Small Change: A Multilevel Study of the Implementation of Literature-Based Instruction

In this article, we describe the findings from a 5-year multilevel project in which we studied 4 high-poverty school districts that were attempting to change to a literature-based literacy curriculum in line with State Department of Education manifestos. The various studies in the project drew on cl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Peabody journal of education 1998, Vol.73 (3-4), p.81-103
Main Authors: Johnston, Peter, Allington, Richard L., Guice, Sherry, Brooks, Gregory W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Administrator Attitudes
Centralization
Children
Childrens Literature
Curricula
Decentralization
Educational administration
Educational Change
Elementary Education
Interviews
Learning
Literacy
Literacy Education
Pedagogy
Poverty
Reading Instruction
Reading Skills
School Districts
Teacher Attitudes
Teachers
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Summary:In this article, we describe the findings from a 5-year multilevel project in which we studied 4 high-poverty school districts that were attempting to change to a literature-based literacy curriculum in line with State Department of Education manifestos. The various studies in the project drew on class- room observations, interviews with teachers and administrators, and various documents and reports from schools, the State Department of Education, and the media. Our analyses reveal the obstacles to change and some of the unintended effects of change methods. In particular, we document substantial differences between centralized and decentralized districts in their relationships and ways of talking. We conclude that unless there is radical change in the ways that administrators and policymakers view educational change, literacy instruction in the 21st century will remain much the same as it is now.
ISSN:0161-956X
1532-7930
DOI:10.1080/0161956X.1998.9681887