WashU Research Institute Selects Edthena for AI Coaching Study

What the study will explore

The project, titled “Coaching with AI: An RPP Study of AI-Enabled Coaching Design and Implementation,” will look at how AI can strengthen the efficiency, reach, and quality of instructional coaching while preserving the human expertise and teacher agency that make coaching work. Maia Elkana, ISP’s evaluation director and the study’s primary investigator, said the research team will study Edthena’s AI-enabled coaching tools as they support coaches “in providing timely, personalized feedback, facilitate asynchronous reflection and peer learning, and reduce coordination burdens.”

The study will serve approximately 300 PK-12 educators across math, science, and early childhood programs, drawing on research-practice partnerships ISP has built over time with districts in the St. Louis area.

Part of a larger research effort

ISP’s project is one of seven selected for RPPL’s 2026-2028 funding cycle, alongside teams from the University of Michigan, Harvard University, and Vanderbilt University, plus the nonprofits Leading Educators, Throughline Learning, and New Teacher Center. Each team is studying a different facet of AI and professional learning, with RPPL coordinating shared measures across studies so findings build toward a common body of evidence rather than isolated results.

ISP expects its findings to inform development of a “Blueprint for AI-Enhanced Instructional Coaching,” a practical, co-designed toolkit for teachers, instructional coaches, and district leaders.

Key takeaways

• Edthena is the named AI coaching partner in a two-year, RPPL-funded study running through the 2026-2028 cycle, studying Edthena’s AI-enabled coaching tools within ISP’s existing St. Louis-area district partnerships.
• The study centers on efficiency, reach, and quality, not replacement: per PI Maia Elkana, the focus is on how AI-enabled tools support coaches with timely feedback, asynchronous reflection, and reduced coordination burden, while preserving human expertise and teacher agency.
• The research will inform a public toolkit: ISP expects the findings to shape a co-designed “Blueprint for AI-Enhanced Instructional Coaching” for teachers, coaches, and district leaders.

We’re honored to be part of this work. Independent, funded research on how AI-enabled coaching functions in real classrooms, not just how it’s described, is exactly the kind of scrutiny this category needs as it matures. The study is just getting underway, and we’ll share what we learn as results come in.

Read more about the RPPL grant and the full list of recipients on ISP’s site. To see the coaching tools that anchor this study, visit AI Coach.