Instructional Coaching to Improve Student Achievement 1 of 28

Instructional Coaching to Improve Student Achievement

07.750 Graduate Summative Seminar July 2017

Dr. Cam Symons

Cindy Dick

Brandon University

881649

Abstract

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Coaching teachers can be used as a method to assist teachers with their professional knowledge

and practice and increase student achievement. Coaching can also provide administrators with a

strategy to distribute the leadership and support in a school. This paper will provide a definition

of instructional coaching, peer coaching, and mentoring. The effects of professional develop-

ment in relation to instructional coaching will be discussed. Results from research on instruc-

tional coaching will be included along with the benefits and limitations of using coaching to im-

prove student achievement. Also included will be a job description of an instructional coach, an

evidence based framework, as well as specific strategies for classroom application.

Keywords: instructional coaching, mentoring, instructional leader, reflective practice,

leadership, professional development, collaboration

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Introduction:

School reform and improving student achievement is a goal that most schools and divi-

sions strive towards. Many schools in the United States have been feeling the pressure of stan-

dards testing and failing schools. School divisions and districts have been working towards re-

form for many years. In order to improve student learning, schools must improve the instruction

and therefore improve teacher ability. Helping teachers improve their teaching can come from

professional development. “Improving professional learning for educators is a crucial step in

transforming schools and improving academic achievement” (Wei, Darling-Hammond, Andrew,

Richardson, & Orphanos, 2009, p. ii). Most professional development sessions do not culminate

in the high results that administrators may desire. In fact, research states that in order to estab-

lish any long lasting change, “job-embedded professional development in collegial environments

falls short” (Wie, et. al., 2009, p. iii). Professional development that involves support in the area

of “intensive forms of support” is the most effective (Devine, Houssemand, & Meyers, 2013, p.

1126). Therefore, instructional coaching that provides ongoing support and intensity has been

proven to improve teachers’ instruction and increase student achievement (Devine, et. al., 2013,

1126).

A qualified instructional coach can provide this professional development. “Coaching is

a form of professional learning within classrooms that helps teachers develop strong plans, ob-

tain feedback, refine their practices, and examine results” (The University of Florida Lastinger

Center for Learning, 2016, p. 3). In my opinion, providing a coach for teachers, using specific

guidelines and strategies, may result in the largest impact on school reform.

Defining Instructional Coaching:

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Peer coaching can be defined “as a collegial process whereby two faculty members vol-

untarily work together to improve or expand their approaches to teaching” (Huston & Weaver,

2007, p. 6). This model involves having two teachers collaboratively working together. Coach-

ing can involve a variety of approaches in the area of professional growth and evaluation.

Poglinco & Bach define coaching “as a process whereby seasoned teachers provide instructional

support, professional development opportunities, feedback, and materials to classroom teachers -

as a central means to improve instruction and build the capacity of school staff members”

(Poglinco & Bach, 2004, p. 398). Toll defines coaching as one who helps teachers to recognize

what they know and can do, assists teachers as they strengthen their ability to make more effec-

tive use of what they know and do, and support teachers as they learn more and do more (Toll,

2004, p. 5). This type of coaching model is supportive, and as stated above, works towards

teacher improvement.

An instructional coach is also defined as a “form of professional learning within the

classroom or school that helps teachers develop and apply new knowledge, make strong plans for

instruction and assessment, obtain feedback, refine their practices, and examine results” (The

University of Florida, 2016, p. 5). The teacher will work closely with the coach on a regular ba-

sis and the plan will be designed around the teacher’s needs and goals. This ongoing support is

provided in order to create change within the teachers’ instructional practices, and in turn, have

an impact on higher student achievement. The University of Florida report goes on to describe

three different types of approaches to coaching; peer coaching, (as described above), school-wide

coaching, and an accountable leadership team. This leadership team may be a representative

teacher from each grade level in a school that meets regular throughout the year with the admin-

istration. In the author’s experience, a well-represented team of teacher leaders can provide joint

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responsibility for the leadership of a school community in the area of coaching, data analysis,

school planning, and student achievement. This leadership team becomes one part of a three

team member effort to establish communication and the development of key strategies for im-

provement. The three components of this team are the administrator, the instructional coach and

the teachers and staff (Spaulding & Smith, 2012, p. 5).

