Abstract

This paper reports on a multi-school professional learning project intended to support teachers to improve their instructional skills for children with reading difficulties. Forty-nine Year Two teachers and school-based literacy coordinators from seven metropolitan schools in an Australian capital city participated in a professional learning program throughout one school year. The impact of the professional learning program was evaluated using standardized measures of student outcomes as well as surveys of teacher knowledge and satisfaction. The overall outcomes of the project were positive, with accelerated outcomes for the students overall, but there were lessons to be learnt regarding researching and delivering professional learning in schools. In particular, the complexities associated with professional learning in a multiple school context are explored, as is ensuring research is conducted effectively to enable evaluation of the outcomes.