The pressure to improve the quality of instruction in schools may be higher today than at any other time in the history of U.S. education. To respond to this urgent demand, schools across the nation are hiring instructional coaches (ICs), even though there is little published research that shows what works and what does not work when it comes to instructional coaching. This lack of information about instructional coaching puts principals and districts at risk. This article identifies seven common questions about instructional coaching and presents what the researchers have learned from studying two instructional coaching programs: Kansas University's Pathways to Success project and the Maryland Department of Special Education's Passport to Success project. Instructional coaching is not a quick fix, but rather involves dedicated, persistent, meaningful collaboration among teachers, coaches, and principals. When highly qualified ICs are in place, when they focus on the right teaching methods, and when they take a partnership approach, real improvement can happen. In this way, the IC can significantly help a principal with the challenging, time-consuming, and important work of developing an exemplary faculty. (Contains 3 figures.)