Professional Development Needs Based on Writing Teachers' Preparation, Practices, and Perceptions about Teaching Writing to Struggling Students

In an urban K-8 school, standardized assessment scores in writing declined 27% from the year 2007 to the year 2010. The scores indicated that the percentage of students scoring proficient or above in writing declined, while the population demographics remained stable. The purpose of this study was to examine elementary writing teachers' preparation, practices, and perceptions about teaching writing to struggling students. This study was grounded in the conceptual framework of the professional learning community (PLC), where individuals strive to create an intentional culture of hope and change; and differentiated instruction, focused on tailoring instruction to meet the diverse needs of learners. The research goals of the study were to identify how and why elementary writing teachers differentiate writing instruction for struggling students along with teachers' views of potential professional development needs. A case study design with a critical case sample of 5 teachers was employed. Emergent themes were extracted from the interview data, validated with member checking, and triangulated with themes that emerged from best practices in the literature. An analysis of the data revealed an alternative solution for the adverse effects of declining scores. Teachers needed collaboration time to review student data and plan differentiated instruction, as well as systematic professional development in effective instructional strategies for writing and differentiated instruction. This study may impact social change through the creation of school-wide initiatives to incorporate PLCs in the area of writing. The initiatives will assist teachers in improving writing instruction and thus contribute to improved writing scores for students.