Orchestrating expertise in reading and writing

With increased attention focused on the economic cache afforded through literacy and numeracy skills, governments around the world have turned their attention to developing the expertise of their teachers. Improving teachers' levels of competency leads to improvement in student achievement. In this qualitative case study, we focus on the Educational Foundations Program, in Ontario, Canada, established in part to develop competencies in the area of literacy instruction by addressing teachers' content knowledge. Serious questions about the ways in which the notion of ‘expertise’ is understood and developed arose as the programme was implemented. We examine notions of expertise and the experiences of teachers, administrators and curriculum leaders charged with orchestrating expertise in reading and writing in their respective districts.