Case Study: Columbia Public Schools transforms instruction and teacher coaching with KickUp

Columbia Public Schools boosts first-year teacher success with KickUp

Columbia Public Schools, a district in Missouri, lacked a system to track and measure the impact of its instructional support and professional learning activities. Their chief academic officer described the previous system as "nonexistent," creating a need to understand classroom practices district-wide without relying solely on teacher evaluations. They turned to the vendor KickUp for a solution to this challenge.

KickUp provided a customizable platform that allowed the district to gather data from classroom walkthroughs and coaching cycles. The solution enabled administrators to tailor forms to specific instructional indicators. Using KickUp led to immediate insights, which informed professional development focused on increasing student agency. The data-driven coaching had a direct impact, exemplified by a first-year teacher who, after a targeted coaching cycle, saw student achievement rise and was nominated for First-Year Teacher of the Year. The district considers KickUp essential for personalizing professional learning and linking teaching practices to student outcomes.

Columbia Public Schools