Educational change process: A case study of a rural school district's reading reform

Beginning reading instruction is the subject of much debate in educational fields as well as in the political arena. The product of such debates is often a push to reform reading programs and teachers are targeted as the ones to carry out these reforms. If reading educators have been actively involved in a reading change process, what are their concerns about change and the influence of mandated legislation?; The purpose of this qualitative research study was to examine how teachers and administrators initiated and implemented a balanced reading innovation. It also investigated how the Concerns-Based Adoption Model identified teachers' concerns during the implementation of the innovation and the impact of "No Child Left Behind" legislation. Leadership also emerged as a key aspect of change in this study.; Results of this study will provide insight into educators' responses to reading reform and how that translates into their current instructional decision-making processes and student learning. It also provides insight for change facilitators and the importance of recognizing individual stages of development within a change process.