7 ways to measure instructional coaching for impact, not activity

“Know thy impact” –– John Hattie, author of “Visible Learning”

In recent years, many school districts have hired instructional coaches to personalize professional development and meet professional learning needs within districts. Spurred on by No Child Left Behind, the staffing rate of coaches doubled from 2000 to 2015. 

At the time of my retirement from public education in June 2023, my school district had five buildings, approximately 3,400 students, around 275 teachers and 11 coaches (e.g., reading, math, social and emotional learning, special education, para-professional, instructional and technology). That is a significant number of coaches for a relatively small district.

Two primary goals for effective instructional coaching are to create meaningful change in teachers’ instruction and positively impact the school building and system. When you ask coaches how they know they are being effective, coaches will often talk about activities they are doing. However, busyness isn’t necessarily productivity, and activity doesn’t necessarily equate to a positive impact. 

Instead of tracking how busy coaches are, this article provides seven concrete strategies to measure the true impact of coaching on teaching, learning, and school culture....

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