Exploring a Literacy Partnership to Inform Educational Leadership: The Story of Calgary Reads

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dc.contributor.advisorBrandon, Jim
dc.contributor.authorDevitt, Laura
dc.contributor.committeememberLenters, Kimberly A.
dc.contributor.committeememberSeidel, Jackie
dc.contributor.committeememberSpring, Erin
dc.contributor.committeememberAnderson, Jim
dc.date2019-11
dc.date.accessioned2019-07-22T21:09:04Z
dc.date.available2019-07-22T21:09:04Z
dc.date.issued2019-07-22
dc.description.abstractAbstract. This study focuses on a significant challenge in an educational leader’s role; working to ensure success for all students. Consistent, strong leadership at both school and district levels can positively impact outcomes for students. While school leadership can create the conditions that encourage high-quality teaching and improved outcomes for students, education system leadership can create the conditions that allow school leaders to be successful. It is widely recognized that a child’s journey to becoming literate is closely linked to future learning. In such complex and demanding work, educational leaders often find themselves grappling for the best possible approaches and practices to improving literacy outcomes. In some instances, educational leaders seek opportunities to collaborate with community support. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to investigate one such community program in an attempt to inform the literacy practices of school-based and system-based educational leaders. The community program examined in this study was Calgary Reads, a literacy-focused agency which collaborates with schools and school districts around literacy, including providing early literacy interventions in elementary school settings. Interviews with the organization’s executive director, one district leader, four school-based leaders, twelve classroom teachers and eight children, all who are supported by Calgary Reads, provided the study’s data. In total, 26 participant stories were gathered, presented, and thematically analyzed. The narrative analysis revealed the strongly expressed need for ongoing, meaningful professional learning opportunities in early literacy for leaders and teachers. From this overarching narrative theme, recommendations regarding system and school supports, leader and teacher professional learning needs and decision-making approaches regarding early literacy in schools and school systems are provided. Keywords: educational leadership, literacy, professional development, community.en_US
dc.identifier.citationDevitt, L. (2019). Exploring a Literacy Partnership to Inform Educational Leadership: The Story of Calgary Reads (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/36759
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/110658
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisher.facultyWerklund School of Educationen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subjectLiteracyen_US
dc.subjectReadingen_US
dc.subjectLanguage Artsen_US
dc.subjectEducational Leadershipen_US
dc.subjectTeachersen_US
dc.subjectTeachingen_US
dc.subjectInterventionen_US
dc.subjectEarly Literacyen_US
dc.subjectPartnershipsen_US
dc.subjectSystem Leadershipen_US
dc.subjectCommunityen_US
dc.subjectProfessional Learningen_US
dc.subjectProfessional Developmenten_US
dc.subjectTeachingen_US
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Administrationen_US
dc.titleExploring a Literacy Partnership to Inform Educational Leadership: The Story of Calgary Readsen_US
dc.typedoctoral thesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineAnthropologyen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgaryen_US
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Education (EdD)en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrueen_US
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