Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2025, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

This study investigated the effectiveness of systematic K-6 spelling instruction, exploring the historical context, instructional practices, and professional development necessary to support both novice and experienced teachers. Using qualitative methods, data were collected through surveys and interviews with 30 elementary teachers in a western Pennsylvania school district. Highlighting a reliance on informal strategies and digital tools, the findings reveal significant gaps in formalized spelling programs which often hinder the development of foundational spelling skills. Effective instructional practices, such as phonics-based and multisensory approaches, were identified as crucial for improving student outcomes. Challenges include differentiating instruction to meet diverse student needs and addressing systemic barriers, such as inconsistent resources and limited professional development opportunities. This study underscores the need for tailored professional development focused on explicit, systematic instruction to enhance teacher capacity and student learning. The implications of this research extend to designing robust training programs and standardized assessments to support effective spelling instruction. Future research could explore longitudinal impacts of these interventions across multiple districts and states.

Committee: Karen Larwin PhD (Committee Chair); Jennifer Kohart Marchessault EdD (Committee Member); Terrie Turney EdD (Committee Member) Subjects: Curriculum Development; Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Literacy; Teaching

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2021, Psychology

Abstract Most language and reading researchers agree that reading is a language-based skill and that there is a connection between language ability and reading ability (Kamhi & Catts, 2012), especially between weaker language skills in early childhood and weaker reading skills in elementary school (McArthur et al., 2000; Catts et al., 2005). This study employed the extant longitudinal Western Reserve Reading and Math Projects (WRRMP) to examine how phonological awareness, letter identification, and rapid automatized naming (RAN) skills in Kindergarten predicted reading skills by Third Grade. The WRRMP dataset includes 438 pairs of twins from primarily White, non-Hispanic, middle class, Midwestern families (Petrill et al., 2006). For this thesis, language assessment data from 452 Kindergarteners (mean age: 6;2, SD: 0.44) were compared to reading outcome measures of 524 Third Graders (mean age: 9;1, SD: 0.46). Language and decoding skills in Kindergarten were assessed using the deletion subtests of the Phonological Awareness Test, the letter identification subtest of the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests–Revised Normative Update (WRM–RNU), and the Letter Naming Fluency task from the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). Reading outcomes in Third Grade were measured on Passage Comprehension, Word Attack (decoding of non-words), and Word Identification (decoding of real words) from the WRM–RNU. Significant correlations between letter identification (ranging from .305 to .435, p<0.01), phonological awareness (ranging from .377 to .563, p<0.01) and RAN (ranging from .231 to .297, p<0.01) on outcome measures for passage comprehension, non-word decoding, and real-word decoding were detected. Initial regression analysis showed that all three Kindergarten language measures contributed significantly to the variance of Third-Grade passage comprehension (R2=.293, F=21.144, p<0.01), non-word decoding (R2=.121, F=7.536, p<0.01), and real-word decoding (R2=.33 (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Stephen Petrill (Advisor); Rebecca McCauley (Committee Member); Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan (Committee Member) Subjects: Developmental Psychology; Language; Reading Instruction

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2018, EDU Teaching and Learning

