Developing Common Core Classrooms Through Rubric-Based Coaching

Discussion Group

Project Status: Current
Focus Area: Teacher Effectiveness
Location: Two public school districts in a midwestern state
Principal Investigators: Heather HillMatthew Kraft, & Corinne Herlihy
Publications: Research Brief | Working Paper
Services Website: mqicoaching.cepr.harvard.edu

What is the impact of rubric-based coaching on teacher instructional practice and student achievement outcomes?

This research study included the development and implementation of the MQI Coaching Cycle, as well as a rigorous evaluation of the program’s effectiveness using a teacher-level random assignment design. The study recruited 142 mathematics teachers (Grades 3–8) from two public school districts in a midwestern state. Seventy-two teachers were assigned to participate in MQI Coaching (treatment group), and 70 teachers were assigned to the control group. Most teachers participated in 10 or more MQI Coaching Cycles.

Students of MQI-coached teachers report that their teachers ask more substantive questions, and require more use of mathematical vocabulary as compared to students of control teachers. Students in MQI-coached classrooms also reported more student talk in class. Teachers who received MQI Coaching tended to find their professional development significantly more useful than control teachers, and were also more likely to report that their mathematics instruction improved over the course of the year.
Read the research brief

Matthew Kraft

Matthew Kraft

Affiliated Researcher, SDP Fellowship Faculty Advisor
Associate Professor of Education and Economics
Brown University

Are Math Coaches the Answer to Lagging Achievement?

May 5, 2020

To address concerns about cost and effectiveness, Kraft and Harvard University education professor Heather C. Hill created and studied a virtual math-coaching program that could potentially be a cheaper way for districts to have dedicated math coaches. The program was based on a framework that was co-developed by researchers at Harvard and the American Institutes for Research. It centered on practices aligned to the Common Core State Standards, such as rich meaning-making and encouraging student questions.

... Read more about Are Math Coaches the Answer to Lagging Achievement?

Education Agencies

Teacher participants are from two public school districts in a midwestern state.

Funder

National Science Foundation