Coaching teachers on classroom management and culturally responsive strategies can result in fewer racial disparities in discipline, according to a study appearing in a special issue of School Psychology Review.

Led by Catherine Bradshaw of the University of Virginia, the random controlled trial, involving 158 elementary and middle school teachers in a Maryland school district, compared those who received the coaching to those who did not. The coached teachers were less likely to refer black students to the office for discipline reasons and were observed to have classrooms with more student cooperation.

Called Double Check, the coaching model is designed to be part of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) — a widely used approach to improving school climate. The coaches, who didn’t work at the schools and had an advanced degree in either education or school psychology, used a process called Classroom Check-Up, which takes teachers through problem-solving strategies.

While teachers also receive professional development on culturally responsive practices and use the PBIS framework — which sets behavior expectations for all students — the researchers found that it was the individual coaching that led to fewer disparities.

Read the full article about teacher coaching by Linda Jacobson at Education Dive.