Koe and Neuman define coaching for teachers as opportunities with the following out-

comes:

• “To receive support and encouragement through the opportunity to review experiences,

discuss feelings, describe frustrations, and check perceptions with a partner.

• To fine-tune skills or strategies through technical feedback and technical assistance from

a coaching partner.

• To analyze practices and decision making at a conscious level.

• To adapt or generalize skills or strategies by considering what is needed to facilitate

particular outcomes, how to modify the skills or practice to better fit interactions with

specific families or practitioners or what results may occur from using the skills

or

practice in different ways.

• To reflect on what they perceive or how they are decisions, which helps improve their

knowledge and understanding of professional practices and activities” (Koe &

Neuman, 2006, p. 1).

“The purpose of an instructional coach is to work directly with and indirectly with teach-

ers, staff, and the building principals to improve the effectiveness of classroom instruction and

increase student learning, performance, and overall achievement; however, the instructional

coach cannot and will not be successful working solo in a school building” (Spaulding & Smith,

2012, p. 3). An effective instructional coach does not work in isolation, nor do they hold the re-

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sponsibility of increased student achievement alone. An instructional coach becomes part of a

school leadership team in order to create change and growth.

Defining the Role of an Administrator:

An administrator seeks to be an instructional leader and coach. Huff, Preston & Goldring

discuss implementing a coaching program for school principals. “We define coaching in gen-

eral as a helping relationship between (1) a client with managerial authority in an organization

and (2) a consultant who uses a wide variety of behavioural techniques and methods to help the

client achieve a mutually identified set of goals, within a formally defined cooperative agreement

(Flaherty, 2005; Hargrove, 1995; Kilburg, 1996; Koonce, 1994; Thach and Heinselman, 2000)

(Huff et al., 2013, p. 503). An effective instructional leader should balance the relationship with

a coaching delivery in order to assist teachers with their teaching.

The process and steps involved in coaching can take a variety of approaches. The first

steps are usually a consult between the coach and the teacher where they discuss and decide on a

focus and identify the goals (Huston & Weaver, 2007, p. 9). The next couple of steps involve the

coach observing the teacher teach a lesson within a classroom setting followed with a debrief

session (Huston & Weaver, 2007, p. 9). The teacher will usually take the lead in identifying

what the goals are and work with the coach in a collaborative dialogue throughout the process.

This cycle would continue several times during a school year. “During coaching, teachers are

prompted to use a newly learned practice in a classroom setting while receiving feedback on

their performance from an expert” (Kretlow & Bartholomew, 2010, p. 280). Another approach

is from the administrator taking the role as an instructional leader and coach. There are two

types of coaching by principals; performance based which is specific to practices and bench-

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marks and an in-depth coaching method that provides deeper cognitive or psychoanalysis issues

(Huff, Preston, Goldring, 2013, p. 507).

The principal that takes the role of coach, works closely with the teacher. The principal

will set up a pre-conference dialogue as the ‘groundwork’ in order to establish a relationship

with the teacher. After the relationship has been set and there is a level of trust, the instructional

leader can start to plan, observe and set goals with the teacher. Paramore uses a pre-conference

form to begin the dialogue and discuss the teacher’s perceived strengths and weaknesses, as well

as the makeup and challenges of the class being observed (Paramore, 2007, p. 73). She would

also use an observation form which includes notes on the lesson as well as an area addressing the

impact on learning and instructional considerations (Paramore, 2007, p. 74). At this stage, the

goals and the action begin to take shape. It is crucial for the conversations to continue at a deep

level with effective questions, strategies, and the types of changes that are necessary (Paramore,

2007, p. 76). Similar to Huston and Weaver’s procedure of coaching, Huff, Preston & Goldring

follow the same model from an administrators’ lens. The principal has the responsibility of mon-

itoring teacher practices, supervising and evaluating, therefore, taking the role of instructional

coach helps fulfill this role in a supportive manner while also expecting change in practices, if

necessary. “The work of coaches is squandered if school principals are not instructional leaders”

(Fullan & Knight, 2011, p. 53). Coaches can also establish a study group with a group of teach-

ers that further explores teaching strategies. “The coaches’ lesson study group offered an oppor-

tunity for coaches to build knowledge beyond that routinely expected for all elementary teach-

ers” (Lewis, Perry, Foster, Hurd, & Fisher, 2011, p. 67). According to Lewis, et al., evidence

shows that when teachers looked at research and data, a rich dialogue resulted in changes in the

teachers’ approaches to mathematical concepts (Lewis, et al., 2011, p. 67).

