Chapter 17: Examining Mathematics Coaching Practices That Help Develop Schoolwide Professional Learning

Mathematics coaching is an organizational role that grew out of school reformers’ attention to the need for ongoing, job-embedded professional development (Bryk et al., 2013). The prevailing frame for coaching remains a largely reactive and individually focused role, where coaches wait for opportunities to coach and focus on individual teachers’ interests (Mangin & Dunsmore, 2015). The literature on instructional improvement and school reform reminds us that support for change must also attend to the system as a whole and build collective capacity (Cohen, 1995; Mangin & Dunsmore, 2015). Many studies exist that examine activities that coaches do with teachers one-on-one (e.g., modeling, co-teaching, coaching cycle) (Bean et al., 2010; Deussen et al., 2007). However, the typical one-on-one approach to coaching may not facilitate the “scaling up” of schoolwide reform (Lord, Cress, & Miller, 2003, 2008). Thus, some scholars have begun to explore whether mathematics coaching can be reframed as a tool to support the collective learning of teachers and, therefore, be a useful tool for broader schoolwide reform (Kruse & Zimmerman, 2012; Mangin & Dunsmore, 2015).