Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Paul Kasunich

Abstract

Grade 3–5 students in southeastern Arkansas are reading below grade level despite the efforts of educators. The study explored educator perceptions of the Reading Initiative for Student Excellence (R.I.S.E.) professional development, in which educators learn about Science of Reading (SOR) instructional strategies and how to implement them in the classroom. The conceptual framework used for the study was Bandura's social cognitive theory. Research questions addressed how the R.I.S.E. professional development improved teaching methods to support students' reading achievement in low socioeconomic schools, as well as educators' perceptions of the R.I.S.E. professional development to support student achievement in low socioeconomic schools. This qualitative bound case study used open-ended questions guided by social cognitive theory to interview educators. Ten educators were purposefully sampled. Interviews were transcribed, member checked, and coded. The following themes were identified: helpful for student accomplishment, there was a lot of material to take in and remember, the capacity to grasp instructional methods, and confidence in using instructional strategies. Results were used to create a professional development to help refresh educators in low socioeconomic elementary schools on the SOR instructional strategies through a 3-day training that gave them practice on how to use the strategies in their classrooms. The results of this study may help teachers of students in Grades 3–5 grasp SOR instructional practices and opportunities for R.I.S.E. professional development, which may influence social change by providing better resources for low socioeconomic schools.

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