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Defining Professional Development:

According to research, professional development has most impact when teachers are ac-

tively involved in the support (Sun, Penuel, Frank, Gallagher, & Youngs, 2013, p. 348). Profes-

sional development sessions that are conducted as a one day workshop may not be effective for

teacher change nor have positive results for student achievement. The learning that takes place

during the one day workshop is not applied on a regular basis and teachers often revert back to

old ways and traditional practices. Professional development that involves active learning for

teachers means the teacher retains an ongoing voice in the learning and the learning occurs over

a longer period of time. “Such active learning strategies may take place in the context of inten-

sive, multi-week professional development (Lieberman & Wood, 2003), protocol-driven discus-

sions of student work among peers (Horn & Little, 2010), peer observation of classroom instruc-

tion, or peer instructional coaching (Darling-Hammond et al., 2009)” (Sun, et.al, 2013, p. 347).

An instructional coach can provide this ongoing professional development for teachers. At

Brown University, The Annenberg Institute for School Reform, has conducted work in commu-

nities with disadvantaged children. Their findings have also indicated that coaching supports

school reform. “In our work, we support and encourage the use of instructional coaching, a

promising new professional development practice in which teacher leaders serve as coaches to

facilitate and guide content-focused professional learning for a school’s teachers” (King, Neu-

man, Pelchat, Potochnik, Rao, Thompson, 2014, p. 1). Experts have stated that professional de-

velopment that involves consistent support for teachers, as an instructional coach can provide,

will assist teachers in delivering high instructional practices with a reflective component that en-

courages collaboration in a safe professional environment. “Recent research on professional de-

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velopment suggests that it is most effective when it includes components that are based in the

school and embedded in the job and when it increases teachers’ theoretical understandings of

their work (Miller, 1995)” (King, et al, 2014, p. 1).

Administrators are responsible for the professional development of their staff. It is the

job of the administrator to ensure high level of learning for their teachers that can be sustained

and boost the learning of their students. “The emergence of job-embedded professional develop-

ment as strategic support for teachers has enabled school leaders to provide teachers with person-

alized and prescriptive coaching and feedback in order to maximize impact on student achieve-

ment” (Knight, 2007). An instructional coach should be embedded within the staff, visible at all

times, and not an add-on visitor type of role. An administrator can ensure this type of profes-

sional development approach.

Staff need to be aware that the implementation of an instructional coach is a method of

professional development that has been proven to be effective and will create increase in student

achievement. Teachers need to be given opportunities to discuss the results of the implementa-

tion and allow their own results to indicate the change. “The model that we are proposing incor-

porates an additional component to a professional development model that allows teachers and

staff the opportunity to field-test these evidence-based strategies in their own classroom to deter-

mine for themselves if they are effective and truly work” (Spaulding & Smith, 2012, p. 99).

Research:

Administrators have an immense task of providing leadership in the area of supervision,

evaluation and professional growth. There are varying leadership styles that leaders may take on

and apply to their approaches in order to achieve the goals for the school. Administrators may

adapt a transformative leadership style or a distributed leadership style. The multiple tasks that

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leaders are responsible, may move principals to delegate and use a distributed leadership style.

Busy principals strive to make the best use of their time and talents in their building. Bain &

Company conducted various research studies that indicate distributed leadership has had a posi-

tive impact on teachers. Bain & Company discovered that some urban schools in the United

States using professional learning communities, were not always effective due to the fact that

teachers were not asked to “develop and coach” (Bierly, Doyle, & Smith, 2016, p. 2). “By defi-

nition, instructional coaches play a significantly different role than either teacher leaders or PLC

leads. School systems have deployed them widely - often one or two per building - precisely to

provide the observation, coaching and feedback teachers aren't getting otherwise” (Bierly, et al,

