Promoting Cultural Responsivity and Student Engagement through Double Check Coaching of Classroom Teachers: An Efficacy Study

This paper presents findings from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing the impact of a novel coaching approach utilized as one element of the Double Check cultural responsivity and student engagement model. The RCT included 158 elementary and middle school teachers randomized to receive coaching or serve as comparisons; all participating teachers were exposed to school-wide professional development activities. Pre-post non-experimental comparisons indicated improvements in self-reported culturally responsive behavior management and self-efficacy for teachers in both conditions following professional development exposure. With regard to the experimental findings, trained observers recorded significantly more teacher proactive behavior management and anticipation of student problems, higher student cooperation, less student non-cooperation, and less disruptive behaviors in classrooms led by coached teachers relative to comparison teachers. Taken together, the findings suggest the potential promise of coaching combined with school-wide professional development for improving classroom management practices and possibly reducing office discipline referrals among Black students. [This paper was published in "School Psychology Review" v47 n2 p118-134 2018.]