Advisor(s)

Margaret Dougherty

Contributor(s)

Joyce Radiches, Alan Stoskopf

Date of Award

2011

Date Accepted

12-2011

Degree Grantor

Northeastern University

Degree Level

Ed.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department or Academic Unit

College of Professional Studies, Department of Education

Keywords

education, reading instruction, differentiation, distributive leadership, professional learning community, response to intervention, Vygotsky

Disciplines

Education

Abstract

This summative program evaluation study investigated the Response to Intervention (RTI) pilot literacy block program that was implemented in first and second grade classrooms in a small southeastern suburban school. All 111 students in the first and second grade were involved in this RTI model during the 2010-2011 school year including special education students, English Language Learners (ELLs), advanced learners, and students in regular education. Eight educators were purposefully selected and volunteered to be participants in the study which included three grade one teachers, three grade two teachers, a building substitute and a moderate special needs educator.

The following two research questions were investigated in this study:

1. How do teachers perceive that the reorganization of literacy instruction has impacted teaching and student learning?

2. How are teachers impacted by the implementation of a Professional Learning Community (PLC ) guided by distributive leadership with a focus on literacy differentiation?

The program evaluation followed a qualitative methodology (Patton, 2002) as this study tells a story which focused on teachers' perceptions related to implementation of the RTI literacy block pilot as well as their views as to how it impacted student achievement. The study also explored teacher collaboration including teachers' perceptions about the collaborative structures put in place as well as ones that took place independent of the ones set aside by the building principal. In addition, this researcher addressed the following: PLC development, the role of the principal within the PLC, teachers' perceptions of the principal's involvement, and distributive leadership practices within the school. Key words: differentiated instruction, response to intervention, professional learning communities, distributive leadership, collaboration.

Document Type

Doctoral Thesis

Rights Information

copyright 2011

Rights Holder

Nancy L. Pelletier


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