2016, p. 12). The research indicated that coaching falls apart when there is a disconnect between

evaluation and instructional support, where the coach lacks “mandate and the authority to truly

lead” (Bierly, et al, 2016, p.13 ). The distribution in the leadership needs to allow the instruc-

tional teacher-coach to provide power in the area of leading their teachers. Denver Public

Schools have been piloting a distributed leadership model that shows 85% of the teachers com-

mented their “Team Lead is successful at both evaluating their practice and coaching them to im-

prove” (Bierly, et al, 2016, p. 14). “Districts like Denver are finding that the most effective

coaching and mentorship involves not only one-to-one observation and feedback, but also time

spent working together and collaborating to solve everyday problems” (Bierly, et al, 2016, p.

14). This type of distributed leadership may help teachers improve by accessing the talented in-

structional coaches in schools and qualified lead teachers to provide the coaching and evaluating

for improvement for the teachers.

The evolution of teacher coaches has developed into more content coaches in schools.

Content coaches have particularly concentrated on literacy or numeracy. One Florida research

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on literacy studied the effects of literacy coaching on reading coaches that supported a Florida

initiative “Just Read, Florida”, established in 2001. Research showed that “40% of all reading

teachers and 40% of all social studies teachers reported that the reading coach had influenced

them to make changes in their instruction to a moderate or great extent” (Marsh, McCombs, &

Martorell, 2012, p. 19). The research goes on to examine the importance of coach quality, ex-

pertise in supporting adult leaners and educating administrators on hiring practices for effective

reading coaches (Marsh, et al, 2012, p. 20). Even though the research shows that two-thirds of

all of the teachers involved with the reading coach used the experience to help them plan and or-

ganize instruction, implementing a coach can not go without support and training (Marsh, et al,

2012, p. 20).

A research study conducted in five school districts in Virginia, analyzed the impact of el-

ementary numeracy coaches on elementary student achievement. During the three year study in

2005, students who were exposed to a “mathematics coach had significantly higher scores on

their state’s high-stakes standardized mathematics achievement tests (grades 3-5) than did stu-

dents in the control schools” (Cambell & Malkus, 2011, p. 450). Despite the higher scores after

the implementation of a math coach, the report goes on to emphasize that coaching is only im-

pactful when there is enough time for interaction and “active learning” with a focus on “mathe-

matics content and pedagogy, as well as on student understanding” (Cambell & Malkus, 2011, p.

451). The concept of simply placing an experienced teacher in a classroom as a numeracy coach

without support nor without time to develop a meaningful relationship will not be effective.

In Pennsylvania, there was a three year study focusing on a coaching model using four

strategies: one-on-one teacher engagement, evidence-based literacy practices applied across the

curriculum data analytics, and reflection on practice (Medrich, Fitzgerald, & Skomsvold, 2013,

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p. 2). All teachers in this study were coached and the student achievement test results were com-

pared to schools that did not have instructional coaches. The results showed evidence in in-

creased reading results to the coaching schools (Medrich et al, 2013, p. 2). The results were con-

sistent with the previous research in the analysis with suggestions for the delivery of coaching re-

quires time and quality instructional programs in order to show improved student learning.

Research has shown that content coaches may not always have an impact on student

learning. “Theoretically, these leaders support collective collaborative professional develop-

ment, providing knowledgeable “critical collegiality” (Lord, 1994). But substantive change is

neither rapid nor consistent” (Cambell & Makus, 2011, p. 449). According to this data, coaches,

or the administrator, need training in order to be an effective coach. Coaching can have a posi-

tive impact on teachers providing there is follow-up support provided (Mangin & Dunsmore,

2015, p. 296). The effectiveness of a coaching model delivery is dependent on a sustained

amount of time provided for dialogue, reflection and collaboration rather than a one-time evalua-

tion that may omit the rich conversations. The use of coaching in teacher preparation takes this

into consideration as it moves beyond a “one-shot” training to guide teachers toward fidelity in

the classroom over time (Mangin & Dunsmore, 2015, p. 296).