The prevalence and effects of lagging or delayed early literacy and motor skill development in children of low-SES backgrounds is a significant issue that can have adverse developmental consequences and affect children's ability to succeed in school (Evans, 2004; NELP, 2008; Stodden et al., 2008). This study examined the impact of the Reading and Motor Program for Preschoolers (RaMPP) on the letter knowledge, initial sound awareness, and fundamental motor skills of Head Start preschool children. RaMPP is an integrated curricula model designed to improve child outcomes in early literacy and fundamental motor skill development. The current study had two primary aims: (a) to determine the extent to which the RaMPP intervention was implemented as designed, and (b) to determine the extent to which the RaMPP intervention impacted the alphabet knowledge, initial sound awareness, and fundamental motor skill development of Head Start preschool children relative to Head Start business-as-usual instruction. The study used a two-group pre-posttest experimental design with three Head Start preschool centers and a total of 10 classrooms and 102 students. Classrooms (and children within classrooms) were randomly assigned to the RaMPP intervention condition (5 classrooms; n = 51) and or business-as-usual control condition (5 classrooms; n = 51). Overall fidelity of the RaMPP intervention was 85.41% and it was also determined that there were sufficient distinguishing features of the RaMPP intervention differentiating it from the business-as-usual instruction of the control condition. The results indicated that the RaMPP intervention was significant for lowercase letters (p = .008) and initial sounds (p = .012) outcomes when controlling for age at pretest with medium effect sizes. Results also revealed that there were significant differences between groups on posttest scores for locomotor (p = .001) and object control skills (p = <.001) with large effect sizes.

Committee: Jacqueline Goodway PhD (Advisor); Adrian Rodgers PhD (Advisor); Laura Justice PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Curriculum Development; Early Childhood Education; Education; Literacy; Pedagogy; Physical Education; Preschool Education; Reading Instruction

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2015, Curriculum and Instruction (Education)

This quasi-experimental study investigated the impact that daily writing instruction and bi-weekly pen pal correspondence had on third graders' writing development and reading comprehension in a Midwest, rural elementary school. The treatment group participated in a 12-week writing intervention program in which they exchanged letters with second-grade pen pals on a bi-weekly basis. Letters were informative, expressive, and autonomous, as they were based on daily graphic organizers students completed, on which they wrote about school-related subjects of their choice. The control group did not participate in the writing intervention program, as they received their typical writing instruction. Both groups' reading comprehension scores were assessed via a S.T.A.R. pretest, which was administered prior to the writing treatment, and a S.T.A.R. posttest, which was administered after the writing treatment had concluded. Results showed that students whose writing substantially developed experienced development in the following areas: 1) text structure; 2) written expression; 3) audience awareness; and 4) voice. There was substantial interplay amongst the first three components, which resulted in a pronounced voice throughout students' letters. Conversely, students whose writing did not develop throughout the 12-week period did not develop in the four aforementioned areas, and thus never established a consistent voice in their letters. Quantitative results showed that while between-group differences in the pretest to posttest reading comprehension scores favored the treatment group, the results were not statistically significant.

Committee: Gene Geist Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Krisanna Machemes Ph.D. (Committee Member); Sara Helfrich Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jeesun Jung Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Language Arts; Literacy

Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2024, Educational Leadership

This qualitative study explored the impact of various professional development models in the Science of Reading on teachers' beliefs within a rural school district in southwestern Ohio, conducted amidst the state's implementation of the Dyslexia Law. The research aimed to address gaps in understanding how different approaches, such as LETRS and Orton-Gillingham, influence teachers' instructional beliefs. Data was collected through structured questionnaires completed by 18 educators and in-depth interviews with a subset of 5 participants, providing a comprehensive view of the factors that shape belief changes. The study identified key themes, including the transformative power of long-term, expert-led professional development, the critical role of ongoing coaching and support, and the effectiveness of collaborative and hands-on learning experiences. Findings revealed that professional development with a strong structure, expert facilitation, and opportunities for peer collaboration had the most significant impact on shifting teachers' beliefs toward evidence-based practices aligned with Science of Reading principles. Veteran teachers, in particular, experienced more profound shifts, likely due to the challenge presented to their established instructional beliefs. The research has direct implications for the district's future professional development planning, suggesting that sustained and comprehensive models are most effective in fostering lasting belief changes. By aligning professional development offerings with the principles of the Science of Reading, districts can more effectively address gaps in teachers' initial preparation and reinforce evidence-based practices. These insights not only inform local decision-making but also contribute to broader discussions on best practices in professional development, providing a potential framework for other districts seeking to elevate literacy instruction through targeted professional learning initiatives.

