Put Me in, Coach: Observations on Selected Studies Implementing Supportive Interventions to Teachers

Advancing the science of coaching in education: An introduction to the special issue

School-based coaching has emerged as an effective approach for enhancing school personnel's knowledge, implementation skills, and wellbeing, as well as student achievement and behavior. This article introduces the special issue Advancing the Science of Coaching in Education, highlighting four large-scale, rigorous investigations on the effects of coaching and possible contextual variables that influence effective coaching in education. Two studies (Glover et al., 2022; Pianta et al., 2022) assessed how components of coaching (e.g., feedback, practice) may mediate or moderate classroom practices and/or teacher-student interactions that lead to improved student learning. One study (Pas et al., 2022) examined fidelity profiles of motivational interviewing embedded coaching on classroom practices and student behavior in middle school. The final study (Reddy et al., 2022) examined the effects of behavior support coaching on paraprofessional implementation of research-based behavior interventions, wellbeing, and elementary school student social behavior. This article spotlights common elements across studies and offers directions for research and innovation. The special issue closes with a commentary (Erchul, 2022) on the contributions of school consultation research to contemporary coaching research and offers recommendations for bridging research to practice.

As we coach, so shall we consult: A perspective on coaching research in education

In taking stock of educational coaching research, I consider the extant literature and content of four articles comprising a special issue of the Journal of School Psychology (viz., Glover et al., 2022; Pas et al., 2022; Pianta et al., 2022; Reddy et al., 2022). Before reviewing these specific articles, the thesis offered for the broader field is that without the solid foundation afforded by the school consultation literature, the science of educational coaching would not be as advanced as it is today. Following a description of each study and comparisons between/among them, I consider unique and shared aspects of consultation and educational coaching. The article concludes with four proposed directions for future coaching research based on prior consultation research: (a) documenting coaching procedural integrity and intervention fidelity/integrity to an equal degree, (b) changing teacher behavior utilizing social influence/behavior change frameworks, (c) incorporating greater use of technology (i.e., telecoaching), and (d) moving toward the concept of prescriptive coaching.

Comparison of the Effects of Coaching for General and Special Education Teachers in High-Poverty Urban Elementary Schools

Research that examines coaching approaches for special education teachers is very limited. This study, a secondary analysis of a wait-list controlled, randomized trial (106 teachers, 2,195 students, 18 schools), investigated the effects of a data-driven coaching that integrated observational assessment and performance feedback on general education (GE) versus special education (SE) teacher practices and student outcomes in high-poverty urban elementary schools. Coaches used observational data via the Classroom Strategies Assessment System to identify practice needs, set goals, create plans, and monitor progress toward goals. Prior to coaching, GE and SE teachers were observed using evidence-based instructional and behavior management practices; however, some practices were at rates lower than recommended by the research literature. Results suggest that goal selection and frequency and quality of practices were generally comparable between GE and SE teachers. However, SE teachers used 30% fewer behavior corrective feedback statements, on average, than GE teachers (p = .04). Overall, the effect of the coaching intervention did not differ across GE and SE teachers; both had significantly improved instructional and behavior management practices and student outcomes when compared with teachers in the control condition. Limitations and future directions for research and practice are discussed.