Coaching as a partnership among principals, coaches, and teachers¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The report adopts a partnership framing of instructional coaching, attributed to Knight (2007), in which principals, coaches, and teachers all "define, understand, and engage in coaching as a partnership." Under this account, engaged principals are key to a successful coaching program, administrators chiefly support coach-teacher collaboration, and administrators can also collaborate closely with their coach. The report organizes its five recommended administrator actions under two partnership roles: supporting coach-teacher collaboration and collaborating closely with the coach.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Principals, coaches, and teachers share a common understanding of coaching as a partnership rather than an evaluation or a solo-driven program.

Constraints¶

Target Learners¶

• School administrators, instructional coaches, and K-12 classroom teachers

Target Learning Objectives¶

• Effective instructional coaching leading to improved teaching practices

Claims¶

Related Theories¶

• Instructional coaching frameworks: Knight's four forms and the multidisciplinary skills-process-development framework
• Five cornerstones of an effective classroom technology coaching program
• Responsive literacy coaching as a co-learner model grounded in trust and inquiry
• Conceptual framework of active ingredients of instructional coaching comprising characteristics, relational contexts, and processes

Examples¶

• Meet consistently with the coach throughout the school year in dedicated one-on-one time
• Trust coaches to make decisions around coaching, granting autonomy while staying involved
• Hold a kick-off event aligning coaching with school and district goals, and leverage early volunteers' testimonials to build teacher buy-in
• Protect coaches' time so the majority is spent directly with teachers
• Instructional Coaching
• Clearly define the role of the coach and support principals in working with math coaches

Key Sources¶

• Bakhshaei, M. & Hardy, A. (2021). How school administrators can serve as productive partners in teacher coaching programs. Digital Promise. https://digitalpromise.dspacedirect.org/items/a08ba4d8-72c1-4d8e-902c-c529eed160ac