Athletic teams have coaches; middle and high school pupils have graduation coaches; and now Columbia County's high school teachers have instructional coaches.

The school system implemented a program this year in which its four high schools have one instructional coach for teachers in each core subject -- English, math, science, social studies -- and special education.

The coaches, who teach the same subject as the teachers they mentor at the schools, visit the classrooms to observe the teachers in action.

The instructional coaches also meet with teachers before and after they observe their classrooms to discuss strategies and to evaluate information, said Rose Carraway, the director of high school student learning.

The long-term vision of the program is to retain quality teachers.

Dr. Carraway said the program, which grew out of necessity to meet Georgia Performance Standards and to comply with special-education laws, originally was geared toward first-year teachers.

"Not many teachers last. There's a lot of them that change careers in the first three years," said Cathy Sligh, an instructional coach and biology teacher at Evans High School.

The initiative also is designed to help teachers "improve on individual development, and thereby, student achievement," Dr. Carraway said.

Ms. Sligh said the instructional coaches help their colleagues find resources or help them deal with discipline problems.

"Our goal is to go into the classroom, talk to teachers and identify areas of improvement," said Bob Willis, a science teacher and instructional coach at Lakeside High School.

He said overall communication within the departments has improved and instruction has become more collaborative.