Individualized Coaching to Improve Teacher Practice Across Grades and Subjects: New Experimental Evidence

• Published in: Educational policy (Los Altos, Calif.) Vol. 31; no. 7; pp. 1033 - 1068
• Main Authors: Kraft, Matthew A., Blazar, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.11.2017; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Administrator Evaluation; Administrator Surveys; Charter Schools; Classroom Techniques; Coaching (Performance); Education policy; Educational Practices; Elementary School Teachers; Fidelity; High Schools; Instructional Effectiveness; Middle School Teachers; Principals; Program Effectiveness; Program Implementation; Qualitative Research; Secondary School Teachers; Skills; Student Surveys; Teacher Effectiveness; Teachers; Teaching; Teaching Methods; Louisiana (New Orleans); classroom management; randomized control trial; professional development; teacher coaching; instructional support
• ISSN: 0895-9048; 1552-3896
• DOI: 10.1177/0895904816631099

This article analyzes a coaching model focused on classroom management skills and instructional practices across grade levels and subject areas. We describe the design and implementation of MATCH Teacher Coaching among an initial cohort of 59 teachers working in New Orleans charter schools. We evaluate the effect of the program on teachers’ instructional practices using a block randomized trial and find that coached teachers scored 0.59 standard deviations higher on an index of effective teaching practices comprised of observation scores, principal evaluations, and student surveys. We discuss implementation challenges and make recommendations for researcher–practitioner partnerships to address key remaining questions.