PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR INCREASING TEACHER PRAXIS IN READING INSTRUCTION FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS

In California, students from low economic backgrounds are disproportionately identified as low achieving in reading, often failing to meet grade-level standards. Effective instruction, teacher perceptions, and resource access influence reading achievement and motivation. Against this backdrop, the study used improvement science to test and modify reading instruction and intervention strategies at a Southern California public school. The small-scale improvement project involved five K–6 elementary teachers collaborating in a focus group to develop themes for improving reading and increasing motivation among struggling readers in self-contained, mainstream classes.