A Look At Embedded Instruction in California for Early Childhood Programs
Early childhood programs have long sought innovative methods to improve professional learning, communication, and collaboration to elevate performance and improve outcomes in an increasingly digital age. Embedded Instruction for Early Learning-CA (EIEL-CA), funded by the California Department of Education through the Desired Results Access Project with Napa County Office of Education, Research and Professional Development Center, is no different. In 2021 it was becoming clear that they needed a new approach to help educators implement evidence-informed practices across participating sites. On-site coaching was not always practical and virtual options were limited.
In addition to providing comprehensive and continuous support to their early childhood education teams to implement embedded instructional practices that promote child engagement, learning, and independence in everyday activities, routines, and transitions, EIEL-CA also wanted to strengthen leadership, increase strategic collaboration, practice continuous improvement, and improve data management. Finding a partner that could support all of these critical needs was their goal.
TORSH Talent Supports Embedded Instruction With Video Coaching
As they evaluated solutions, EIEL-CA quickly realized that TORSH Talent, a comprehensive educational platform specializing in video coaching to improve outcomes for young learners, was one of the few that met all their criteria. With TORSH Talent, EIEL-CA practitioners and leaders can easily share and access videos, resources, and materials which has transformed how they conduct coaching, progress monitoring, and teacher collaboration.
“When teaching teams are supported to use effective practices with their Practice-based Coaches, they work together to set goals, observe the use of effective practices, reflect and exchange feedback, and celebrate progress together in a collaborative partnership using Torsh video, resources, and data to inform their data-informed decision-making efforts. Our team is excited about what’s next for our collaboration!”
~ Therese Snyder M.A., Director of Professional Learning
Embedded Instruction for Early Learning-CA
EIEL-CA recognized right from the start that many of their team members are not very tech-savvy. Rather than shying away from a tech solution, TORSH and EIEL-CA worked together to ensure educators got the support they needed to be successful through training, a framework aligned with EIEL-CA’s existing virtual tools, and on-site coaching. This powerful combination of expert guidance and innovative technology bolstered EIEL-CA’s efforts, streamlining a once cumbersome and disjointed process into an exemplar of innovation in early childhood education professional learning.
One of the greatest areas of impact that EIEL-CA has experienced since implementing TORSH Talent is self-reflection. Educators do an initial assessment that they then review with their coaches. This enables educators to better understand their strengths and areas for improvement and provides an opportunity for them to dig into data and set goals. This process has empowered educators and is vital to the continuous improvement process.
What’s Next
TORSH and EIEL-CA plan to build on their strong partnership to further support instructional fidelity, educator reflection, and overall evidence-informed program improvement. Using TORSH Talent, EIEL-CA will leverage data to track the number of educators using evidence-informed practices with fidelity and to better understand how educators are growing and improving in their practice. They’ll also monitor educator confidence levels and assess the impact of teacher understanding at different stages of fidelity, even “fidelity in the moment,” on instructional methods. The program leaders can provide their team of specialists with more compelling and flexible professional learning that’s personalized and interactive. This collaboration with TORSH has resulted in significant early improvements in quality outcomes and support, paving the way for a better future for infants and toddlers with developmental delays.
About TORSH
TORSH, a New Orleans-based education technology company, is dedicated to improving student outcomes by increasing educator instructional effectiveness. TORSH Talent, an online coaching and professional learning platform, enables organizations to support educator growth through the entire development cycle of observation, assessment, goal setting, feedback, and coaching. Learn more by visiting torsh.co.
