ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a synthesis of the frequently cited studies in the literature on both effective schools and teachers. Some researchers have concentrated their attention on effective teachers of literacy in high-poverty schools, while others have sought to illuminate the practices of teachers in a range of classrooms in their respective countries. In Ireland, Eivers et al. found that up to a quarter of children do not receive the minimum weekly allocation of time for literacy. Teachers agreed to meet weekly for an hour in study groups within and across grade levels, and the professional development provided focused on various components of literacy instruction. An observational framework was constructed based on the work of the Knapp study which emphasized the need for high-poverty schools to focus on teaching in a meaning-oriented manner, and also the work of Guthrie and Anderson which stresses the importance of engagement and motivation in literacy teaching.
