The pressure to improve instruction and teacher effectiveness continues to grow in our nation's public elementary schools. As a means to achieve instructional improvements, school districts are increasingly adopting instructional coaching initiatives. This study explored instructional coaches' perspectives on their preparation for the role of instructional coach. Mixed methods research was organized through a social constructivist lens that focused on the perspectives of the instructional coaches. The sample consisted of 50 public elementary instructional coach participants in Oregon who responded to a survey, and follow up interviews with ten participants. Data analysis led to several key findings. First, many elementary instructional coaches in Oregon do not feel prepared for their roles as coach. Second, Chi-Square analyses revealed that there were significant differences in instructional coaches' feelings about their proficiency based on the number of hours per month of professional learning they experienced. Third, there are a variety of beneficial and relevant professional learning opportunities for instructional coaches. Fourth, instructional coaches desire clarity in their job descriptions. Overwhelmingly, participants expressed the absence of a clear description or definition for their instructional coaching role. Finally, according to participants, there is a need to create higher education opportunities for instructional coaching in Oregon. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]