Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) Dissertations

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Browsing Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) Dissertations by Author "Drinnon, Brooke"

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    A Comparative Study of Accessibility to Professional Supports and Instructional Strategies in Select Schools in Northeast Tennessee
    (2023-04-13) Drinnon, Brooke; Dula, Mark
    Schools and districts spend a great deal of time and money on teacher professional development each year. Previous studies have indicated that the quality and type of support teachers receive may vary from school to school, based on factors such as geographic location and school funding. The purpose of this study is twofold: To determine which teachers are receiving effective professional development supports and to examine whether or not those supports make a difference in teachers’ instructional practice and student achievement. This study analyzes survey responses from teachers and administrators (N=1293) from 65 schools from 18 districts across the northeast Tennessee region who were involved in a 2018-2022 Education Innovation and Research grant. This study's findings point to several similarities and differences between rural and non-rural teachers, Title 1 and non-Title 1 teachers, and elementary and secondary teachers. The most significant findings indicate that there may be gaps in access to certain professional development supports depending on a school’s locale, the socioeconomic status of its students, or the grade level taught. Other significant findings of this study reveal a relationship between certain professional development supports and teachers’ instructional practices, access to and use of student data, and, ultimately, student achievement. According to this research, some professional development supports have a greater impact than others.