ORCID

https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4910-0958

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Education Specialties (Ph.D.)

Department

Education Specialties

First Advisor

Roger Bloom

Second Advisor

Rita M. Bean

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate district-level literacy leadership (DLLL), focusing on the leadership behaviors enacted by district-level literacy leaders, their alignment with the International Literacy Association Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals (2017), and their use of systems thinking principles to influence literacy improvement in K–12 settings. The study addressed a critical gap in the literature regarding how DLLLs function at the district level to mediate between policy and classroom practice. Participants included six DLLLs from Central Texas public school districts. All participants held advanced degrees, had at least two years of district-level literacy leadership experience, and served in specialized literacy professional roles as defined by the ILA. A qualitative multiple-case study design was employed. Data sources included semi-structured interviews, direct observations, artifact analysis, and researcher field notes. A hybrid inductive-deductive coding approach was used, supported by triangulation and reflexive journaling to ensure trustworthiness. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1979) and Barry Richmond’s Systems Thinking Framework (1993) guided the analysis. Findings revealed that effective DLLL practice is both standards-driven and adaptive to context. Leaders enacted behaviors aligned with the ILA Standards while also drawing on relational leadership capacities not explicitly captured within the framework. Evidence of systems thinking emerged as a critical lens through which leaders navigated feedback loops, leveraged organizational structures, and aligned literacy initiatives across levels of the system. The study contributes to literacy leadership scholarship by illuminating how DLLLs operationalize standards and systems thinking to lead systemic change. Implications include refining professional standards to better reflect district-level responsibilities, creating targeted preparation pathways, and developing analytic tools and networks to support ongoing leadership development. Together, these insights position DLLLs as central agents of instructional coherence and literacy improvement in complex educational systems.

Download

Share

COinS