Efficacy of Professional Development: Extended Use of Focused Coaching on Guided Reading Instruction for Teachers of Grades One, Two, and Three

Abstract

This mixed-methods study investigated the impact of a multilayered approach to coaching that combined on-going coaching with a six hour professional development session. It examined the effects of coaching on the reading progress of students whose teachers received only staff development to teachers who received staff development and coaching in the use of Guided Reading. Reading progress was measured by 1st-3rd grade students’ Benchmark Assessment System (BAS) scores and running records.Results provided evidence to suggest that teachers better retain what is learned during training when they receive focused coaching cycles. Additionally, coaching significantly impacted student reading scores when teachers experienced both professional development and coaching sessions with a focus on prompting as compared to teachers who experienced professional development with no follow up coaching sessions.