Literacy Training in an Urban High School Professional Learning Community.

Literacy Training in an Urban High School Professional Learning Community by Vicki Ross-Norris MA, Villanova University, 1984 BS, University of the District of Columbia, 1973 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Teacher Leadership Walden University April 2017 Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the essence of professional learning experiences shared by teachers who participated in a professional learning community (PLC) at a New York City high school in the South Bronx. Guided by Hord‘s PLC characteristics and Bruner’s constructivism theories, this phenomenological study addressed the research questions of what PLC practices urban high school teachers employ to support the academic-literacy achievement of their students of low social economic status (SES); the role of administration in the PLC process; and the roles of a shared mission, values, vision, norms, and collaborative knowledge on the functioning of the PLC. Data collected from the 6 PLC teachers included semi-structured individual interviews, observations of PLC meetings over a 2-month period, participating teacher reflective journal entries, and a researcher’s log. Manual data analysis consisted of reading raw data multiple times. Additionally, concept and descriptive coding approaches facilitated data source analysis. Gerund words and short phrases generated labels and categories that resulted symbolic representation. The results were that the urban high school teachers demonstrated Hord’s PLC characteristics and Bruner’s constructivism theories within their PLC’s practices and principles leading to decision-making and solutions to problems such as improving teachers’ literacy practices, students’ literacy skills andThe purpose of this study was to explore the essence of professional learning experiences shared by teachers who participated in a professional learning community (PLC) at a New York City high school in the South Bronx. Guided by Hord‘s PLC characteristics and Bruner’s constructivism theories, this phenomenological study addressed the research questions of what PLC practices urban high school teachers employ to support the academic-literacy achievement of their students of low social economic status (SES); the role of administration in the PLC process; and the roles of a shared mission, values, vision, norms, and collaborative knowledge on the functioning of the PLC. Data collected from the 6 PLC teachers included semi-structured individual interviews, observations of PLC meetings over a 2-month period, participating teacher reflective journal entries, and a researcher’s log. Manual data analysis consisted of reading raw data multiple times. Additionally, concept and descriptive coding approaches facilitated data source analysis. Gerund words and short phrases generated labels and categories that resulted symbolic representation. The results were that the urban high school teachers demonstrated Hord’s PLC characteristics and Bruner’s constructivism theories within their PLC’s practices and principles leading to decision-making and solutions to problems such as improving teachers’ literacy practices, students’ literacy skills and classroom behavior, and school wide Individualized Educational Plan process. The findings of this study support the engagement of urban high school teachers in selfdirected PLC activities that may promote social change by improving literacy instruction and literacy achievement among students of low SES. Literacy Training in an Urban High School Professional Learning Community by Vicki Ross-Norris MA, Villanova University 1984 BS, University of the District of Columbia, 1973 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Teacher Leadership Walden University April 2017 Dedication This body of work is dedicated to my daughter, without whose caring support it would not have been possible to take my doctoral journey. Additionally, I dedicate my research study to my loving parents, Roderick Ronald and Estelle Blackwell, and my brother Roderick Ronald Ross, Jr., who passed on a love for learning, reading, and respect for education. It is their accumulative strengths, love, and the memories of them, I carry and for which my mere expression of thanks does not suffice. Acknowledgments I would not have been able to take this journey nor write this doctoral study without the patient help and support of the many kind people I met along the way, to only a few is it possible to mention here. Without the dedication and tireless assistance of Dr. Gipe and Dr. Dimarzo, I would have not been able to complete my doctoral study. Dr. Gipe’s unsurpassed knowledge about the importance of teacher leadership, literacy, and social change were guideposts as I walked through my ideas and those of the countless scholars I read along my way. Additionally, Dr. Gipe’s belief in my effort to reform the urban educational system of our nation was the wind beneath my wings when it seemed to be no breeze to guide me through my mission. Dr. Dimarzo was the second breath of air from which I drew from during my doctoral exploration. Dr. Gipe and Dr. Dimarzo’s invaluable academic knowledge and thoughtful responses increased my knowledge and understanding for which I am extremely grateful. Last, but not least, I thank Maggie Linton, Andrea Caputo, Shira Eve Epstein, and Daniel Voloch, for their friendship, sincere support, and assistance throughout my journey.