Coaches and Coaching in Reading First Schools: A Reality Check

Teacher implementation of an adolescent reading intervention

“…This is in line with previous work demonstrating the tremendous variety of practices performed by literacy coaches (e.g., Atteberry & Bryk, 2011;Bean et al, 2010;Deussen et al, 2007;Ippolito, 2010;Scott et al, 2012). However, importantly, most previous work has assumed that this variation occurs at the coach level (e.g., Bean et al, 2010;Camburn, Kimball, & Lowenhaupt, 2008;Marsh et al, 2008), with one study even going so far as to define five categories of coaches based on their interactions with teachers (Deussen et al, 2007). The present study, on the other hand, suggests that the majority of variation occurs at the teacher, rather than the coach, level.…”

“…Fourth, much of the literature on coaching and instruction (e.g., Bean et al, 2010;Brown et al, 2007;Lovett et al, 2008;Marsh et al, 2008;Marsh, McCombs, & Martorell, 2012;Matsumura et al, 2010;Stephens et al, 2011) relies on teachers' self-16 report of changes in beliefs and instructional practices and coaches' retrospective selfreport through surveys and interviews. The present study is grounded in direct observations of teachers and detailed weekly coaching logs spanning an entire school year, enhancing validity of measures and offering an important contribution to this research base.…”

“…Similarly, in their study of primary-grade coaches in Reading First schools, Bean and colleagues used a median split to categorize schools based on the amount of time coaches spent working with teachers; they found that a significantly higher proportion of 13 students scored proficient on reading assessments in schools where coaches devoted more time to teachers (Bean, Draper, Hall, Vandermolen, & Zigmond, 2010). Other descriptive analyses of literacy coaching (e.g., Atteberry & Bryk, 2011;Deussen et al, 2007;Ippolito, 2010;Scott et al, 2012) Few studies to date have attempted to link variation in coaching with variation in instructional practice.…”

It's All About How you Frame It: A Sensemaking Perspective on the Instructional Coach Role

“…Research suggests coaches vary greatly in how they view and enact their role (Bean, Draper, Hall, Vandermolen, & Zigmond, 2010) and that effective coaches must fulfill multiple roles within the school (Shanklin, 2006;Toll, 2009;Walpole & McKenna, 2004). Coaches' responsibilities may also vary based on teacher and school needs at different times throughout the year.…”

“…In some schools, coaches' primary work focuses on collaborating with teachers to improve their practice. However, in many schools, coaches are responsible for administrative tasks, assessment coordination, and direct work with students (Bean et al, 2010;Matsumura, Sartoris, Bickel, & Garnier, 2009). These additional responsibilities can interfere with the time coaches have to work with teachers (Coburn & Russell, 2008;Firestone & Martinez, 2007;Mangin, 2008).…”