THE EFFECT OF USING TARGETED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PLANS TO IMPLEMENT THE READING HORIZONS PHONICS PROGRAM ON 3RD GRADE READING ACHIEVEMENT AND TEACHER SELF-EFFICACY IN A TITLE I ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Abstract

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States and North Carolina have seen a downward trend in the number of elementary students that are considered proficient in reading. North Carolina lawmakers passed Senate Bill 387 "Excellent Public Schools Act of 2021" to increase the reading achievement of students. Senate Bill 387 mandated the implementation of the science of reading into pre-k to fifth grade ELA classrooms. This study took place in an elementary school in rural northeastern North Carolina. African American and Hispanic students make up 67% of the school's student population. The percentage of third graders that were proficient on their End of Grade assessment had declined since the pandemic. To increase the reading foundation of students that had experienced inconsistent reading instruction during the pandemic, the Reading Horizons explicit phonics program was implemented in every third-grade classroom. A conceptual framework was developed to increase the chances of success when implementing a new initiative by using a targeted professional learning plan. A targeted professional learning plan was employed to monitor and evaluate the implementation process. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a target professional learning plan on teacher self-efficacy, the ability to implement the program, and student achievement. Findings indicate that implementing a targeted professional learning plan led to a small increase in teacher self-efficacy and student reading achievement.