Files
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine how instructional coaching fostered the development of teacher leaders, and how this development impacted literacy instruction and overall school improvement goals centered around literacy. The researcher sought the perspectives of administrators, instructional leaders, and teacher leaders to investigate the impact of instructional coaching on teacher empowerment. With pervasive and disparate gaps in reading achievement, particularly at the middle level, it was urgently necessary to identify which components of instructional coaching were effective in supporting teachers to carry out literacy instruction and intervention aligned with the Science of Reading (SoR). During this action research study, the context in which this study was situated was amid literacy reform to address underachievement in reading and writing. The Action Research Design Team (ARDT) developed targeted interventions that were facilitated through instructional coaching and aimed at developing teacher leaders of literacy. The following themes emerged from the study: 1) Job-embedded, personalized, and frequent instructional coaching is an effective form of professional development; 2) Effective instructional coaching empowers teachers to develop their capacity; 3) Collaboration is necessary across all layers of school leadership to achieve literacy goals. This study and its findings underscores the impactful role that instructional coaching plays in supporting teachers and their capacity to develop as leaders of literacy.