How Instructional Coaching Impacts Student Learning

Connecting the Dots Between Coaching Efforts and Student Achievement 

Most coaching programs are a combination of student-centered, teacher-centered, and relationship-driven coaching. The approach that a school takes often depends on their philosophy about how to improve teaching and learning. It also may depend on the school culture and relationships that a coach has with teachers. It isn’t uncommon for coaches to engage in all three types of coaching in a single school—or even in a single day. But if schools want to be able to explicitly measure the impact of coaching efforts on student achievement, then coaching must be rooted in the standards and in measuring student progress toward learning objectives. This tip-sheet presents six tips for increasing the impact of coaching on student results through student-centered coaching practices (Infographic 1).

3 Common Coaching Models 

While student-centered, teacher-centered, and relationship-driven coaching are all under the umbrella of instructional coaching, they maintain different foci and practices.

Teacher-centered coaching is framed by the theory that if we develop the technical expertise of teachers, then student achievement will increase as well. The focus is on guiding teachers to use a specific program or set of instructional practices. It often blurs the lines between coach and evaluator because the emphasis is on “getting people to do things,” which often creates distrust and resistance among teachers. Because teacher-centered coaching focuses on helping teachers use specific programs and practices, it may make sense in cases such as when a school is inducting new teachers, introducing a new curriculum or program, or in schools where the coach plays a greater role in teacher evaluation and accountability.

Relationship-driven coaching is less about holding teachers accountable and more about providing them with resources and support. It often feels safer because the coach’s role is about making the lives of teachers easier. And since coaches know that teacher resistance is part of the process, some may choose to back off and provide a more resource-based style of coaching. This approach is helpful to teachers but it makes less of an impact on student learning.

Student-centered coaching, in contrast, keeps the conversation firmly rooted in student learning. Coaches use data—such as student work and assessments—to help teachers make more informed decisions about their instruction. Coaching is driven by the standards and student progress toward mastery of learning objectives. The coach is viewed as a partner in moving student learning forward. As a result, teachers understand that the conversation is about their students and is not a judgment of whether or not teachers are doing a good job. Instead, the coach and teacher work as partners with the shared goal of designing and implementing instruction that ensures that the students have met all of the necessary standards.

"The coach and teacher work as partners with the shared goal of designing and implementing instruction that ensures that the students have met all of the necessary standards [...]"