District-Wide Instructional Leadership for Literacy Analyzing Tasks that District Leaders Undertake to Guide Primary-Level Reading Programming at the Site and District Level

Significant time and research have been invested into how elementary school staff can change the trajectory for early readers, with limited success in changing reading outcomes in grades 5K-2. While research exists, important issues need further study in order to provide guidance for district-level leaders of teaching and learning to ensure that their leadership actions establish the essential conditions for reading outcomes to improve in grades 5K-2.My study was designed to address this perceived gap in the literature, uncovering the essential conditions in elementary schools where reading outcomes are improving and the leadership tasks district-level leaders have undertaken to lead for improved reading outcomes at the 5K-2 grade levels. A comparative qualitative analysis was chosen to provide rich, thick descriptions of the essential conditions and leadership actions undertaken by district-level leaders, and to examine how practitioners make meaning of the tasks they undertake to improve reading outcomes for all learners. This qualitative comparative analysis was conducted by studying three public school districts in the state of Wisconsin with student enrollment between 3,000 and 10,000, and a district-level leader of teaching and learning in each district whose responsibility is to grow early reading outcomes. Bolman and Deal's Four Frames (2017) conceptual framework was applied to analyze the data that emerged about the directors of teaching and learning. Data gathered from the three school districts was obtained through artifact review, interviews, and observations. Through my analysis, ten leadership tasks undertaken by district-level leaders for teaching and learning who are leading districts with improving outcomes in grades 5K-2 emerged. These ten leadership tasks are captured within this study. The findings of this study will provide guidance for district-level leaders of teaching and learning as they strive to improve reading outcomes for students in grades 5K-2. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]