Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Dennis Triplett
Committee Member
Anne Joslin
Committee Member
Maryellen Maher
Keywords
achievement, Alabama, alternative schools, career interests, curriculum modifications, direct instruction, Fews Alternative School, field experiences, job shadowing, literacy, Montgomery, partnerships, principal commitment, QRI, reading, reading deficit, reading improvement, Reading POWER, recidivism, Stanford Achievement Test-10, student motivation, teacher training
Abstract
This applied dissertation describes an intervention at Fews Alternative School in Montgomery, Alabama. Data from the QRI (Leslie & Caldwell, 1996) showed that the majority of students at Fews had reading problems, as was projected by this researcher. Ninety-two percent of the students recommended to Fews were determined to have a severe reading deficit. In order for these students to experience any measure of success upon returning to their home school, an intervention to improve their reading needed to be implemented. Of the 122 students referred to Fews, 114 of them were determined to have reading problems. The researcher implemented a literature-based solution strategy at Fews. The intervention, Reading POWER (Positive Option with Education and Reading), resulted in reading improvement for 64% of the students according to the Stanford Achievement Test-10 and for 71% according to the QRI. The expected outcome of 95% of students improving their reading was not met. The expected outcome that the recidivism rate for Fews students would be reduced from 64% to 32% was exceeded. Reading POWER spanned nine months. The intervention ran from November 2002 through June 2003.
Reading POWER consisted of the following components: (a) principal, administration, and teacher commitment and training: These individuals went through training in the various areas of reading improvement in order to assist the Fews students; (b) curriculum modifications: The principal, administrators, and teachers added reading as a major component of the Fews curriculum. The methodology for teaching the areas of reading focus were direct instruction; (c) student motivation program: The researcher established partnerships with businesses that have jobs that meet the career interests of the Fews participants in order for the businesses to share how reading connects to the job. Where possible, the researcher set-up job shadowing and field experiences so that students could see the importance of Reading POWER.