The authors evaluated the effectiveness of a professional development effort that was part of a 2-year Reading Excellence Act grant in a high-poverty, rural elementary school in the southeastern United States. The authors analyzed data sources, including observations, semistructured interviews, focus-group interviews, school climate inventories,…

Professional development that increases quality classroom instruction is a concern of school administrators and professional educators. Using survey, observation, and interview methods, four rural schools in the Upper Cumberland area of Tennessee were examined to determine if professional development supported by the Reading Excellence Act…