It is clear from the research that instructional coaching can show gains in student achieve-

ment after teacher instructional practices are improved as a result of this collaborative model. In-

structional coaches can also assist with the implementation of response to intervention programs

for students with special needs (Desimone & Pak, 2017, p. 4). Particular supports and features

need to be in place in order for the instructional coach to improve teaching practice and student

learning. Desimone and Pak outline the following five strategies for effective coaching;

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a. “content focus - activities are focused on subject matter content and how stu-

dents learn that content

b. active learning - there are opportunities for teachers to observe, receive feed-

back analyze student work, or make presentations

c. coherence - content, goals, and activities are consistent with the school curricu-

lum and goals, teacher knowledge and beliefs, needs of the students, school, district, and

state reforms and policies

d - sustained duration - PD activities are ongoing throughout the school year and

include 20 hours or more of contact time

e - collective participation - groups of teachers from the same grade, subject, or

school participate in PD activities together to build an interactive learning community”

(Desimone & Pak, 2017, p. 4-5).

Research was conducted in the Silicon Valley in 2000 on the effects of how a lesson

study, a collaborative teacher-led approach to learning from practice, was helping teachers’ prac-

tices (Lewis, Perry, Foster, Hurd & Fisher, 2011, p. 64). The teachers with the Silicon Valley

Mathematics Institution were following a cycle of lesson evaluations in a study cycle where a

small group of teachers worked together on a research lesson. “The coaches’ lesson study group

offered an opportunity for coaches to build knowledge beyond that routinely expected for all ele-

mentary teachers” (Lewis, et al, 2011, p. 67). This research again shows the value of an instruc-

tional coach working closely with a teacher on a lesson, teaching practices, anticipated student

learning and student questioning. The group of teachers working together allowed a collabora-

tive dialogue on the instruction, pedagogy and the level of learning for the students. As the

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coaches visited the classrooms, they were given a first-hand opportunity on the progression of

the lesson delivery and the debrief following allowed more reflective practice to take place.

Strategies and Practices:

The first step that needs to take place when implementing an instructional coach is estab-

lishing the roles and responsibilities of the job. Everyone in the school needs to be aware of the

job description and role of their coach. “An instructional coach position was created to improve

classroom instruction and enhance student achievement. Roles: mentor to teachers, model to

teachers, instructional leader, data analyst, teacher liaison (teacher-administrator)” (Spaulding &

Smith, 2012, p. 7).

Instructional coaching is not effective and does not result in any improvement in student

achievement without support and key strategies for implementation. According to the research

conducted by the Gates Foundation in 2014, teachers expressed a strong preference for a coach-

ing program design in the areas of content expertise, provide specific actions to try in a class-

room, and a coach well trained at giving feedback and not evaluative (Desmond-Hellman &

Gates, 2014, p. 7). All of these qualities would appear to logically fit within an instructional

coaches’ job description, except the latter strategy. Contradictory to the Denver Public School’s

distributed leadership program discussed earlier, teachers may not be ready to view their instruc-

tional coach as the evaluator. It is the belief of this author that distributed leadership in the area

of coaching and evaluation for improvement would take a great deal of time, reflective practice

and more research to substantiate the distributive leadership model built within the instructional

coach’s responsibilities.

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According to Knight, coaching needs to use several principles and components based on

a theoretical framework that has been proven (Knight, 2007). The principles and components are

aligned in a similar fashion that enhances the importance of each strategy.

Principles Components Description

Equality Teacher enrollment The coach initiates interview, builds rapport

Choice & voice Collaborative Planning Teacher and coach collaboratively develop a plan, build rubric to guide lessons.

Dialogue Model the lessons Coach delivers lesson, teacher observes, takes notes.

Reflection Teacher-directed post-conference

Immediately following discuss lesson, use data from rubric

Observing the lesson The pair reverses roles, teacher delivers the lesson using the data and coach observes teacher

Praxis Collaborative Data exploration

Discuss the data from coaches' observations

Reciprocity Continued support Coach provides continued support in development of lessons, pedagogical techniques, until BOTH parties feel recognized mastery of the practice

Effective Instructional Coaching Implementation (Knight, 2007)

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The teacher enrolment portion of instructional coaching could involve a presentation

from the coach to the staff, outlining their job description, responsibilities, structure, and how to

access or schedule their expertise. In the experience of this author, this stage is truly important

and will set the stage for either a negative or positive reception from the teachers. The coaches’

knowledge of the content and relationship with the staff need to be established and open. The

coach is encouraged to ask teachers to volunteer, as Knight states, and emphasize the “opportuni-

ties of the professional development and clarify the partnership philosophy which underpins the

coaching” (Devine, et al, 2013, p. 1127).

