Reproduced with Permission from:
PHI DELTA KAPPAN (January 2004)

The Heart of the Matter:
Coaching as a Vehicle for Professional Development

Ms. Poglinco and Ms. Bach spent a year researching the coaching model of professional development. They conclude that adopting such a model without considering it complexities may not yield the results schools and districts are seeking.

By Susan M. Poglinco and Amy J. Bach (Ms. Poglinco is the executive director of Children's Services at WHYY, Inc., Philadelphia. Ms. Bach is a research assistant at the Consortium for Policy Research in Education, Penn Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.)

In schools across the country, there is increased emphasis on coaching---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. Currently, a number of districts with low-performing schools have adopted coaching as a vehicle for the professional development of their teachers, a step that theoretically will translate into improved student performance and achievement.

While the rationale for bringing a coach into these schools is rooted in research on creating effective professional development environments for teachers---i.e., providing ongoing supports and forming a community of practice focused on instructional methods, curricular components, and new formats for instructional delivery---there is more to a coaching model than meets the eye. After a year of researching coaching as a vehicle for professional development in the context of a comprehensive school reform model, we found that the coach/teacher relationship is more complicated than expected.

We examined coaching as a professional development tool on two fronts: the in-class support that coaches provide to individual teachers and the group-focused professional development activities that coaches lead. Group-focused activities include all-staff meetings, teacher meetings, and study groups. Both the individual and group approaches seek to help teachers effectively implement new instructional formats and practices in their classrooms. In this article, we will share the overarching themes and nuanced insights we identified in our research on the coaching model of professional development for teachers.

Teachers respond particularly well to in-class coaches, and so coaches need to be proficient in a variety of techniques for providing in-class technical support. Teachers are more likely to "buy in" and change their own instructional practices when coaches come into their classrooms and model instructional techniques. In order to provide effective in-class support, coaches need to be proficient in a variety of techniques, including in-class instructional modeling, joint lesson planning, co-teaching, formal observation and feedback, informal one-on-one conversations, and mentoring new teachers. Of all the techniques coaches employ, modeling instruction in individual classrooms is most likely to result in modifications in instructional practices and adherence to the instructional delivery formats. This finding confirms earlier research on coaching and teacher training, in which instructional modeling figures as an essential part of the coach's role.

The coach's own skills and understanding of individual teachers' instructional goals and practices are critical to helping teachers adopt new instructional formats. This underscores the need for coaches who are deeply committed to and capable of instructional modeling in classrooms. It also reinforces the need for coaches to have a solid repertoire of techniques to call upon and for schools implementing this model of professional development to develop well-thought-out job requirements and selection criteria for the coach position.

Although teachers meet regularly, these group meetings do not translate into the creation of professional learning communities or changes in instructional practices at the classroom level. Curricular materials are introduced and reviewed in the group-focused professional development activities. While most teachers report seeing a relationship between these activities and their in-class technical coaching, many struggle to understand how to use the new materials to change their instructional practices in the classroom. Although the coaching model relies on a combination of individual support and group activities, we found that the connection between group-focused professional development activities and changes in classroom instruction is less than robust or, at the very least, underspecified.

Some teachers are unable to use the suggested instructional guidelines for improving instruction because they don't understand, and the materials don't define, how to change their instructional practices. Although teachers receive curricular materials in the group-focused professional development activities, it is difficult to determine if they are becoming more knowledgeable about or adept at changing their instructional practices to meet the needs of their students. Mere exposure to new materials that guide instruction is a first step. Coaches must also engage teachers in continuous conversations that loop back to using the materials and techniques in the classroom to better address the needs of students.

While the coaching model of professional development is being implemented in many schools, neither its individual nor its group component emphasizes performance standards. We consistently found that coaches do not give performance standards a central role in guiding instructional practice. This finding emphasizes a need to forge stronger connections between professional development activities and the performance standards. All effective professional development should bring the standards to life for teachers and, in turn, for students.

This professional development model greatly emphasizes the capacity and abilities of the coach, but even the most capable of coaches cannot do it alone. Just as the coaches' in-school support is crucial to the teachers, so is the support of principals and other external partners vital to the coaches. We found that there is a strong need for principals to enter into a partnership with coaches if the coaching model is to succeed in their schools. Coaches fulfill multiple roles and responsibilities for which they need an array of sophisticated skills. Their effectiveness increases when other school staff members support them and make a commitment to achieve the heady goal of instructional improvement.

The ambiguity of the coaching role and the uncertainty of what the coaches' relationship should be to teachers, the principal, and the leadership team can impinge on coaches' effectiveness. Coaches occupy a position somewhere between a teaching colleague and an administrator. The boundaries of their roles as coaches are ill defined; and the authority associated with being a coach is dubious. Work needs to be done to better integrate the responsibilities and authority of coaches into the existing structures of schools that adopt a coaching model.

The importance of the role coaching plays in helping teachers change their instructional practices cannot be underscored enough. Undoubtedly, the role of coaching is central to bringing about instructional change and aligning individual and group-focused professional development activities to achieve those objectives. The capacity and experience of the coach affect teachers' understanding and overall adherence to prescribed instructional components. This argues strongly for ensuring that coaches receive the most comprehensive training possible before they model instruction for teachers and that they continue to participate in their own ongoing professional development as they lead the professional development of others in the school.

Being an effective classroom teacher is no guarantee that one will also be an effective coach. Being a master teacher is just one aspect of a coach's job. Coaches must also be able to effectively critique and provide useful feedback to teachers. Both prior experience and individual personality factor into how coaches deal with the multiple demands of their role. Most coaches find these demands stressful. We need to ask, How can schools better prepare and provide support for coaches? How can schools clearly communicated to teachers and supervisors the expectations for the role of coaching? How can schools ensure that they are placing the best-qualified people into coaching positions, taking into consideration the multifaceted demands of the job?

The use of different coaching strategies need not be confined to the teacher/coach relationship. The insights that we have shared here are transferable into less-structured coaching relationships, such as those between teaching peers, between principals and teachers/coaches, or among other school leaders. There are compelling reasons that different "actors" in schools should become fluent in coaching strategies. As a matter of fact, the more people in a school who have insight into the complexity of the coaching relationship, the better it is for the school.

There are strengths and weaknesses in most professional development models. The coaching model is no exception. However, it is important to highlight some of its accomplishments and strengths upon which schools can build. By delineating the instructional techniques, modalities of coaching, and interpersonal skills coaches need to fulfill their roles as pivotal staff members in their schools, we aim to highlight the complexity and centrality of the coaching role. Adopting a coaching model without considering its complexities may not yield the results schools and districts are seeking. However, with some advance planning and a more nuanced understanding of how coaching can work, administrators can make informed decisions about how to incorporate the use of coaches into their school improvement plans for optimum results. With some modifications and a thoughtful approach to the role of coaching in schools, a number of exemplary practices could be on the horizon.