Coaching for Coherence: An Examination of the Coupling of District Policy and Coaches' Work

• In Event: 14.044 - Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: 14.044-2 - Coaching for Excellence: Policies and Challenges

Abstract

Under significant pressure to improve, many districts have turned to instructional coaching as a lever for raising capacity and promoting implementation. This paper uses coupling theory to explain the relationship between district policy and coaching. Drawing on qualitative case study data from an urban district, the paper depicts the degree of alignment between coaches’ work and several instructional reforms. It also surfaces individual, organizational, and policy-related factors influencing the coherence of coaches’ leadership practices with district reforms. Thus, the paper draws attention to the ways in which coaches, as instructional leaders, navigate and prioritize an assortment reforms. These findings extend our understanding of the interplay between instructional leadership and district improvement efforts.

Author

• Sarah L. Woulfin, University of Connecticut