Committee: Dr. Joel Malin (Committee Co-Chair); Dr. Guy Parmigian (Committee Co-Chair); Dr. Ganiva Reyes (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

PHD, Kent State University, 2023, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies

The Science of Reading era has (re)ignited conversations about equitable literacy instruction. Conflicting literacy research and literacy media reports complicate matters further. Guided reading, a ubiquitous form of small group instruction designed to meet readers' needs through individualized conferring and independent reading with instructional-leveled texts, has been under scrutiny and needs more research. This case study investigated guided reading in a third-grade classroom and explored how the classroom community co-constructed reading and the reading process. Theoretically framed by social constructivism, psycholinguistics, socio-psycholinguistics, and sociolinguistics, this ethnographic-informed case study of n=1 third-grade teacher and n=17 students revealed adherences to and deviations from recommended guided reading instruction. The teacher's guided reading enactment was influenced by imperfect professional development and past reading experiences. This led to enacted adherences (schema building before reading, independent reading during reading, text discussions after reading) and deviations (round-robin reading and absence of conferring). These findings suggest value in identifying nonnegotiables of guided reading and possible negotiable elements in deference to teacher agency. Additionally, an examination of reading and the reading process as cultural constructions yielded a set of norms, such as “reading is about the words” and “reading is not an attention sustaining act” that revealed discrepancies between stated values and co-constructed culture. Implications for practice include shifting from expecting a teacher to be a master of reading to instead embracing a reading-in-process stance; and offering professional development that encourages the interrogation of literacy ideologies. Implications for researchers include the need for observational data to report nuanced (mis)understandings and illuminate the complexities of enacting guided r (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Timothy Rasinski (Committee Co-Chair); William Bintz (Committee Co-Chair); Xenia Hadjioannou (Committee Member); Janice Kroeger (Committee Member); Chase Young (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education; Education; Elementary Education; Literacy

Specialist in Education (Ed.S.), University of Dayton, 2023, School Psychology

U.S. students' reading scores fall farther behind each year (Sparks, 2017). Schools have addressed this by focusing on teaching using the science of reading (Moats, 2020). For teachers to teach based on the science of reading, they need to be trained (Bates & Morgan, 2018). LETRS is a professional development (PD) that focuses on the science of reading (Moats, 2019). This mixed-methods study examined if the LETRS PD program made an impact on kindergarten through third grade teachers' classroom Acadience reading composite scores (RCS) and explored their perceptions of the program and their student's data. Participants included six kindergarten through third grade teachers from one rural elementary school in southeastern Ohio who participated in the LETRS PD program with instructional coaches. Analysis of the data revealed that for a majority of teacher, as they attended more of the LETRS PD, their students RCS increased. Through a content analysis, the qualitative data revealed four common topics among teachers which included, COVID-19 made a significant impact on student scores; teachers felt they had better phonics instruction after attending the PD; teachers overall had positive perceptions of the LETRS program; and other factors such as parent support, changes in grades taught, difference in students' performance each year, attendance, availability of classroom aides, and number of students made an impact on their classroom data. Implications for these findings and possible rationale are discussed in this thesis.

Committee: Elana Bernstein (Committee Chair); Amy Ellis (Committee Member); Sawyer Hunley (Committee Member) Subjects: Developmental Psychology; Early Childhood Education; Education; Psychology

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2022, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

