Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

School of Education

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

Dyslexia is a reading disability that heavily affects a student’s phonological processing and ability to decode. Because of the high prevalence of dyslexia, it is important that educators understand dyslexia. By looking inside three specialized schools, this research study sought to understand how students with dyslexia can be supported in an educational setting.

This qualitative, multiple-case research analyzed three specialized schools through questionnaires, interviews, observations, and curriculum and instructional materials. Understanding how a community of practice at each school was envisioned offered much insight into the unique supports in each school as well as similar themes that were found across schools. This study focused on the three main components of a community of practice: the domain, the community, and the practice.

Across schools, the domain in each community of practice was created through a shared commitment to dyslexia, specialized teacher training, and administrative support. The communities were sustained through teacher collaboration and school support for continuous learning to increase teacher expertise through teacher professional development. The practices within each school provided students with intensive, daily dyslexia intervention from accredited curricula and trained teachers. Additionally, the study found the themes of dyslexia accommodations and adaptive classrooms were made visible across the schools. While the community of practice within each school created a supportive environment for students with dyslexia, challenges were revealed that centered around time and comorbidities.

This study also revealed differences across schools as each school utilized different intervention programs and had a unique school structure. Findings for Lexia School revealed themes of flexibility and Orton-Gillingham support. At Brightside Academy, there was a strong focus on building knowledge and teacher expertise. The third school, Eagleton School, also had unique themes of specialized curriculum, a focus on mastery, and a university connection.

Many insights from this study are useful to dyslexia researchers and educators as there are considerations to scheduling, accommodating, and professional development that can be utilized in a variety of settings. The implications of this study serve to provide insight to educators working with students with dyslexia by providing key considerations for support.

Date

10-23-2024

Committee Chair

Kim Skinner

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