After the enrolment of the teachers, the rest of the components and principles outlined by

Knight can effectively occur with support from the administrator. As the definition of an instruc-

tional coach has been stated; to improve classroom instructional practice and increase student

achievement, the collaboration, data analysis and co-planning must take place (Hanover Re-

search, 2015, p. 3). In order for the time needed for this collaboration, the administrator needs to

allow these meetings to occur. The administrator will need to ensure timetabling and other re-

sponsibilities of both the teacher and the coach align within the schedule.

An effective coach also needs to possess highly skilled facilitation and learning-focused

conversational skills (Hanover Research, 2015, p. 4). They need to be able to engage the teacher

in discussions that will revolve around the lessons observed, data analysis and the goals collabo-

ratively set together. Knight also adds that an instructional coach needs to understand the coach-

ing cycle for improvement, teaching practices, how to work with adult learners and how to

gather data and monitor progress toward learning goals (Knight, 2007).

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The establishment of a leadership team comprised of the instructional leader, administra-

tor and teachers, as described earlier, can be a key strategy for school improvement. The instruc-

tional coach plays an important role on this team. This team can establish specific roles on ana-

lyzing school data and “disaggregation” of the data (Spaulding & Smith, 2012, p. 24). This fo-

cus on data allows the team to engage in student achievement and avoid derailing the process

with distractions. Spaulding & Smith suggest using the following steps; “analyze school data,

identify areas of instruction needed for improvement, conduct a review of the literature, deter-

mine evidence-based practices and develop a professional plan, work with teachers, re-examine

data, examine new data and reflect on practice” (Spaulding & Smith, 2012, p. 25). In the experi-

ence of this author, this data “disaggregation” is a very effective method of looking at data and

getting deep into the reasons for the data. For example, a school survey data can be used to look

at gender, ethnicity background, social economic status and Aboriginal identity in order to nar-

row the focus and discover what the goals of the school should include.

Instructional coaches also need to support their own professional learning. An effective

coach will require professional training in the multiple facets of the skills necessary. “Coaches

need to practice, learn communication skills, and have a deep understanding of the complexities

of working with adults” (Knight, 2007). Professional learning can also take the form of a men-

tor. “Mentors support coaches from many different specialities, trained in many different ways,

providing professional development and professional learning that is essential to their work”

(Medrich & Charner, 2017, p. 4 ). Coaches that work with a mentor will have opportunities to

access resources, research practices, and reflect on their own practice with other coaches

(Medrich & Charter, 2017, p. 5). Similar to the coaching model, coaches themselves will bene-

fit from discussing the roles and responsibilities with other coaches in order to improve.

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Goal setting is a key element with the coach and teacher, but it is also important for a

global vision from the district’s perspective. Once a district has established an instructional

coaching program in its schools, it is imperative that the focus is on the goals and standards in an

unified way. “To position coaching as a districtwide effort, a school and district need to develop

a decision-making system that show commitment to a coaching program as a part of a shared

practice” (King, Neuman, Pelchat, Potochnik, Rao, & Thompson, 2014).

Once the goals are established for the instructional coaching program, the instructional

coach can work with a group of teachers on research-based practices. One strategy that has

proven to be effective, especially with resistant teachers, is classroom field-testing projects

(Spaulding & Smith, 2012, p. 90). An action-research framework will help an instructional

coach gather information, content knowledge, and use research design models, and also give the

teacher another adult in the room to help teachers with data on their chosen action-research

project (Spaulding & Smith, 2012, p. 92). The teachers are able to chose the action they feel is

needed based on their students’ needs, and the research-based practices are supported by the in-

structional coach.

