Effect of Instructional Coaching on Literacy Achievement in the Elementary Classroom

Several school districts around the United States are concerned with low literacy achievement among elementary students. This study was an investigation of the effectiveness of academic coaching on student achievement results in literacy and took place in a district of approximately 400 teachers and 9,000 elementary students. The purpose of the quantitative study was to examine student achievement results, and teachers' attitudes about coaching as job-embedded professional development from those teachers who had engaged in coaching cycles. The theoretical foundation of this study is based upon the social learning theory whereby persons learn from one another in an educational environment focused on improving their craft. The research question focused on determining whether teachers' attitudes about coaching as professional development and the number of coaching cycles they engaged in had an impact on student achievement. A cross-sectional, case-study design was used. Descriptive analyses indicated that on average, teachers with more coaching cycles also had more positive attitude scores regarding coaching as a professional development. Half of the grade levels examined had greater student literacy achievement with more coaching cycles completed, but the finding was not consistent across all grade levels. Achievement results were similar regardless of teacher's attitude toward coaching. Recommendations include continuing to use and evaluate academic coaching as a means of job-embedded professional development. Findings should be used to improve professional development initiatives, supporting positive social change implications by increasing literacy achievement across grade levels.