There is variability from teacher to teacher in terms of individual philosophies of reading and reading instruction. Within each of the schools in this study, wide variation was found among teachers. There is also confusion about what the district s position is on reading instruction. It is also the case that individual teachers have little control over certain district policies that influence instruction, such as the scheduling of time for teachers to plan together and the amount of communication and planning with special teachers. Classrooms environments are warm and supportive, where students are actively involved in learning and allowed to ask questions, talk, and move about as needed.
Teachers interact with students individually as well as in groups.
Little or no use is made of standardized test information with respect to informing instruction, with most teachers reporting they never see students test scores. Teachers were in agreement that district-wide professional development in reading instruction and strategies, as well as reading assessment would be helpful. Teachers reported spending little time planning with other teachers at their grade level, and little or no time planning with teachers across grade levels. Nearly all of the teachers who participated in this study cited the need for planning time during the school day. Recommendations Our focus on teachers beliefs about reading and reading instruction was quite revealing regarding how teachers approached reading instruction within the context of the current program.