This project would research the impact of the instructional coaching model developed for science teachers in the Spokane Washington Public Schools. The model, which includes instructional coaching, lesson study, grade-level team capacity building and data driven dialogue, is set in the context of a district-wide science curriculum with well-defined core units, program guides and student assessments, and an established tradition of strong administrative support. The research examines several indicators, including student scores on state (WASL) and local tests and classroom observations, surveys and interviews that monitor changes in teacher practice. The study involves grades 5-10 science teachers from six elementary, six middle, and five senior high schools. Schools will be assigned to control or treatment conditions, and teachers from those schools will be observed using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) for evidence of change in practice. Project leaders include the district science supervisor who was co-PI of two NSF Teacher Enhancement grants, the district curriculum director, a prominent science education researcher and an expert in research and evaluation.