Children from all cultural backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses demonstrate speech and language disorders that can have implications on their reading and writing abilities. It is the role of speech language pathologists to help remediate these foundational skills to allow further development of encoding and decoding in the educational setting. The presence of underlying speech and language disorders are often to blame for student deficits in writing abilities that present as writing disorders. School staff need to understand the role of speech language pathologist and the implications of untreated speech and language deficits. Graham et al. (2020) shares a large body of work that aims to strengthen the argument that there is a strong correlation between the presence of speech and language impairments and the effects that they have on student writing. The current investigation is a meta-analysis that replicates and improves on Graham et al.'s research. The current investigation utilizes their existing body of work with the following additions to examine if race, gender, socioeconomic status, location of the study, type of assessment utilized, or publication status generate any significant differences in students' writing abilities. Results of this study support Graham et al.'s conclusion. Both bodies of work agree that the presence of speech and language impairments have a negative impact on students' writing abilities. There was not enough available data to determine if a student's racial background, gender, or socioeconomic status plays a part in the development of encoding. Teachers and school staff need to understand the importance of speech and language disorders and when speech and language intervention is needed to help students' writing skills progress. Language skills are necessary foundational skills that are required to participate in both functional and educational activities.

Committee: Karen Larwin Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Patrick Spearman Ph.D. (Committee Member); Carrie Jackson Ed.D. (Committee Member); Pam Epler Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Reading Instruction; Speech Therapy; Teacher Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Teaching and Learning

Learning to decode is critically important to the process of becoming literate. As such, a thorough understanding of decoding development is critical as well. Extant theories contribute to such an understanding but do not provide a complete description of decoding development; a different theory is needed to address limitations in the extant theories. Overlapping wave theory (Siegler, 1996) provides a different description of cognitive development that has potential to further our understanding of decoding development. A theory that views decoding as a problem-solving, or word-solving, process could provide insights into the multiple ways of thinking in which children engage when learning to identify unfamiliar words and the nature of change in those ways of thinking. The purpose of this study was to describe the moment-by-moment nature of change in word-solving behaviors over nine weeks of tutoring and across increasingly difficult levels of text. Overlapping wave theory (Siegler, 1996) and literacy processing theory (Clay, 2001; as described in Doyle, 2013) provided the theoretical framework for the study. I used an extant dataset that included video recordings of the one-to-one tutoring sessions of eight students (grades 1 through 3) who were reading below grade level. Using a microgenetic design, I examined the students' word-solving behaviors during the assessment portion of the lesson for two out of the four lessons every week. I modeled the changing frequencies of each behavior and examined trends and relationships between the changing behaviors. I compared change between students who were reading at lower and higher levels of development and used qualitative analysis to more fully describe the changes for individual students. The results provide support for the use of overlapping wave theory and literacy processing theory to characterize word-solving development in early readers. Change in word-solving behaviors was continuous and non-linear (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Emily Rodgers (Advisor); Ian Wilkinson (Committee Member); Jerome D'Agostino (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Developmental Psychology; Education; Educational Theory; Elementary Education; Literacy; Reading Instruction

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Arts and Sciences: Psychology

Children are exposed to many novel situations, challenges, and problems in everyday life as they learn to navigate the world. One of these problems is learning to read a word. Fluid reasoning (Gf) and crystallized knowledge (Gc) are potential factors underlying reading development. Gf is applied under novel or unfamiliar situations, whereas Gc is acquired from experience, education, and/or acculturation (Floyd et al., 2007). On the basis of Cattell's Investment Theory (1987), Uta Frith's Stage Model (1985), and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory (1992), the present study sought to determine whether the role of Gf in reading shifts among children in grades 1-7. Within this objective, the study had two main aims: (1) examine direct and indirect effects (through Gc) of Gf on Word Decoding, and (2) examine direct and indirect effects (through Gc and Word Decoding) of Gf on Word Recognition. The guiding hypothesis was that Gf will exert a direct effect on Word Recognition in early grades, but will shift to exerting an indirect role (through Gc and Word Decoding) in later grades. Method: This archival research used data obtained from a broader experimental study conducted at a large Midwestern Children's hospital with children in 1st through 7th grades (n = 147). Mediation and moderation analyses were conducted using the PROCESS macro for SPSS, which tests for the direct effect of Gf on Word Decoding and Word Recognition while also analyzing the indirect effect of Gf on Word Decoding and Word Recognition through Gc. Additionally, these methods tested the moderating effects of grade level, Family Income, and Parental Education. Results: Results indicated that Gf exerted a direct effect on Word Decoding in early grades (grades 1-2) but not in later grades (grades 3-7). Gf also exerted an indirect effect onto Word Recognition through Word Decoding in grades 1-4, but not in grades 5-7. Moreover, Gf exerted an indirect effect on Word Decoding through Gc in l (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Quintino Mano Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Cathleen Stough (Committee Member); Kristen Jastrowski Mano Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2021, Education

