Contextual Supports and Obstacles for Enacting Equity-Focused Mathematics Coaching (Poster 4)

• In Event: Exploring the Influence of Organizational and Leadership Contexts on the Work of Coaching

Abstract

Purpose
Mathematics classrooms in which historically marginalized students excel affirm students’ cultural and mathematical identities, attribute mathematical authority to students, make mathematical and social expectations explicit, and provide mathematical and social support (Authors, 2019; Gutiérrez, 2012). Yet teachers do not always enact such practices and may need support to shift their instruction along these lines (Authors, 2019; 2020c). Mathematics coaches can support this type of instructional improvement through individualized, sustained work with teachers (Kraft et al., 2018; Kraft & Hill, 2020), however contextual features may shape the effectiveness of such approaches. The purpose of this study is to understand the enactment of an equity-focused mathematics-specific coaching model across multiple school and district contexts, providing insight into the ways in which context shapes enactment.

Framing
Through a coach-the coach model, our project relies on principles of adult learning (Knowles et al., 2012) and supports coaches to enact empirically grounded coaching cycles using effective routines (Kraft & Hill, 2020) grounded in equity-focused, mathematics-specific observation rubrics (Authors, 2022d). Coaches work with teachers to analyze instruction and plan action steps for improvement. Yet even when coaching is highly structured, rooted in evidence-based practices, and supports self-directed learning (Knowles et al., 2001), school and district context can mediate its enactment and therefore its effectiveness (Kraft & Hill, 2020; Matsumura et al., 2010). In this study, we ask: In what ways do district and school contexts support or constrain enactment of a coaching model focused on equitable mathematics instruction?

Methods
We draw on interviews with middle school mathematics coaches (n=9) from two large, metropolitan school districts as well as field notes on district context from conversations with district administrators. Through coding interview transcripts and field notes, we identified contextual factors related to leadership and organization that supported or constrained the enactment of the coaching model.

Results
Across contexts, coaches identified two types of administrative support as critical to their enactment of the coaching model: active support (e.g., uninterrupted time to support teachers) and passive support (e.g., “just staying out of the way,” “trusting that I’m doing what’s right”). Coaches also noted the importance of external support for addressing coaching challenges, though this support varied across context. In one district, a non-district external partner was a key support for coaches, providing professional support, though one coach identified the external partner as an obstacle, noting that their affiliation with the organization was a barrier to gaining trust from teachers. In one district, district administrators played a key bridging role, supporting coaches while remaining highly attuned to union regulations regarding teachers’ time and workload. Finally, coaches identified the ways in which school or district structures interacted with myriad logistical challenges that disrupted coaching (e.g., assignment of extra duties) both supported and constrained their work.

Significance
There is a considerable focus in the field on supporting teachers to enact ambitious and equitable mathematics instruction through working with mathematics coaches. Our analysis indicates the ways in which contextual features in schools and districts can support or constrain these efforts.

Authors

• Erica Litke, University of Delaware

• Jonee Wilson, University of Virginia

• Samantha Akridge, University of Delaware