Examining the Role of District- and School-Level Conditions in the Implementation of Instructional Literacy Strategies

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 3:35 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Prioritizing Equity in Classrooms, Schools, Districts, and Communities to Improve How Students Learn (Table 4)

Abstract

The science of reading has sparked a wave of policies to improve student literacy. School improvement research has identified the district- and school-level conditions that help actors transform policy into practice. Recently, studies have explored the role of rank-and-file district staff in this process but have not explored how district staff build their knowledge while helping schools. In this study, we examine a program to support the use of instructional practices aligned with the science of reading and the role of district staff. Prior knowledge, professional learning, and instructional leadership all played varying roles, but conflicting roles and responsibilities limited the support they provided to schools. The study has implications related to the intersection of school improvement and sensemaking.

Authors

• Kimberly Austin, Columbia University

• Poorvaja Sundar, Research Partnership for Professional Learning