The following study examined how using explicit vocabulary instruction during read alouds can impact the listening comprehension of first-grade students. The participants in this study consisted of 12 first grade students from a large public district in Central Ohio during the 2020-2021 school year. The study lasted for six weeks and used a single group interrupted time series design. I used descriptive and inferential statistics to determine if students made growth in their comprehension scores when they were provided with explicit vocabulary instruction compared to when they received no vocabulary instruction. Results from this study indicate that students have a higher comprehension during read alouds when they are provided with explicit vocabulary instruction compared to when they were provided no vocabulary instruction.

Committee: Amy McGuffey (Advisor); Missy McCoy (Committee Member); Brian Yontz (Committee Member); Kristin Farley (Committee Chair) Subjects: Education; Elementary Education

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2018, Educational Administration (Education)

Recent trends in teacher preparation have been toward a clinical model that provides teacher candidates with more authentic classroom experiences that are connected with methods courses. One type of clinical model that is on the rise is known as a professional development school (PDS). PDS structures are formal arrangements between P-12 schools and colleges of teacher preparation designed to provide reciprocal benefits. In many instances, P-12 schools will use the resources from the PDS arrangement to provide additional support needed to assess and instruct their students. This case study looks at one such structure in which PDS teacher candidates provide reading intervention to K-3 struggling readers. The study analyzes pre and post reading assessment data and mentor teacher interviews in order to determine the value of such arrangements. Two years of academic data on first, second, and third graders that participated in the teacher candidate-led intervention was considered. Seven mentor teachers (K-3) participated in focused designed interviews about the teacher candidate-led intervention. While the assessment data did show academic gains in terms of literacy skills, the mentor teacher interviews revealed even more benefits of such an arrangement. Interviews transcripts revealed seven major themes that emerged: differentiation, program logistics, collaboration, influence on K-3 students, influence on teacher candidates, influence on mentor teachers, and background knowledge. Overall, the mentor teachers commented that the collaboration and reflective practice made both teacher candidates and mentor teachers better educators. They stated that the intervention allowed for greater differentiation that provided more individualized instruction to all of the students in their classes. The consistency of the program and the knowledge of the teacher candidates also contributed to the success. Many of the aspects of the teacher candidate-led intervent (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sara Helfrich (Advisor); Dwan Robinson (Committee Member); David Horton (Committee Member); William Larson (Committee Member); Krisanna Machtmes (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education; Education; Educational Leadership; Reading Instruction; School Administration; Teacher Education; Teaching

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2018, Educational Administration (Education)

The purpose of this study was to explore practices from the Reading First Grant implementation, which itself no longer exists, with an intent of identifying those practices that have continued to be utilized through the Response to Intervention process and the practices that have changed in the interim. This research reports the results of an instrumental multi-case study design involving three former high performing Reading First elementary schools that have continued to be successful through Response to Intervention (RtI) as a school framework. A mixed methodology approach incorporating semi-structured interviews, quantitative survey results, and state assessment data were triangulated and analyzed in an attempt to answer by what methods these former high performing Reading First schools have continued to be successful through RtI as a school framework, as well as what leadership practices and current professional development practices have impacted the RtI process. The results of this study may allow others in education and in related disciplines to benefit by learning about practices that have and have not been used effectively in the Reading First implementation and Response to Intervention process. The results of this study may also contribute to the relevant literature regarding leadership practices, which can influence student achievement.

