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Coaching in the school setting typically follows the traditional format of preconference, observe, and postconference, where feedback on teaching performance is shared but often delayed. Professional development (PD) provides teachers with skills to enhance their teaching practice with little to no follow-up or support. The most effective way to produce change in the school setting is to show the connection between PD and student performance, and iCoaching can help to bridge the gap. In this study, four teachers participated in a focused PD session and subsequent iCoaching sessions where the researcher used iPods and Bluetooth earbuds as a bug-in-ear (BIE) device. A coach served as a live, remote observer providing coaching prompts to increase teacher-delivered opportunities to respond (OTR). The results indicated that iCoaching was effective in increasing teacher-delivered OTR and in increasing student responses and academic performance.

Educators struggle with "value-added" teacher evaluation models based on high-stakes student assessments. Despite validity and reliability threats, these models evaluate university-based teacher preparation programs (TPPs), and play a role in state and professional accreditation. This study reports a more rational value-added evaluation model linking student performance to teacher candidates' lessons during Practicum and Student Teaching. Results indicate that K-12 students showed learning gains on these lessons, with mixed findings on comparisons of part-time to full-time internships, academic and functional lessons, and candidates' grade point averages (GPAs). Results indicated that teacher candidates' lessons are a viable value-added model (VAM) alternative for TPPs.

Supervision and coaching strategies that provide immediate feedback can help improve instruction for novice teachers. In this study, feedback was provided to teachers using "bug-in-ear" technology to coach them to deliver effective instructional interactions: "learn units." Three novice teachers in K-8 classrooms with students with disabilities including emotional disorders, autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and developmental delays participated in the study. Results from the multiple-baseline design showed that the rate and accuracy of effective teaching behaviors increased when in-class feedback was delivered via the electronic "bugs." For two of the three teachers, these increases maintained when the instructional feedback was faded. This study extends previous research and suggests an effective coaching supervision strategy for novice teachers. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

This study investigated effects of an audiotape self evaluation intervention on the instructional behavior of three student teacher interns in classrooms for students with various developmental disabilities. A multiple baseline design was used to evaluate the intervention. Results indicated a positive effect on all interns' use of specific social praise. Generalization probes indicated two of three interns increased their use of specific social praise in non-targeted content areas. Maintenance probes indicated all interns' average use of specific social praise was well above baseline. Implications for teacher educators and classroom teachers of students with developmental disabilities are discussed. (Contains 2 figures and 1 table.)