Effects of Distance Coaching on Teachers' Use of Pyramid Model Practices

The purpose of this pilot study was to compare the effects of 2 professional development approaches on teachers' implementation of the Pyramid model, a classroom-wide approach for fostering social–emotional development and addressing challenging behavior. The study had 2 goals: (a) to examine the differential effects of workshop training plus distance coaching versus workshop training alone on teachers' implementation of Pyramid model practices and (b) to examine factors related to teachers' participation in distance coaching. Participants were 33 Head Start teachers from 9 centers. All teachers participated in workshop training on the Pyramid model and created individualized action plans to support their implementation of the Pyramid model practices. Following workshop training, the workshop plus distance coaching group (n = 16) received weekly distance coaching on their individualized action plans. The workshop only group (n = 17) did not receive follow-up support on its plans. Workshop training plus distance coaching was associated with small but statistically significant improvements in emotional, organizational, and instructional classroom interactions. Evidence from this study suggests that implementation outcomes were influenced by differential participation in distance coaching. This study provides preliminary support for coaching as a part of professional development and describes the impact of participation in one form of coaching on teacher implementation outcomes.