Evidence-based Practice: Teacher coaching and professional development Breadcrumb Home Evidence-based Practices Teacher Coaching and Professional Development Definition Professional development and coaching interventions generally focus on improving teacher-child interactions and instruction. A review of multiple studies suggests that these programs—which take many forms, but typically offer individualized coaching or mentoring from a more experienced individual—can improve the quality of pre-K instruction, as well as children’s learning and development outcomes.1 Early research suggests that technology and assessment data may play a role in effective teacher coaching and professional development. For example, MyTeachingPartner, a web-mediated feedback and consultation program that uses data from the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, was associated with improvements in the quality of instructional support for pre-K students. (However, no studies of MyTeachingPartner have met WWC standards.)2, 3 The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) benchmarks for high-quality pre-K recommend that both lead and assistant teachers receive at least 15 hours of approved professional learning activities per year, and that all lead teachers receive coaching.4 Further research is needed to understand the types of professional development and coaching that are most effective, as the overall effectiveness of ECE professional development programs is mixed.5 Related indicators Outcomes & Milestones Developmental progress: language and literacy Developmental progress: cognition Developmental progress: social-emotional development Developmental progress: approaches to learning Developmental progress: perceptual, motor, and physical development E-W System Conditions Access to quality public pre-K Classroom observations of instructional practice Related essential questions Are eligible children enrolled in quality, full-day pre-K programs? Are children demonstrating developmental progress across the five learning domains? Do students have access to quality school environments, including quality curricula and instruction, experienced teachers, effective leaders, and adequate funding? References 1Diamond, K. E., Justice, L. M., Siegler, R. S., & Snyder, P. A. (2013). Synthesis of IES research on early intervention and early childhood education. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Special Education Research. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED544212 2Pianta, R., Mashburn, A. J., Downer, J. T., Hamre, B. K., & Justice, L. (2015). Effects of web-mediated professional development resources on teacher-child interactions in pre-kindergarten classrooms. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 23(4), 431–451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2008.02.001 3What Works Clearinghouse (WWC). (2018). MyTeachingPartner™ Pre-K. U.S. Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/InterventionReport/690 4National Institute for Early Education Research. (2019). NIEER’s benchmarks for high-quality pre-K. Rutgers Graduate School of Education. https://nieer.org/2019/12/14/download-nieers-benchmarks-for-high-quality-pre-k 5Sun Joo, Y., Magnuson, K., Duncan, G. J., Schindler, H. S., Yoshikawa, H., & Ziol-Guest, K. M. (2019). What works in early childhood education programs?: A meta-analysis of preschool enhancement programs. Early Education and Development, 31(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2019.1624146