03/12/2025
By Zakkiyya Witherspoon

The School of Education invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Jeffrey A. Schoonover "Improving Instruction Through Targeted, Actionable Feedback in a Co-teaching Model: The Impact of Using a Classroom Walkthrough Instrument Emphasizing High-Leverage Practices for Inclusive Classrooms”

Candidate: Jeffrey A. Schoonover
Degree: Doctoral- Leadership in Schooling
Defense Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Remote Zoom link
Thesis/Dissertation Title: "Improving Instruction Through Targeted, Actionable Feedback in a Co-teaching Model: The Impact of Using a Classroom Walkthrough Instrument Emphasizing High-Leverage Practices for Inclusive Classrooms”

Dissertation Committee
Dissertation Chair: Michelle Scribner, Ed.D., Clinical Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Dissertation Committee Member: Robai Werunga, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Dissertation Committee Member: Colleen Tapley, Ed.D., Assistant Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Dissertation Committee Member: Yanfen Li, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Francis College of Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract
This study examines the impact of school administrators’ targeted, actionable feedback to teachers on instructional improvement within a co-teaching model. The research focuses on the Pottersville School District, where students with disabilities (SWD) experience persistent achievement gaps compared to their peers. Utilizing a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) improvement science cycle, this study implements a structured Walkthrough Observation Tool (WOT) to enhance administrators’ instructional feedback. The research investigates teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of feedback quality before and after implementing the WOT, along with its effects on teachers’ use of high-leverage practices (HLPs) in inclusive classrooms, upon which the WOT was developed. The mixed-methods study includes survey responses, classroom observations, and feedback samples collected over a four-week intervention. Findings indicate that administrators provided more specific, timely, and actionable feedback, leading to increased teaching efficacy, higher levels of instructional reflection and adjustments from teachers, higher student engagement in co-taught classrooms, and improved relationships between teachers and administrators. The study underscores the critical role of school leaders in shaping an inclusive and high-expectations learning environment. Implications include the need for sustained professional development, reevaluating the co-teaching model of instruction, and increased principal engagement in classrooms. By refining feedback mechanisms, schools can enhance instructional quality and create more equitable learning opportunities for SWD. This research contributes to the field of educational leadership by demonstrating how the provision of timely, targeted, and actionable feedback can support school leaders in fostering an inclusive and high-performing instructional culture.