Volume 2 - Issue 1 - DBU Journal of K-12 Educational Research - Page 37

Journal of K-12 Educational Research 35 • Provide sufficient time for instructional coaches to work with teachers to improve teaching and learning on the campus. • Be clear in communicating the roles and responsibilities of the instructional coach. • Protect the coach/teacher relationship by introducing the instructional coach as not in an evaluative role, but rath- er as a support and reflective assistant for the teachers to utilize at their discretion. • Attend coaching training along with your instructional coach. • Utilize the instructional coach as source for your own professional learning as well as the teachers. • Have a weekly planned meeting time with your instruc - tional coach. Recommendations for Instructional Coaches The instructional coaches in the study have found support in each other and their principals. The researcher recommends the following for instructional coaches: • Instructional coaches should be a support for each other by doing book studies together to build their coaching capacity. • Instructional coaches should meet monthly to learn and grow from the expertise of each other. • Instructional coaches should seek out training to en - hance their coaching abilities. • Instructional coaches need to advocate for themselves, the teachers, and the students on their campuses. Conclusion Instructional coaching is an effective form of job-embedded professional development which improves teaching and learning when implemented with fidelity. As the study found, prior plan - ning and communication of the roles and responsibilities of the instructional coach should occur at the district level to increase the possibility of successfully implementing an instructional coaching program. Professional development for newly hired instructional coaches from coaching experts has to occur before effective coaching can begin in schools. Additionally, instruction - al coaches must have support and trust from the administration in order to impact teaching and learning in the classroom. District support of program implementation is critical to impact teaching and learning on campuses. With the high stakes of accountability and the need to im - prove teaching and learning, there has to be prior planning when implementing any district program or initiative. If not, the results will be financial losses and the missed opportunity to improve teaching practices. The most important loss, however, will be for the students and their learning. This is the loss we cannot afford. References Anagnostopoulos, D., & Rutledge, S. (2007). Making sense of school sanctioning policies in urban high schools: Charting the depth and fit of school and classroom change. Teachers College Record, 9 (5), 1261-1302. Baker, G. (2010). Instructional coaching in U.S. urban school districts: The principal perspective on how coaches are supervised. (Doctoral Dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertation and Theses database. (UMI No. 3446305) Biancarosa, G., Bryk A., & Dexter, E. (2010). Assessing the value-added effects of Literacy Collaborative professional development on student learning. Elementary School Journal, 111, 7-34. Casserly, M., Price-Baugh, R., Corcoran, A., Lewis, S., Uzzell, R., Simon, C., Heppen, J., Leinwand, S., Salinger, T., Bandeira de Mello, V., Novotny, L., & Dogan, E. (2011). Pieces of the puzzle: Factors in the improvement of urban school districts on the national assessment of educational progress. Council of the Great City Schools . Retrieved from http://files.eric. ed.gov/fulltext/ED528220.pdf Creswell, J. (2015). Educational research design: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (5th ed.). New York: Pearson. Dean, C., & Parsley, D. (2010).  Success in sight: Segment 3.1 . Denver, CO: McREL. Eisenhart, M. (2001). Educational ethnography past, present, and future: Ideas to think with. Educational Researcher, 50 (8), 16- 27. Fixsen, D., Naoom, S., Blasé, K., Friedman, R., & Wallace, F. (2005).  Implementation research: A synthesis of the literature . Tampa: University of South Florida.