The impact of teacher professional development on the grade 3 reading performance of students with characteristics of dyslexia.

Using statewide archival data, this study identified third graders meeting the state's criteria for having characteristics of dyslexia and their core reading teachers of record. Analyses explored whether teachers' participation in various amounts of state-provided knowledge training with/out participation in ongoing coaching was associated with their identified students' (a) growth on a universal reading screener (URS) or (b) scores on summative state test performance. Students tended to have slower URS growth when their teachers participated in PD beyond the state-required minimum, and growth was significantly slower when teachers were coached on implementing high-quality instructional materials (HQIM). Results were similar across models using various performance ranges for identification of dyslexia characteristics, and no subgroups would have met criteria for being exited from the dyslexia characteristics designation at the end of the year. However, students had higher state test scores when their teachers participated in additional PD beyond the minimum, and performance was significantly higher when the PD included coaching on HQIM implementation. There was some variation in significance across the dyslexia characteristics performance ranges, but no subgroups met expectations for on-grade-level reading. Moderator analyses revealed lower state test performance when students had a second-grade teacher with the same form of PD as the third-grade teacher. Results are discussed in light of statewide policies and the implementation of PD at scale.