Content-focused coaching shows positive effects 

This article from Learning and Instruction presents findings from a group-randomized trial investigating the effect of Content-Focused Coaching (CFC) on classroom text discussion quality and students' reading achievement in schools serving a high proportion of minority and English language learning (ELL) students from low-income families. A key element of CFC is "Questioning the Author (QtA)," a discussion-based approach to reading comprehension. According to the article, "QtA encourages teachers and students to work together to construct meaning of a text during the reading process. Teachers strategically pose questions to students at key places in a text that promote understanding, interpretation, and elaborated response, and encourage students to share and challenge each other's ideas to grapple with these questions."

Schools assigned to the treatment condition received a CFC-trained coach, and schools in the comparison condition continued with the literacy coaching that was standard practice in the district. The final sample included 29 schools.

Findings showed a positive effect of the CFC program on observed classroom text discussion quality. Findings also showed a positive effect on student reading achievement, as measured on a state assessment test, with stronger effects for ELL students compared to their English-proficient peers. 

The authors note that additional research is needed to examine the effectiveness and feasibility of adopting CFC on a widespread scale.

Johns Hopkins University

School of Education

Center for Research and Reform in Education

Research in Brief