Impacts of Teacher Coaching

Federal funds to improve instruction and student achievement are commonly used to provide teachers with ongoing support to improve their classroom practice. This study examined one promising strategy for this support: providing individualized coaching using videos of teacher instruction for reflection, practice, and feedback. To determine the effectiveness of the coaching, the study compared teacher experiences and student achievement in three groups: one where teachers received five highly structured cycles of focused, professional coaching during a single school year, one where teachers received more coaching (eight cycles), and one that continued with its usual strategies for supporting teachers. Key findings include:  Compared to teachers not receiving the study’s coaching, five cycles of video-based coaching improved student test scores in English language arts at the end of the school year.   Although the 5-cycle coaching led to a similar improvement in student scores in math, the study could not definitively conclude that the coaching improved math achievement. Eight cycles of coaching were not effective, perhaps due to time constraints.