Improving reading instruction through data-driven professional development within the response to intervention model: a case study.

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/d20002388

Reading instruction at the elementary level lacks the implementation of research-based strategies. The purpose of this case study was to explore the process of data-driven professional development in two grade 1 classrooms in order to strengthen classroom reading instruction. The participants include the two classroom teachers and the researcher acting as a coach and member of the collaborative grade-level team. The setting is an elementary school that has been successfully implementing the Response to Intervention model for three years. This case study focused on the use of student achievement data within the RTI model and coaching to strengthen Tier 1 classroom reading instruction by infusing the instruction with research-based practices. A logic model was used to compare observed events with theoretically-predicted events. Data collection included field notes, observations, interviews, and student achievement data (AIMSweb). Qualitative data analysis, including coding, helped to provide a thick description of the process, while student achievement data provided descriptive data regarding the ultimate outcomes observed within the two classrooms.