Technology coaches conduct needs assessments, develop technology-related professional learning programs, and evaluate the impact on instructional practice and student learning.
ISTE Coaching Standards (2014)
High-quality professional development is important in any field, but in Education it can affect many more lives than just the teachers who participate. Good (and bad) professional learning has a ripple effect on other teachers in a school and on the students being taught. The most effective professional development is based on student need and teacher choice, both of which should be determined through research.
Once professional development has taken place, coaches, administrators, and teacher leaders should help review how effective it was. Did it meet the goals established at the onset? Were participants satisfied? What measurable effect did it have on student learning? Is it a long-term effect or a one time bump? The answers to these questions can then be used to map out future professional learning.
