Organizing Practitioner-Centered National Leadership to Support the Use of AI-Enabled Technology to Implement the Science of Reading

• In Event: Innovating K–12 Teaching and Learning with Generative AI: Insights From IES-funded National R&D Centers

Abstract

Objective
The U-GAIN Reading R&D Center is leading efforts to help schools and educators nationwide use AI effectively, safely, and ethically through the development of practitioner-centered national leadership activities. In particular, we are connecting leading educators nationwide through a National Leadership Cohort, to explore how districts and schools can effectively use generative AI to enhance elementary reading instruction.
Research on practitioner learning suggests that opportunities to collaborate with colleagues are essential to explore new ideas, share successes and challenges, and expand professional knowledge bases (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017). The cohort fosters collaboration between practitioners, researchers, policy experts, and developers, creating practitioner resources and adoption recommendations for AI-enabled digital reading interventions in schools. The work of the national leadership cohort will explore the following areas of inquiry: Shaping the conversation around the ethics and use of AI for young readers, meeting with national experts and sharing key research in the science of reading, and gaining leadership experience through national event participation.

Perspectives & Theoretical Framework
This workgroup has adopted case study and participatory design research (PDR) approaches to co-create and test solutions with practitioners. Using these approaches, researchers position community partners as collaborators and knowledge holders (Bang & Vossoughi, 2016). We draw on funds of knowledge research that foregrounds the cultural practices of underrepresented learners (González et al., 2005). The national leadership cohort is a community-based endeavor so we adopt a sociocultural approach to this case study (Nasir & Hand, 2006). This allows us to attend to power dynamics and manifestations within and across practitioners; as well as critically examine cohort motivations, goals, and designs.

Method & Modes of Inquiry
We used an embedded case study design (Yin, 2009) to explore how educators across diverse school contexts organized within the cohort to support national science of reading leadership activities. For the cohort, we invited 11 educators from 10 districts serving students with diverse needs. Using a PDR approach, we organized three phases: (1) Backgrounding - members share expertise and identify problems; (2) Ideating - brainstorm solutions for identified challenges; (3) Refining - select and develop the most promising ideas for implementation.

Evidence Generation And Planned Analyses
We will report on our completed survey and cohort design sessions. Between now and AERA, we will take field notes of each cohort co-design session. Additionally, we will collect artifacts, such as meeting slide decks, screenshots of online activities, and work samples. National leadership cohort members are invited to co-author blogs, resources, and other efforts to share their experiences with colleagues and schools. These artifacts will serve as sources of evidence to examine design processes and outcomes and contribute to knowledge about how relational configurations emerge during the national leadership co-design process.

Scholarly Significance
This project contributes to research-practice partnership literature by examining innovative problem-solving approaches. We'll explore how communities leverage resources for national leadership development within UGAIN-Reading, offering insights on implementing practitioner-centered cohorts that effectively support national initiatives at the intersection of technology, innovation, literacy, and education.

Authors

• Yenda Prado, Digital Promise

• Pati Ruiz, Digital Promise

• Joshua Ddamulira, Digital Promise