Between Mandate and Method: Teachers’ Sensemaking with Science of Reading Rollout

• In Event: Unforgetting Professional Ethics: Educators Resisting Policy Mandates Misaligned with Justice

Abstract

As part of a larger mixed-methods project, this qualitative study examines teachers' perspectives on implementing the Science of Reading (SoR) in school districts undergoing early reform efforts. Guided by sensemaking theory and humanizing pedagogy, we examine how K–5 literacy teachers interpret, navigate, and adapt to SoR mandates. Findings highlight sensemaking and resistance among educators. Drawing on focus group data from multiple districts, the analysis reveals three key themes: perception of the usefulness of SoR instruction, support facilitating implementation, and challenges impeding the process. Preliminary findings also reveal teacher recommendations for professional development and policy design aligned with teachers’ existing beliefs. The study informs district and state leaders by centering teacher voices in conversations about sustainable approaches to literacy reform.

Authors

• Wanda Roshell Debrewer, Morgan State University

• Astrid Mariel Sierra Mejia, University of Maryland

• Jessica B Crawford, University of Maryland

• Nemain Morgan Curtis, George Washington University

• Donald J. Bolger, University of Maryland

• Simone Gibson, Morgan State University

• Margaret Polizos Peterson, University of Maryland