Influenced by current legislation calling for full alignment to the science of reading, literacy instruction in Ohio has started shifting. Additionally, Ohio has devoted funds for literacy coaching to improve students' literacy achievement outcomes on state assessments. This correlative study analyzed the relationship between school districts that…

The purpose of this study was to describe challenges identified by participants from three cohorts in a methods training workshop meant to strengthen evidence-based intervention knowledge and practice. Since passage of the "Every Student Succeeds Act" (ESSA), educational leaders and decision-makers have been charged with ensuring that…

Background: Research highlights the value of coaching to support elementary school teachers' use of effective classroom practices (Cappella et al., 2012; Owens et al., 2017). Coaching is particularly useful when teachers implement new or complex strategies, which can include culturally-responsive and equity-centered practices (i.e. strategies that…

Though scholars agree that professional development (PD) is a key mechanism for implementing education policies that call for teacher change, and that PD generally needs to be content-focused, active, collaborative, coherent, and sustained, the application of this framework has yielded mixed results. In this qualitative study, we employed…

Research demonstrating principals' impact on student learning outcomes has fueled the shift from principals as facilities managers to an emphasis on instructional leadership (Hallinger & Heck, 1996; Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2004; Marzano, Waters, & McNulty, 2005). Principals are under increasing pressure to carry out…

Developing excellent principals who can set direction, develop people, redesign organizations, and lead instruction requires a system of high-quality preparation and professional development. This paper summarizes the elements of high-quality principal preparation and professional development programs that have been associated with positive school…