Any new initiative in education needs ongoing monitoring and evaluation. Establishing a

coaching model in any school requires evaluating the program consistently. There is a great deal

at stake involved with teachers, coaches and students, therefore, there must be a value attached to

the efforts that are required. “Experts interviewed for this report make a variety of recommenda-

tions to support evaluation. First, Ann O’Doherty suggests schools and districts measure three

major types of data surrounding coaching: product - did you get the outcomes you hoped for?

process - how well did coaching serve each of the parties involved? inputs - what was invested in

the program? (e.g. frequency of meetings, content and quality of coaching, etc)” (Hanover Re-

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search, 2015). The other obvious question here should be, was there an increase in student

achievement after the implication of an instructional coach?

Benefits and Pitfalls

There are many benefits of using a coach in a classroom environment. There is a great

deal of time required for an instructional leader to coach teachers. Despite time as a challenge,

along with the many duties and responsibilities that an administrator is responsible for everyday,

the benefits of an administrator taking the role as coach can be substantial. There is a rich learn-

ing environment for both the coach and the teacher (Huston & Weaver, 2007, p. 8). Reflecting

on the teaching practice is an important piece of growth and coaching allows for this deep level

of analysis (Huston & Weaver, 2007, p. 8). Western School Division in Morden, Manitoba, has

recently adopted a reflective practice in their supervision for growth policy. Partners in Practice

is a new initiative that gives teachers in Western School Division the opportunity to visit a col-

league within the Province, observe their teaching, participate in professional dialogue with the

teacher about their practice and then share their reflections and possible ideas for change with

their own administrator. This innovative approach follows a similar philosophy as a coaching

model discussed here, where reflection and dialogue are expected with results of increased

teacher knowledge and practices. “Coaching provides an opportunity to improve faculty peda-

gogical content knowledge” (Huston & Weaver, 2007, p. 10). Coaching allows teachers to par-

ticipate in safe conversations for experienced faculty by questioning assumptions, sharing prob-

lems, and addressing emerging issues generated by a changing classroom landscape (Huston &

Weaver, 2007, p. 17).

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A study conducted in 2011 by the American Productivity and Quality Centre, analyzed

the impact of instructional coaches on teaching and learning. Five exemplary districts were stud-

ied from Texas, Arizona, Virginia, North Carolina, and Missouri. The findings showed im-

proved teacher retention with a decline in teacher attrition from 31% to 13%, overall district per-

formance gains of 16 points in reading, 12 points in math and 10 points on state exams, im-

proved graduation rates and improved campus collaboration between school teams and the dis-

trict offices (Hanover Research, 2015, p. 26). This data supports the benefits that have been out-

lined here and shows the impact instructional coaching can have on a school.

Some of the pitfalls that can occur with a coaching program are also evident. “Whether

voluntary or mandated, coaching can fail to reach resistant teachers” (King, et al, 2014, p. 5).

Despite a coach’s efforts on delivery and the support of an administrator, a resistant teacher will

opt out of this professional development opportunity. If the program was mandated, then the re-

sistant teacher may feel resentment and bring a negative tone to the program, diminishing the ef-

fects.

Even though an evaluation of a coaching program is suggested, this process could prove

to be difficult and demanding. “The lack of documented examples of coaching allows districts to

construct their own process and content, but these new models must then be tracked in order to

share the lessons learned” (King, et al, 2014, p. 6). Many other variables contribute to the lack

of evaluation or difficulty with sustaining the personnel due to staff changes. Senior administra-

tion may put off the important work of the data gathering, begin other initiatives, and assume

there has been progress due to an increased moral, without the supporting data to substantiate the

claim.

Instructional Coaching to Improve Student Achievement 21 of 28

“Coaching must move beyond a “universal best practices” approach to instruction in or-

der to effectively deal with complex equity issues such as language diversity and special needs”

(King, et al, 2014, p. 6). Content coaches must remember to get to know all of the students in a

class and recognize any language needs instead of teaching the teacher global strategies that may

not be effective for all the learners. The relationship and collaboration between the teacher and

coach must be open and close enough with time built in for the coach to discuss the student

needs of the class.

Conclusion

Instructional coaching is an initiative that involves highly trained teachers that work with

other teachers to improve student achievement. According to the research, instructional coach-

ing has been proven to be an effective method of professional development for teachers with rev-

olutionary change to teachers’ practices. This author has experienced coaching first hand, and

believes that with strong administrative support, a strong candidate, and time for growth, coach-

ing will positively affect not only the teacher’s instruction but also high rates of learning for stu-

dents.

