Date of Conferral

11-15-2024

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Education

Advisor

Ellen Scales

Abstract

South Carolina implemented its Read to Succeed (RTS) policy in 2014 in accordance with federal requirements. The problem addressed in this study was that there are many students in South Carolina Title I schools still failing to achieve reading proficiency after 3 years of full implementation of RTS. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of administrators from successful Title I elementary schools on their roles in the change process needed for implementing RTS. The conceptual framework was Fullan’s change theory. For this basic qualitative design, data were collected from semistructured interviews with seven participants who served as principals and reading coaches in successful Title I schools. The data were coded manually using first cycle coding and second cycle coding, then the data were analyzed thematically. The emergent themes are: (a) educational leadership and vision, (b) curriculum needs and systems of support, (c) effective communication structures and (d) feedback and continuous improvement. The results of the analyses identified behaviors related to each of the four domains of change. The findings support positive social change by providing guidance to administrators in Title I schools when enacting change to increase student achievement which may contribute to closing the achievement gap between disadvantaged populations and their affluent counterparts. The findings may also support administrators by adding to the knowledge about the role administrators play in turning around failing schools.

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