Exploring instructional differences and school performance in high-poverty elementary schools

ABSTRACT

In the United States, federal funding under Title 1 is provided to schools to improve academic achievement for disadvantaged students. Many students attending schools eligible for Title 1 funding are from families in poverty and at risk for negative outcomes. Identifying instructional factors that mitigate this risk must be a priority for teachers and school administrators, especially in high-poverty schools. Active instruction that increases student engagement has long been identified as a critical element of academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' use of teacher behaviors representing active instruction (specifically, provision of opportunities to respond [OTR] and feedback) in 22 high- and low-performing Title 1 elementary schools. Results of multilevel modeling indicated that although school-level variance was limited, teachers varied in rates of group OTR and negative feedback across schools: teachers in high performing schools delivered higher rates of group OTR and lower rates of negative feedback. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Achievement gap
• effective instruction
• feedback
• multilevel modeling
• opportunity to respond

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Regina G. Hirn

Regina G. Hirn is an assistant professor at the University of Louisville. Her current research interests include learning strategies for students with learning and behavior disorders and strategies for promoting positive student–teacher interactions during instruction.

Alexandra Hollo

Alexandra Hollo is an assistant professor at West Virginia University. Her current research is dedicated to developing an evidence base for best practices in supporting students with comorbid language, learning, and behavioral disorders.

Terrance M. Scott

Terrance M. Scott is a professor and distinguished university scholar at the University of Louisville. His research interests include the role of instructional variables in managing student behavior, schoolwide prevention systems, and functional behavior assessment intervention.