Coaching Teachers

Learn about ways to improve instruction by supporting individual teachers’ classroom practices. Read more
Students look at books during a book fair at Schaumburg Elementary, part of the ReNEW charter network, in New Orleans, Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana have seen a promising turnaround in their student reading scores after passing a series of similar literacy reforms.
Students look at books during a book fair at Schaumburg Elementary, part of the ReNEW charter network, in New Orleans on April 19, 2023. Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana have seen a promising turnaround in their student reading scores after passing a series of similar literacy reforms.
Gerald Herbert/ AP
Reading & Literacy What's Driving the 'Southern Surge?' Report Examines Reading Gains in Alabama
The state invested in coaching and relied on top-down leadership.
Sarah Schwartz, October 28, 2026
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5 min read
Illustration of a silver whistle hanging on a cord that's torn in one spot and fraying at the edges. A pin with an apple illustration on it hangs on the cord above the whistle.
Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week + Getty
Professional Development What the Research Says A Major Teacher-Coaching Program Flopped. What Went Wrong?
The largest study of teacher coaching to date finds it has no effect on student learning.
Sarah D. Sparks, October 27, 2026
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5 min read
A woman in a brown sweater smiles while sitting at a table in a classroom or meeting, with two other people blurred in the background.
Photo provided by National Institute for Excellence in Teaching
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Professional Development Sponsor Over 1,400 Teachers Surveyed on Professional Learning. Here’s What They Said.
Effective professional learning works best when tied to teacher needs, evaluation feedback, coaching, and ongoing teacher-leader support.
Content provided by National Institute for Excellence in Teaching
Professional Development Spotlight Spotlight on the New Playbook for Professional Learning: Coaching, Collaboration, and Technology
Learn how sustained, collaborative PD, high-quality instructional materials, and emerging AI tools are reshaping educator learning.
July 20, 2026
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Education Week + Getty
Artificial Intelligence A Homegrown AI Coach Critiques Teachers on Their Lessons. How It's Working
A 9,000-student district used AI to create a professional development coach for teachers.
Alyson Klein, June 1, 2026
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4 min read
People Crossing the Book Bridge in the Cliff Valley
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School & District Management Opinion Our Schools Are Breaking Educators. We Can Fix It
Making the teaching profession more sustainable starts with a new school leadership architecture.
Lindsay Whorton, May 18, 2026
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5 min read
Two teachers meet at a table in an office with their instructional coach.
Olga Dietz and Glenda McKinney meet with coach Jenna Davis (center) at Mt. View Elementary School in Antioch, Tenn. Dietz and McKinney, teachers of English learners, co-teach kindergarten classes with general education colleagues. Regular coaching is one element of what research has shown makes professional development effective.
William DeShazer for Education Week
Professional Development How a District Stopped Relying on 'One-and-Done' Professional Development
As its population of English learners grew, a district invested in coaching and co-teaching.
Ileana Najarro, May 18, 2026
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8 min read
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Gen Z teachers like Katrina Sacurom, a 5th grade teacher in Frisco, Texas, are bringing passion and fresh ideas to the profession—but also want supports and a reasonable work-life balance. Districts leaders, experts say, need to think about how to meet those needs in order to retain them. Sacurom chats with students during recess at Shawnee Trail Elementary School on Feb. 3, 2026.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Teaching Profession Generation Z Is Transforming Teaching. Are Districts Ready for Them?
The youngest cohort of teachers have been shaped by technological and educational disruption.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 4, 2026
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16 min read
Teachers utilize a team teaching model, known as the Next Education Workforce Model, at Stevenson Elementary School in Mesa, Ariz., on Jan 30, 2025.
Teachers utilize a team-teaching model that spreads out teacher expertise and facilitates collaboration at Stevenson Elementary School in Mesa, Ariz., on Jan 30, 2025. Some of those models depend on having coaches and interventionists—positions that risk getting cut during lean budget times.
Adriana Zehbrauskas for Education Week
Teaching Profession K-12 Budgets Are Tightening. Teacher-Leadership Roles Are at Risk
The positions expanded with pandemic-aid funding. With money tighter, how can districts keep them?
Sarah D. Sparks, February 9, 2026
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5 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Recruitment & Retention Opinion How to Stop Hemorrhaging Teachers From the Profession
Even as some teachers seek other careers, school leaders can stem the flow.
Larry Ferlazzo, November 14, 2025
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10 min read
Educators participate in a hands-on breakout session during a professional development training on AI at Louisa County High School in Mineral, Va., on Sept. 23, 2025.
Educators participate in a hands-on breakout session during a professional development training on AI at Louisa County High School in Mineral, Va., on Sept. 23, 2025. Changing instructional practices haven't prompted districts to put more of their overall budget into ongoing teacher training, a new report concludes.
Kirsten Luce for Education Week
Budget & Finance What the Research Says Is Spending on Professional Development Keeping Pace?
A new tool helps leaders map and compare spending for teacher learning.
Sarah D. Sparks, October 30, 2025
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3 min read
Patricia Ferris (center), a technology integration specialist for the Kankakee school district in Illinois, and Stacie Tefft (top left), an instructional technology coach for the Learning Technology Center of Illinois, present a poster session about how to inspire teacher buy-in for tech coaching at the ISTELive 25 + ASCD Annual Conference 25 in San Antonio on July 2.
Patricia Ferris, center, a technology integration specialist for the Kankakee schools in Illinois, and Stacie Tefft, top left, an instructional technology coach for the Learning Technology Center of Illinois, recommend specific approaches for how to help teachers learn technology skills at the ISTE+ASCD annual conference in San Antonio on July 2.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Classroom Technology Learning New Tech Skills Is Hard. Tech Coaches Say They Can Help
A tech integration specialist shares how she incentivizes teachers to work with her.
Lauraine Langreo, July 16, 2025
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2 min read
An illustration of a large hand lifting a woman as she reaches for a ladder in the sky.
DigitalVision Vectors
Teaching New and Experienced Teachers Can All Benefit From Mentors. How That Looks
Coaching and mentoring can help novice and veteran teachers adapt to changing practice.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 27, 2025
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7 min read
First grade teacher Tyrhonda Route teaches a lesson at Waterloo Elementary School in Laurens County, S.C. The school's specialist and lead teachers provide ongoing professional development to other educators.
First grade teacher Tyrhonda Route teaches a lesson at Waterloo Elementary School in Laurens County, S.C. The school's specialist and lead teachers provide ongoing professional development to other educators.
Courtesy of National Institute for Excellence in Teaching
Professional Development Some Schools Are Taking the Lead in Teacher Training. What That Looks Like
Finalists for a national school improvment award say schools need more ongoing training.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 25, 2025
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3 min read