Purpose -Literacy coaches can play a valuable role in the improvement of student learning outcomes. The authors' purpose is to describe their time use, student learning, and principals' understanding leading to advocacy for development of literacy coach effectiveness measures. Design/methodology/approach -By analyzing four related studies, the authors use quantitative and qualitative methods to develop five themes and the need for measures of effectiveness. Areas of role and use of time, principals' understanding, and need for empirical, rather than perceptual research are explored. Findings -Findings on the relationship of use of time and student reading outcomes, and perceptions of impediments and enhancements to impact on effectiveness are discussed and lead to the identification of the need for effectiveness measures. Research limitations/implications -Limitations include the singular US region where the four studies were conducted and the small samples. The four studies did not use precisely the same methods so this is an additional limitation. Further research in various regions and with larger samples are needed to draw definitive conclusions. Practical implications -Greater understanding of the context of literacy coaches, including understanding by principals, may lead to measurement. This measurement will inform principals and school directors on literacy coaches' roles which may increase fidelity of the implementation of the position with the original intent. There has not been an accountability system for literacy coaches related to improved student learning, making this concept important to professionalization of literacy coach position. Originality/value -Given that available research on the value of literacy coach positions is perceptual, rather than based on student outcome data, the need for development of effectiveness measures may result in greater fidelity of implementation of the position. Resulting role clarification and the extent to which implementation of literacy coaches can be expected to improve student achievement is a contribution.
This study investigated master's level student perceptions of teacher leadership attributes, roles, and responsibilities upon completion of an online Master of Arts in Education, with a concentration in teacher leadership, at a large public university. As an inductive, qualitative case study, responses to an open-ended questionnaire were analyzed with coding schemes to establish patterns and trends using grounded theory to categorize responses. Deductive coding schemes were used to establish theories comparing the teacher leadership competencies established by the Center for Teacher Quality, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and the National Education Association (2014). Findings indicate alignment to the literature on teacher leadership, specifically with clarity around teacher leadership competencies.
Teacher residencies have been an ongoing discussion in the educator preparation world for nearly a decade. This paper describes a promising practice in program design at a university that offers alternative pathways to licensure to meet the demands of school districts, especially in economically disadvantaged communities in one region of the United States. The one-year residency model was developed to address the teacher shortage in a state with growing teacher attrition. Aligned with recent legislation that created a residency license, a traditional educator preparation program examined its strengths and incorporated the most critical needs for novice teacher success to offer a one-year teacher residency as an alternative pathway. The residency model was co-constructed with school district personnel and teacher education faculty to focus on the most critical dimensions of teaching that include planning, instruction, and assessment. After one year, the feedback from school district personnel included high favor for readiness to teach. Residency candidates reported increased self-efficacy. The residency program has implications for future research and potential replication at other institutions of higher education.
This chapter addresses how an elementary education program at a large university prepares teacher candidates for success working with children and families in rural poverty through a structured, linked, K-2 language arts practicum experience that provides pedagogical training in planning, instruction, and assessment. This descriptive chapter includes a thorough account of program development and employed strategies with example tools and resources to provide the reader with contextual understanding of the methods the authors use to prepare teacher candidates for success. The described structure of the program is centered on the development and sustainable nature of the university and school partnerships, designed to provide teacher candidates with meaningful opportunities for intentional application of theory in real-world, rural settings to address the teacher recruitment and retention dilemma in the state's most economically disadvantaged rural communities, while improving the quality of life for citizens in this region of the country.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.