Committee: William Larson (Committee Chair); Sara Helfrich (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Education; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Elementary Education

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2017, Curriculum and Instruction (Education)

Over the past 65 years, the roles of the reading specialist have continually evolved. Historically, reading specialists have been hired by schools to work predominantly with struggling readers (Bean, Cassidy, Grumet, Shelton & Wallis, 2002; Bean, Swan & Knaub, 2003). Reading specialists today serve in a variety of roles within their positions. Reading specialists play an instrumental role in facilitating reading achievement (IRA, 2000; Bean & Dagen, 2012; Helf & Cooke, 2011; Bean et al., 2015). It is important to understand how reading specialists currently fulfill their roles, specifically in public school districts with exemplary literacy programs. Nationally, reading specialists are considered to assume the roles of both teacher leader and expert teacher, teaching struggling readers as well as coaching teachers on multiple levels (Bean & Dagen, 2012; Helf & Cooke, 2011; Kern, 2011). However, there is scant research pertaining to the roles of the reading specialist specific to Ohio's public elementary schools. Further, studies focusing on the roles of reading specialists in exemplary schools were completed more than a decade ago (Bean et al., 2003). Updated research is needed to analyze the evolving roles of reading specialists in contemporary classrooms. This research seeks to answer the question: What are the roles of reading specialists in Ohio's public elementary schools? Further, are there differences in the ways in which Ohio reading specialists are spending their time in schools with high performing literacy programs (exemplary schools) versus low performing literacy programs (non-exemplary schools)? These findings will have direct implications as to the specific roles of reading specialists that are most effective, serving as important information for administrators who hire reading specialists as well as reading specialists themselves. Furthermore, findings may produce implications for those who prepare reading specialists, specifically Ohio Reading E (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sara Helfrich (Committee Chair); Gene Geist (Committee Member); Leonard Allen (Committee Member); Charles Lowery (Committee Member); Candice Thomas-Maddox (Other) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Elementary Education; Literacy; Reading Instruction; Teacher Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1970, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1968, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

MAE, Otterbein University, 2017, Education

The purpose of this study is to explore the connection between oral language development and successful discontinuation from Reading Recovery. Previous studies have confirmed the relationship between oral language and early reading success but have failed to examine if there is a relationship between improving oral language and Reading Recovery outcomes. The study will take place by examining Record of Oral Language scores at the beginning and end of a child's Reading Recovery program along with a child's end of program status of discontinued, recommended, incomplete, or none of the above. Participants include Reading Recovery students in a suburban central Ohio school district during the 2015-2016 school year. Based on the results of this study, determining a relationship will help refine the selection process for Reading Recovery and determine the amount of time and focus that Reading Recovery teachers put on oral language within Reading Recovery lessons.

Committee: Susan Constable (Advisor); Dee Knoblauch (Committee Member); Clare Kilbane (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2015, Elementary Education-Literacy

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between oral reading fluency and reading comprehension through the lens of developing readers in an actual classroom setting. In order to provide targeted fluency instruction, the study implemented the Fluency Development Lesson (FDL), a widely recognized and research-based instructional framework for fluency development, to analyze its impact on the reading comprehension of students in a second grade classroom. The study was conducted in a suburban school district located in a Midwestern state. Twenty-two students between seven and nine years old took part in the study by participating in the FDL daily from September through January. The participant sample employed was a purposeful, nonprobability sample. The researcher was the classroom teacher. The data were collected and analyzed using the 3-Minute Reading Assessment: Word Recognition, Fluency and Comprehension to generate the following scores: (a) word recognition accuracy; (b) automaticity in reading fluency; (c) multidimensional fluency skills including expression and volume, phrasing and intonation, smoothness, and pace; and (d) retelling comprehension. The organization of data for this quasi-expeimental study determined the statistical significance of change and the existence of a correlation between oral reading fluency and comprehension among the second grade students using the analysis of repeated measures and the Pearson's r statistical test. Findings from the data suggested that with regular use of the FDL, significant statistical improvements were seen in retelling comprehension, words read correctly per minute, expression and volume, phrasing and intonation, smoothness, and pace in reading. In this study, the FDL proved to be an effective way of improving students' reading performance in fluency and comprehension skills. In conclusion, using the FDL in the classroom has the potential to provide positive outcomes for student readi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lisa Lenhart Dr. (Advisor); Xin Liang Dr. (Committee Member); Brandi Noll Dr. (Committee Member); Alfred Daviso Dr. (Committee Member); Ronald Otterstetter Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Curriculum Development; Education; Literacy; Reading Instruction

