A Policy Brief From EPIC

The Impact of Coaching on K–3 Literacy Instruction in Michigan

March 2026

Michigan’s Read by Grade Three Law includes a statewide investment in Intermediate School District (ISD) early literacy coaching designed to strengthen research-aligned instruction in K-3 classrooms. Drawing on data collected across three school years, including 318 hours of observations in 89 classrooms, 1,330 coaching logs, and interviews with 18 ISD early literacy coaches, this brief examines how coaching has been implemented under this policy and whether it has supported improvements in teachers’ literacy instruction.

Key findings include:

• Teachers who received literacy coaching demonstrated greater instructional growth. Coached teachers showed greater improvements in research-aligned literacy practices over one school year than teachers in a waitlist comparison group.
• Coaches implemented statewide literacy frameworks with high fidelity. Most coaching time focused on research-aligned literacy practices and high-intensity coaching activities such as modeling lessons, classroom observations, and one-on-one conferencing with teachers.
• Focused, high-intensity coaching mattered more than the total amount of coaching time. Teachers showed the greatest instructional improvement when coaching time emphasized research-aligned literacy practices and high-intensity coaching processes.
• Coaching implementation varied across contexts. Despite shared statewide frameworks, coaches differed in coaching time, instructional focus, and coaching processes, resulting in four distinct implementation profiles.
• Local systems shaped coaching effectiveness. Coaches reported more successful implementation when they had manageable caseloads, clearly defined roles, access to research-aligned curriculum materials, supportive administrators, and ongoing professional learning.

This policy brief summarizes findings from two working papers:

• Wright, T.S. & Bruner, L. (in press). From policy to practice: Examining the implementation and impact of Michigan’s Early Literacy Coaching Initiative. American Educational Research Journal.
• Bruner, L. & Wright, T.S. More than minutes: What matters for implementing literacy coaching at scale?