IRA Surveys Coaches

Coaching remains one of the hottest topics in reading education today, and the International Reading Association continues to promote the reading coach model as a professional development approach with vast potential to improve student reading proficiency in elementary, middle, and high schools. With that in mind, the International Reading Association conducted a survey of reading/literacy coaches in November 2005 to determine what qualifications they were required to have and what duties they were responsible for.

One finding that came through strongly from the 140 survey respondents is that reading/literacy coaches work primarily with teachers. Two out of three respondents (67%) indicated that they focused solely on teachers. Another 25% indicated that they worked with both teachers and students. Just 6% of the respondents reported that they focused on implementing a core reading program, and less than 2% of the respondents indicated that they focused solely on students in their coaching position.

When asked to report their titles, responses were split about evenly between literacy and reading, and over 89% of the responses included the word coach in the title. Alternatives to literacy/reading included language arts, curriculum, instructional, academic or learning, reference to a place (building, campus, or school), and two that referred to a specific commercial program.

Of 182 responses regarding level of work (respondents could choose all relevant levels), 86% reported working at the primary level, 41% at the intermediate level, 17% at the middle school level, and only 5% and 7%, respectively, at the preschool or high school levels. Respondents indicated that in general the reading/literacy coach position supported locally developed curriculum initiatives (69%), was part of typical district-level professional support (65%), and was part of state- or federally funded initiatives (66%).

In regard to position funding, nearly as many respondents (35%) indicated their positions were supported by local funding as those who reported Reading First grant funding (37%). “My sense had been that it was Reading First funding that was accounting for the big surge in the number of coaches,” said Cathy Roller, IRA’s director of research and policy, “but it’s clear that there is also lots of support and activity at the local level.”

In terms of time allocations, coaches reported spending the most time in student assessment and instructional planning activities. They also spent substantial time in actual coaching activities. These included observing, demonstration teaching, and discussing lessons taught. They spent less time in actually planning lessons with teachers. Two things that coaches did not spend a lot of time on were evaluating teachers and record keeping.

Another section of the questionnaire asked about requirements at time of hiring. The only clear requirements were that the coaches must have a BA and a teaching certificate (99% and 97%, respectively). Only 37% reported that an MA was required, and only 19% said an MA in literacy or a related area was required. In regard to experience required, 77% reported that one to three years of successful classroom experience were required. In addition, 62% reported that excellent written and oral communication skills were required, and 43% said excellent presentation and group-facilitation skills were required.

Despite the fact that most coaches were required only to have a BA and teaching certificate for the position, the vast majority of respondents reported feeling prepared to conduct the activities required for their positions. For most items, 3% or less of the respondents indicated that they felt unprepared or very unprepared.

“I am not surprised that a large percentage of literacy coaches have only a BA and teaching experience,” said IRA Board member Rita Bean. “First, given the current emphasis and great need for literacy coaches, some districts may have difficulty identifying individuals with reading specialist certifications or master’s degrees. Also, job descriptions for literacy coaches seem to be so variable that there is much leeway in selection criteria.”

Because literacy coaching positions require a solid understanding of reading instruction and assessment, along with leadership skills, Bean was surprised that so many of the literacy coaches who were surveyed believe they are well prepared to handle coaching responsibilities. “There is irony in the fact that we have certification for reading specialists to work with struggling readers but do not have certification for those who should be as knowledgeable as a specialist and, in addition, have the leadership skills necessary to work with teachers, administrators, and parents,” Bean said.

Another section of the survey focused on professional development activities required of coaches. While 71% of respondents reported that they were required to participate in district-level professional development and 47% reported that they were required to participate in statewide professional development, only 21% and 25%, respectively, reported being required to complete an MA in literacy or a related field or substantial graduate hours in reading/literacy. This may signal a shift in the locus of professional training from universities to districts and states.

In conclusion, the survey provided a description of reading/literacy coaches as teachers who work primarily with teachers and spend a significant portion of their time in assessment and instructional planning activities. They spend little time evaluating teachers and working directly with students. The most typical reported job requirements are a BA and one to three years of teaching experience with some emphasis on communications skills, presentation skills, and group-facilitation skills.

Bean noted that although there is much to recommend about literacy coaching as an approach for improving instructional practices, the potential may not be realized due to a too-narrow definition of coaching, a lack of pedagogical content knowledge or leadership skills, or lack of enough coaching time to make a difference. In the survey, many coaches reported spending between two to four hours a week in observing, demonstration teaching, and discussing lessons.

“One wonders,” Bean says, “whether that is enough time to make a difference. How many teachers can a literacy coach work with in that amount of time? The IRA position statement on The Role and Qualifications of the Reading Coach in the United States makes an important statement. It recognizes the power of coaching and makes explicit recommendations about qualifications for literacy coaches. It seems that IRA needs to continue its effort to support the need for ‘highly qualified literacy coaches.’”

For an overview of the International Reading Association’s resources on literacy leadership and coaching, visit the Association website at www.reading.org. The position statement is also available for download on the site.

IRA surveys coaches. (April 2006). Reading Today, 23(5), 1-3.