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2013, EDU Policy and Leadership

In a climate of assessment and accountability, school districts are constantly on the search for product solutions to the pressing issue of student reading performance, as assessed by annual state standardized accountability testing. In an attempt to increase student reading growth rates, some districts are turning to formative assessment systems, such as the formative online reading assessment Diagnostic Online Reading Assessment, or DORA (commercially available from Let's Go Learn, Inc.), in order to encourage more differentiated classroom instruction and as a growth monitoring tool for instruction. The implementation of DORA, while top-down in nature, is being done in collaboration with the product developers, whose professional development model utilizes a Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) framework, providing for extensive administrator support, modeling of usage, using a teacher cohort model, and allowing for teacher concerns to be address during the professional development cycle. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects in student reading growth of the teacher-level implementation decisions and in the top-down, district wide implementation of a formative online reading assessment, as part of district-wide measures to improve student reading performance, and subsequently, student reading test scores. Data was collected from a large, urban school district in Southern California, with a large minority population, many of whom speak English as a second language. Existing student DORA data was collected, while a survey was administered to teachers to collect teacher-level professional development implementation data. Student data and teacher data were analyzed using regression analysis and Hierarchical Linear Modeling to determine 1) the relationship between teacher-level professional development implementation decisions and the overall teacher use of DORA, and 2) the relationship between teacher-level professional development implemen (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jerome D'Agostino (Advisor) Subjects: Continuing Education; Educational Evaluation; Educational Software; Educational Tests and Measurements; Reading Instruction

Doctor of Education, University of Toledo, 2009, Business Administration

Throughout the past eight decades, the research of teaching and assessing early literacy skills has provided teachers with information that vacillates regarding what and how the skills were taught and assessed. However, what has stayed constant in research is that once students struggle with reading, by third grade they will continue to fall behind unless interventions are started in the younger grades (Fletcher, Shaywitz, Shankweiler, Liberman, Stueging, Francis, Fowler, & Shaywitz, 1994; Moats, 2004). Thus, second-grade becomes a pivotal year to make sure struggling readers are provided with interventions that address specific skills. In order to determine which students need which interventions, screening assessments are the first key to start the process of intervention. However, many teachers have not been trained in using screening assessments such as the Dynamic Indicators of Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) oral reading fluency (DORF) probe. Thus, effective professional development that includes initial, follow-up, and ongoing phases is the first step in providing teachers with the knowledge and tools to use screening assessments like DORF. The findings of this study indicate that a positive and negative significant relationship exists between second-grade teachers' initial DIBELS professional development and the percentage of their students showing yearly improvement from their pre- to post-DORF scores of 35 words per year. In addition, a positive significant relationship exists between second-grade teachers' confidence level and the percentage of their students' pre- to post-DORF score improvement of 35 words and 45 words. Moreover, teachers' confidence level predicts the percentage of students improving 45 words from their DORF pre- to- post-scores. However, on closer examination, the majority of struggling students appear to make little gains while as many teachers do not receive follow-up and ongoing professional development. These results indicate that f (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lloyd Roettger Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Barbara Bleyaert Ed.D (Committee Member); Caroline Roettger. Ed.D. (Committee Member); Eileen Carr Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Evaluation; Elementary Education; Literacy; Organization Theory; Reading Instruction; School Administration; Teacher Education