Content-focused coaching is a strategy that is used by many districts to deepen teachers' content knowledge and improve aspects of teaching, learning, and assessment practices used in classrooms. It is based on a premise that teachers need ongoing professional development opportunities to grow and develop their teaching practice during the service of instruction. Coaches work with small groups or individual teachers over an extended period of time and aim to improve teachers' practice and to ultimately improve student achievement. Their work is intensive and involves meeting with teachers before, during and after lessons to plan and discuss model lessons, observations, and students' learning.