The role of instructional coaches in the development of early literacy skills in elementary school teachers

The West Town School District's program evaluation stemmed from the nationwide decline in student literacy rates, further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic's disruption of early literacy development. Traditional one-size-fits-all professional development models proved inadequate in equipping teachers with the skills needed for effective literacy instruction, particularly in phonics-based approaches. This highlighted a pressing need for alternative, more impactful professional development strategies. Instructional coaching emerged as a promising solution to bridge the gap between research-based practices and classroom implementation, offering teachers personalized support and guidance to enhance their literacy instruction skills. This study investigated the impact instructional coaching can have on the ability to develop teachers' literacy skills and knowledge. The study explored the belief that solid instructional coaching can increase a teacher’s ability to instruct literacy, increasing student literacy rates.