When we think about the student learning experience, there are two effective strategies educators can leverage to achieve successful outcomes: there’s academic support, and then there’s coaching. Some think the former is about what goes on in the classroom, and that the latter is reserved for extracurriculars. That couldn’t be further from the truth; an effective coaching strategy is a powerful tool to build trust, bolster function skills, and invest in the habits of successful students.

At Effective Students, we like to think of the coaching process as something integrated into academic support frameworks, but a different skill for parents and educators alike to help drive positive outcomes for students. Here, we’ll dig into why coaching matters, the role it plays in academic support frameworks, and how both create successful kids. 

What is academic support?

Academic support consists of essential tools to help students succeed. What are the tools, you might ask? There’s one-on-one tutoring, academic coaching, and/or study skills workshops — all of which address specific challenges like struggling with subjects or improving study habits. By offering unique interventions, academic support programs help students sharpen their scope of knowledge across subjects and perform at their full potential.

Core to the Effective Students framework in academic support is the ability for students to independently apply a set of developed skills across environments. The goal of academic support isn’t short-term improvement; it’s equipping students with long-lasting skills like study habits, time management, and independent learning. With proper support, students gain confidence in their executive function skills to tackle academic challenges head-on, setting them up for continued success.

Those executive function skills are key for students throughout their educational journey, and undergird every type of skill a student will need, from elementary school through college. According to the Annual Review of Psychology, executive function refers to “a family of top-down mental processes needed when you have to concentrate and pay attention.” Simply put, executive functions are the brain’s project management system; they allow people to activate awareness, plan, set goals, and get things done.

Educators, instructors, and coaches should focus on building solid coaching relationships that empower students to develop these vital executive function skills through academic support — rather than stepping in to make a study plan or complete tasks for them (without the instructor’s presence, the student may struggle to address challenges independently).

While a tutor may be focused on preparing a student in a given subject or an upcoming assessment, Through academic coaching, students are guided to view obstacles as opportunities for growth, instilling in them a sense of preparedness and resilience that serves them well throughout their educational journey and beyond.

How does coaching help drive student success?

When students struggle with executive function, their ability to show up and show what they know is made incredibly difficult. The ability to focus or pay attention, draw on working memory, and adapt mental processes in academic settings is often underdeveloped in these students.

 These students may also struggle to:

• initiate tasks;
• complete tasks in a timely manner;
• leave the house prepared;
• manage their time;
• organize their thoughts;
• follow multi-step instructions;
• prioritize effectively.

 At Effective Students, our coaches often partner with parents and educators to determine, assist, and coach students to navigate through executive function difficulties to drive lasting confidence in their ability to succeed independently. This is essentially a collaborative and goal-oriented process that provides students with the tools they need to manage symptoms and overcome everyday challenges. Unlike therapy, which primarily addresses emotional or psychological concerns, coaching focuses on practical, action-driven strategies that help students thrive in school and their personal lives.

What does an academic coach do?

An academic coach helps students approach and manage academic demands. At Effective Students, coaches:

• Inquire – identify each student’s goals, obstacles, and frustrations. 
• Clarify – act as interpreters, clarifying for students what is being asked of them.   
• Scaffold – help develop organizational skills for students, giving them the autonomy to break down big projects into manageable parts so they can successfully complete larger tasks.
• Model – demonstrate how to create good study habits so students can independently put them into practice.
• Measure & quantify – gauge what challenges need to be addressed by the student and closely monitor their success. 
• Encourage – give students the motivation they need to try something new, to persevere and to self-advocate.  
• Communicate – help students and parents create shared goals and act as facilitators, joining the positive intent of both sides. 
• Celebrate – take pride in your student’s success and efforts; building grit – the ability to persevere when things get difficult.  

In essence, coaches work collaboratively with students to address specific challenges, such as time management, organization, and goal-setting. Think: teaching folks to fish and putting the power to navigate the world with sufficient confidence back in the hands of students. So, what does success measurement look like for students? 

Measuring student success

Student success is often measured through key metrics such as GPA improvements, course completion rates, and retention statistics. These academic performance indicators provide a snapshot of how well students achieve their academic goals and whether support services are making a measurable impact. But true academic achievement goes beyond grades; these gains only serve to prepare students for future challenges inside and outside the classroom.

Academic success is not solely about numbers. The qualitative metrics also matter. These are intangibles like improved study habits, time management, and increased engagement or hunger for learning. Effective Students use a set of proprietary measurement tools such as progress reports and self-evaluations so students can better understand what is expected of them and how they can improve.  Moreover, a key indicator of academic success is grit — the ability to persevere when situations get hard (and students need lots of that to get through all that’s asked of them!). These personal developments are integral to long-term academic performance and are just as crucial in defining a student’s success.

Measurable outcomes and personal growth are key for educators to track student development, especially in the context of coaching within an academic support framework. Remember, the coaching journey is as unique as the student on it — and the benefits of coaching are immeasurable — equipping students for a lifetime.