Sustaining Literacy-Focused Coaching: A Comparative Case Study Across Two Middle Schools

• In Event: Rewriting the Narrative: Justice-Centered Professional Learning to Transform Literacy, Language, & Pedagogy

Abstract

This comparative case study examines sustainability of a Tier 1 adolescent literacy intervention with embedded coaching, implemented in two middle schools through federally funded research initiatives. As researcher support was withdrawn, both schools continued implementation with site-specific adaptations and varying degrees of maintenance. Interviews with coaches, leaders, and teachers were analyzed thematically, using codes from the first site as a deductive scaffold to examine patterns at the second, including leadership alignment, coaching access, and instructional coherence. Findings highlight common factors that influenced the extent and consistency of continued use. This work contributes to research on the durability of professional development and underscores the need for sustainability planning that anticipates variation in local conditions, including leadership turnover and shifting priorities.

Authors

• Jamie Alain Smith Levitan, University of Maryland

• Tara B. Johnston, York College of Pennsylvania

• Jade Wexler, University of Maryland