Coaching Quality

Background

As part of my work on coaching, I co-developed a framework, the Coaching Quality Framework, and a corresponding measure, the Coaching Quality Checklist (CQC). The CQC is designed to measure the quality of coaching sessions used in Practice-Based Coaching and other coaching models. We are currently conducting studies examining the validity of the CQC.

Coaching Quality Framework

In the Coaching Quality Framework, coaching quality is described as consisting of three categories of skills: foundational, supportive, and change-oriented coaching skills.

Coaching Quality Checklist

The CQC is a measure based on the Coaching Quality Framework. The CQC is designed to assess the presence or absence of 26 behaviors in coach-coachee meetings. There are nine items related to foundational coaching skills, eight items related to supportive coaching skills, and nine items related to change-oriented coaching skills. Scores on the CQC range from 0-26. In general, scores of 21-26 can be considered "high," scores of 15-20.99 can be considered "moderate," and scores below 15 can be considered "low."

Sample items:

3. In response to a teacher’s reflection, coach asks a related question to deepen teacher’s understanding about the relationship between the intervention/recommended practices and the teacher’s reflection.

15. Coach and teacher have multi-turn exchange (at least one turn each) with both contributing ideas, about what teacher should work on or how to address a problem.

People

Collaborators in this work include Ragan McLeod (University of Alabama), Jill Grifenhagen (North Carolina State University), and Katerina Marcoulides (University of Minnesota-Twin Cities).

Research Opportunities

If you are interested in using the Coaching Quality Checklist in your research or practice, please email me at jesskh@illinois.edu.

Publications

Hardy, J. K., Grifenhagen, J., McLeod, R. H., Marcoulides, K. M., & Hemmeter, M. L. (2025). Correlations between coaching quality and teacher change in social-emotional teaching practices. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 71(2), 183-192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2025.01.003