The Research Evidence About Coaching

The current widespread use of coaching is largely the result of federal funding (Denton & Hasbrouck, 2009)—most notably with the Reading First initiative included in the No Child Left Behind Act (2002). But both the Reading Excellence Act (1999) and the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) also expanded interest in coaching. And yet, as is often the case with innovations in education, the innovation proceeded without much of a research base. The research base, however, is growing.

Does coaching work? What’s it used for? Some answers exist. More to the point, now with decades of experience in the profession, both practitioners and scholars have conceptualized what coaching is, what it’s used for, and—to some extent—how to use it well. And they know something, as well, about what poor uses of coaching look like.