Math, science and school climate rose where educators were coached.

A second year, a wider question

In a large urban district in Texas, where 85% of the middle school students studied were economically disadvantaged and 61% were learning English, educators had been earning engage2learn competency badges since 2020. The 2022-2023 study asked again whether that growth reached students, and added a second question: did it change how the schools felt to work in?

Coaching across roles, measured by STAAR and climate surveys

engage2learn coached teachers, instructional lead teachers, assistant principals, instructional coaches and office staff, and teachers earned microcredentials as they showed each competency in practice.

Learning Experience Design (LXD) Research, a third-party evaluator, compared five coached schools with five schools without coaching: 52 teachers and 1,668 students, measured on spring 2023 STAAR math and science, a student experience survey and the district’s educator climate survey.

More students at grade level, and better places to teach

Students of highly engaged coached teachers were significantly more likely to be at or above grade level on STAAR math and science than students at the comparison schools, with the largest science effect in grade 7.

Before the pandemic the ten schools reported similar climate scores. By 2023, all five coached schools reported a more positive school climate than the five comparison schools. The study meets the standard for ESSA Level 2 moderate evidence.

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coached schools reported a more positive teacher climate than the five comparison schools