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New and Experienced Teachers in a School Reform Initiative: The Example of Reading First

Region:

Northwest

Description:

This study compares the experiences and perceptions of new and experienced teachers in 235 schools in six western states (Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming) that have adopted the Reading First school reform initiative. Using previously collected data from surveys and interviews, the study considers four areas of the reform initiative for bringing all K–3 students up to grade level in reading by grade 3: instructional coaches, teacher collaboration, use of student assessment data, and support for reform. The study found three differences in new teachers' experiences with their reading coach (in amount of feedback, requested help, and belief that interactions with coaches changed their instruction practices), but not in overall perceptions of support from reading coaches. It also found that new teachers' confidence in their ability to use data for tasks such as grouping students and understanding schoolwide trends was significantly lower than that of experienced teachers. The study found no differences between the two groups in their perceptions of collaborative grade-level meetings—both agreed that the meetings were a good use of their time—or in their overall support for Reading First.

Publication Type:

Issues & Answers

Online Availability:
Publication Date:
November 2009
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