WVImpact+ organizes coaching practice into five interrelated competency domains.
Each domain below reflects a body of research on:
Effective coaching
Mirroring the roles and responsibilities already assigned to WVImpact+ coaches
Alignment to West Virginia Board of Education Standards
Domain 1: Instructional Expertise and Content Knowledge
Effective coaches possess deep, current knowledge of the Science of Reading, evidence-based numeracy practices, and the West Virginia College- and Career-Readiness Standards for K–5. They use that expertise to help teachers develop and deliver high-quality, standards-aligned Tier 1 instruction. This domain aligns with the West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE)'s goal to increase deep content knowledge and proficiency in designing and delivering standards-driven instruction. Coaches proficient in this domain:
Understand vertical progressions of learning
Identify and address common student misconceptions
Translate research into daily instructional decisions
Domain 2: Data Literacy and Continuous Improvement
Coaches use multiple data sources (e.g., universal screeners, progress monitoring, diagnostic and outcome assessments, classroom formative measures, and observational evidence) to plan, monitor, and adjust their coaching. This domain reflects the WVBE standard that professional learning “uses a variety of sources and types of student, educator, and system data to plan, assess, and evaluate professional learning.” In the West Virginia context, this domain is exercised most visibly through the Multi-Tiered System of Supports, which WVImpact+ coaches help schools implement and leverage for consistent, data-driven decision-making.
Domain 3: Collaborative Relationships and Communication
Coaching is fundamentally relational. Effective coaches:
Establish trust
Honor confidentiality
Listen actively
Ask questions that promote teacher reflection
Provide timely, personalized feedback.
This domain reflects the WVBE standard that professional learning “occurs within learning communities committed to continuous improvement, collective responsibility, and goal alignment.” Within WVImpact+, coaches execute this domain by partnering with teachers through non-evaluative coaching cycles and by cultivating a school-wide culture of reflective practice.
Domain 4: Professional Learning Facilitation and Coaching Cycles
Coaches design and deliver job-embedded professional learning through structured coaching cycles (i.e., co-planning, modeling, observation, and reflective feedback) supported by school-based professional learning communities and targeted sessions. This domain aligns with Policy 5500, Professional Learning for West Virginia Educators, which:
Details professional learning “integrates theories, research, and models of human learning into learning designs to achieve its intended outcomes”
Aligns to the standard focused on “implementation of professional learning for long-term change"
Coaches use adult learning principles and plan for both schoolwide and differentiated learning needs.
Domain 5: Leadership, Systems Alignment, and Professional Growth
Coaches lead by example and influence by:
Modeling reflective practice
Contributing to school improvement planning
Aligning their work with priorities of the Third Grade Success Act and county strategic plans.
This domain aligns with Policy 5500, requiring “skillful leadership to develop capacity, advocate for, and create support systems for professional learning.” WVImpact+ coaches are expected to:
Participate in state and regional professional learning