Coaching is a structured set of responsibilities and activities that supports educators in improving practice and building capacity within schools. It serves as a bridge between professional learning and the day-to-day use of effective practices by providing ongoing, job-embedded support grounded in evidence-based practice and an understanding of the school context. Coaching is a facilitative process that builds educator competence and confidence by helping teams prioritize goals and implement practices that enhance student success. To this end, START’s overarching coaching goal is to build capacity for coaching in every building in Michigan.

The implementation support provided through coaching might include such activities as participation in team meetings, setting and monitoring goals, modeling effective practices, providing feedback, prompting completion of action items, and using tools like the Classroom Environment and Teaching Assessment (CETA) to prioritize and strengthen practices in schools. 

Research and experience indicate that coaching has more of an impact on sustainable implementation than the initial professional development does (Darling-Hammond et al., 2009; Joyce & Shower, 2002). Through the use of coaching functions, such as prompting, building fluency, providing performance feedback, and making contextual adaptations, the implementation fidelity of evidence-based practices and IEPs is strengthened. Coaches often work collaboratively with their local trainers to provide implementation support to participants following training.

Coaching sets the stage for:

• Collaboration more than expert consultation
• Proactive support more than reactive or crisis response
• Capacity building more than dependence
• Accountability more than blame
• Supporting data-based decision making
• Ensuring sustainability of district priorities

Schools are most effective with coaching when coaching functions are embedded in the role of existing school personnel (e.g., school psychologist, behavior specialist, social worker, school counselor) and include time allotted to coaching. Optimally, the coaching role is listed within job descriptions. The START project has identified two groups of coaches:

Coach Leaders

Coach Leaders are educators who establish and sustain a coaching structure that builds system capacity for the effective implementation of Evidence-Based Practices for inclusive settings. They have dedicated time and organizational support to design coordinated systems of ongoing training, coaching, and collaboration. Coach Leaders may coordinate with district coaches and/or building coaches within districts. Coach Leaders may:

• Recruit new Building Coaches
• Offer regular meetings for district coaches and/or Building Coaches within an ISD or district to coordinate professional learning for the coaches
• Obtain and share information and resources from the START Project
• Support Building Coaches and their teams through individual meetings
• Model implementation of evidence-based practices and provide feedback to Building Coaches who may be modeling implementation for teachers in their building

Building Coaches

Building Coaches are educators who are regularly present in the building and support the implementation of Evidence-Based Practices through ongoing coaching and collaboration. Working in partnership with Coach Leaders, Building Coaches have completed training in evidence-based practices and coaching approaches. They use structured tools to assess classroom practices and conduct observations, such as the Classroom Environment and Teaching Assessment (CETA), to support implementation of practices, and engage in problem solving and continuous improvement. Building Coaches serve as a resource for teachers and teams assisting with implementation, monitoring effectiveness, and strengthening practices across programs. At the school level, Building Coaches may:

• Model evidence-based practices for teachers and other staff
• Provide feedback to staff in the implementation of evidence-based practices
• Practice effective teaming strategies
• Facilitate effective teaming meetings using systematic problem-solving processes
• Serve as a point person in their school for questions or support needs
• Share resources and information with their school staff