The University of Florida study suggests several strategic pillars in order to create im-

pactful coaches (The University of Florida, 2016, p. 8). There must be a unified vision and com-

mitment from all of the stakeholders of a school. In order for school reform to take place, every-

body needs to not only understand the movement, but also agree and support the initiative en-

tirely. The goals need to be visibly set and confirmed with all the teachers. “The most signifi-

cant movement is that as a district, we are now approaching a critical mass of educators who

have meaningful discussions around classroom practice based data. Those important conver-

Instructional Coaching to Improve Student Achievement 22 of 28

sions are creating more reflective teachers and impacting student learning” (Univeristy of Flor-

ida, 2016, p. 8).

As mentioned earlier, hiring practices of the coach are another key pillar to success (Uni-

versity of Florida, 2016, p. 8). It is not effective to only hire experienced teachers without con-

sidering the content knowledge, pedagogical expertise, conversational skills, and data analysis

abilities. An instructional coach requires a high level of expertise that can be developed over

time with the proper training and reflective learning. Administrators that are trained in what

characteristics to look for in a quality coach, that will be helpful with sustaining and supporting

the personnel that becomes an instructional coach.

Sharing the responsibilities with all parties involved will help alleviate the tremendous re-

sponsibilities of implementing an instructional coaching program. The administrator must share

this responsibility in the form of not only support but also shared conversations on the develop-

ment and improvements of the teachers. The shared conversation can take place within the

school leadership team that involves the instructional coach, teachers and the administrator. The

administrator should support and dedicate time allotments that allow teachers and coaches to

meet regularly. A coach’s role must become part of the daily work within the school culture and

become a part of the daily work that is achieved. Although some research does not support

coaches as evaluators, and the current teacher unions in Manitoba would likely not support this

form of evaluation, it is the belief of this author that following the Denver model of distributed

leadership has merit. More research is required in the area of content coach evaluators.

The development and support of coaches requires the commitment of time, money and at-

tention on an ongoing basis. Most coaches do not receive the necessary training that is required

Instructional Coaching to Improve Student Achievement 23 of 28

to be highly effective. They need regular meetings, mentors and involvement with their adminis-

trator and other coaches. The job description needs to be clearly outlined for the coach and the

teachers. They need time to work with teachers and they need support with resistant teachers.

The structure of the program needs to be clearly outlined with a concentration on groups of

teachers not just individual teachers that are coached. The coach should work with a leadership

team of teachers that have the opportunity to collaborate together, gather data and evidence of

their practice and time given to go through a cycle of change. This collaboration and reflective

dialogue is the most important and vital component of an effective instructional coaching pro-

gram. Data and evidence should drive the coach’s program and goals. Using data and analyzing

the results keeps the focus on student learning and removes any personal interferences or misun-

derstandings of the purpose.

The final suggestion for effective implementation of an instructional coach is compensa-

tion and sustainability (University of Florida, 2016, p. 18). Professional learning costs money

and the budget does not always allow for the spending of professional development funds. In or-

der for the sustainability of instructional coaching and the high impact on teachers and students,

districts and divisions will need to allocate the necessary monetary support to achieve these

goals. There may be a high cost front-loading the program, but the results will pay dividends in

the future. “Experience and emergent studies have illustrated that coaching roles can be a pow-

erful mechanism to achieve an array of goals: meaningful career paths to retain top performers,

job-embedded professional learning that creates a cycle of continuous improvement in schools,

and instructional practice that raises outcomes for students” (University of Florida, 2016, p. 21).

In conclusion, schools do not need to wait for the support or further research in the area

of implementing an instructional coaching model. Teachers can simply start the dialogue with a

Instructional Coaching to Improve Student Achievement 24 of 28

fellow teacher on instructional strategies, data, and research practices. A lesson study evaluation

can take place within a professional learning community at any time, in any school. This move-

ment could result in an instructional coaching initiative. As instructional coaches work with

groups of teachers, the collaborative dialogue contributes to higher skill sets and therefore will

improve and contribute to the teacher capacity of the school. The results for teachers will be evi-

dent as their instructional practices will increase in proficiency, they will participate in highly re-

flective dialogue about their lessons, and the collaboration with others will all contribute to

higher achievements with students.

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