A Tiered Approach to Teacher Learning: The Effects of Embedding Universal Coaching into a Tiered Professional Development Model

Abstract

Despite well-documented links to improvements in students’ academics and behaviors, implementing and maintaining evidence-based practices (EBPs) within the classroom can be difficult for educators. While professional development can support teachers with the implementation of EBPs, traditional professional development activities can be ineffective, costly, and inefficient for addressing teachers' needs. Tiered professional development, a resource efficient professional development model that includes increasingly intensive support dependent on identified educator needs, can address barriers in professional development and EBP implementation. However, existing research on tiered professional development has shown inconsistent improvements in implementation of EBPs and lacks clear coaching protocols within its design. This study embedded a cycle of universal coaching within a tiered professional development (TPD+) to increase the model’s overall efficacy while maintaining the efficiency of the tiered professional development model. After participating in TPD+, all teacher participants increased their implementation rate of BSP. However, increased implementation of BSP did not significantly impact student behaviors. Future research should look further into coaching dosages and different iterations of TPD+ on teacher implementation of new behaviors.