Date of Award

Fall 2025

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Department

Educational Studies

First Advisor

Henry Tran

Abstract

Riverbend School District faced a challenge: the lack of a formalized structure for providing schools with targeted support that meets their unique needs and increases student achievement. This study explored how the district-level instructional team could customize support to improve English Language Arts and Math performance at schools with low student achievement. The theory of improvement posited that district instructional leaders engaging in assistance relationships – through modeling instructional leadership and providing conceptual and practical tools – would enhance school leaders' capacity, ultimately improving teaching and learning. A key action of the improvement team was the creation and implementation of the Collaborative Impact Protocol to operationalize this working theory. Using an improvement science multi-method design across two Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, this study focused primarily on qualitative semi structured interviews and focus groups, supplemented with descriptive analysis of quantitative data.

Key findings revealed the critical need for differentiated school support, alongside significant human resource and systemic challenges in providing it. Encouragingly, observed improvements included increased principal confidence, shifts in teacher practice and engagement, positive changes in school culture, and progress toward ELA and Math goals. This disciplined inquiry reinforced how continuous improvement methods lead to a refined understanding of a problem of practice and the development of formalized, effective processes to address it. Overall, the study provided deep learning about the problem, improvement methods, and the leadership required to sustain system-wide change.

Rights

© 2025, Mary Ashley Gaskins

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