RESEARCH
Survey sheds light on the state of coaching
By Elizabeth Foster
Categories: Coaching, Implementation, ResearchFebruary 2020
Vol 41, No. 1
Coaching is a popular and promising form of professional learning, with research evidence of its effectiveness for teachers and students (Kraft, Blazar, & Hogan, 2018). Surprisingly little is known, however, about the current landscape of coaching. To close this knowledge gap, Learning Forward recently partnered with Digital Promise to survey more than 1,000 U.S. educators about their experiences with coaching. We aimed to learn more about the prevalence of coaching, financial and logistical support, and perceptions of its value. This information can provide a useful benchmark for coaching investments, against which we can plan and measure the outcomes of our ongoing advocacy and capacity-building efforts with districts and states. Collaborating with Digital Promise, which works to build equity, access, and quality of learning opportunities to
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ADDITIONAL COACHING RESOURCES FROM LEARNING FORWARD
Coaching Matters, by Joellen Killion, Cindy Harrison, Chris Bryan, and Heather Clifton. Available at lf.wphlab.com/store or order by phone at 800-727-7288.
Taking the Lead, by Joellen Killion and Cindy Harrison. Available at lf.wphlab.com/store or order by phone at 800-727-7288.
Coaching for Impact. Available at lf.wphlab.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/coaching-for-impact.pdf.
December 2019 issue of The Learning Professional on coaching. Available at lf.wphlab.com/journal/coaching.
References
Kraft, M.A., Blazar, D., & Hogan, D. (2018). The effect of teacher coaching on instruction and achievement: A meta-analysis of the causal evidence. Review of Educational Research, 88(4), 547-588.
Learning Forward. (2012). Build higher levels of job satisfaction with professional learning. Available at lf.wphlab.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/build-higher-levels-of-job-satisfaction-presentation.pdf.
Learning Forward. (2019, December). Instructional coaching by the numbers. The Learning Professional, 40(6), 84.
Van Ostrand, K., Seylar, J., & Luke, C. (2020). Prevalence of coaching and approaches to supporting coaching in education. Washington, DC: Digital Promise.
Elizabeth Foster is the senior vice president of research and strategy at Learning Forward. She leads the organization’s research efforts for partnerships, programs, and fundraising. Elizabeth co-wrote the Standards for Professional Learning (2022) with Tracy Crow and now facilitates learning sessions about the standards and develops resources that support their use and implementation.
Categories: Coaching, Implementation, Research
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