Understanding Coach-Based Professional Development in Reading First: How do Coaches Spend Their Time and How do Teachers Perceive Coaches' Work?

Abstract

The Reading First (RF) program placed emphasis on professional development as a means of improving early elementary reading instruction. For many states literacy coaching was an important component of the professional development provided for teachers. The purpose of this article is to examine coaching in the early years of Michigan's RF program, which placed considerable emphasis on literacy coaching. We investigate the professional training and knowledge of Michigan's RF coaches, the structure and substance of coach/teacher interactions, and teachers' perceptions of factors that influence the effectiveness of the coach. Results suggest the promise of literacy coaching as a means of supporting teachers' professional growth; further study is needed to determine the particular roles of literacy coaches that bring about improvements in reading instruction.