a high priority. KIPP leaders had tried using spreadsheets, folders, and other online tools to manage and monitor observations and feedback, but there was little cohesion in standards and expectations, reporting was difficult, and upkeep was extremely labor-intensive.

In managing such a large network, the deputy head of schools-leadership, Dwight Ho-Sang, said they needed a “more efficient monitoring system.”

KIPP Metro Atlanta sought an online, centralized hub to manage classroom observations, provide feedback, track progress, and see trends.

The Solution

The first step was incorporating the Relay approach to coaching and development. This gave the charter organization a streamlined standard for observations.

Next, they used a gradual integration of SchoolMint’s customizable teacher coaching and development tool, SchoolMint Grow, to support the Relay methods in their schools.

Administrators encouraged the adoption of the system with friendly competitions around system usage, collaborative coaching conversations in meetings, and increased data transparency — which created natural fidelity through a sense of accountability with system usage. 

“Because the [SchoolMint] team was so familiar with the Relay framework, it was seamless to adopt both the [SchoolMint] platform and the [Relay] practices. It made it easy for users to adopt.”
— Ben Cabeza, Managing Director of Data and Analytics

The Results (2017–2021)

Number of observations (2017–2021): 11,902
Number of meetings held (2017–2021): 5,324
Number of action steps taken (2017–2021): 3,970
* Comprehensive Network Performance

• Supported rubrics and produced quality feedback.  
• Complete teacher and coach fidelity to the Relay and SchoolMint systems.
• Increased frequency and refinement of teacher coaching.
• Enhanced coaches’ performances through coaching development. 
• Increased and improved coaching communications during and after COVID-19 transitions to virtual/hybrid/in-person learning using the video hub feature for digital observations, feedback, and ratings.
• Improved schools’ academic performance year over year.  
• Created consistent coaching and development practices, which improved teacher practice and school culture.

 “[SchoolMint] provided a way for chief school officers to look for trends across schools and create effective region-wide professional development.”
— Benjamin Cabeza, Managing Director of Data and Analytics