Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Karen Kimball
Committee Member
Lucille Beisner
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
ability-based block scheduling, ability-based instruction, action-oriented instruction, academics/cognition, at-risk students, behavior, communication, course grades, Developmental Teaching Objectives Rating Form-Revised, foster care, grade equivalents, inclusive instruction, intellectual ability, mathematics achievement, mathematics interventions, Ohio Ninth Grade Proficiency Tests, post-test measures, pre-test measures, proficiency test scores, reading achievement, reading interventions, reality-based instruction, self-contained classrooms, social/emotional development, socialization, special education, Test of Written Language, varying ability levels, written language assessment, youth in foster care
Abstract
The problem, addressed by this applied dissertation was 43 at-risk special education students who lived in foster care and functioned below grade level in reading and mathematics in comparison to same age peers despite exposure to various reading and mathematics interventions in self-contained classroom settings. These students also had varying levels of intellectual ability. Specifically, the problem was that pre-test (baseline) measures indicated 70% of students scored at or below the 5.4 grade level in reading and 70% of students below this level were in grades 8 through 11. In terms of mathematics, 60% of students were functioning at or below the 6.4 grade level and 69% of students below this level were in grades 8 through 11.
Conceptually, it was posited that these students would develop socially and emotionally while improving academically with the use of an ability-based block schedule model. This model took students out of self-contained instruction and put them into more inclusive ability-based instruction for reading and mathematics. A number of factors, models of instruction, and social/emotional development practices were discussed within the context of their relationship with achievement in these areas. An approach to reading achievement, mathematics achievement, and social/emotional development was developed through grouping students for reading and mathematics instruction according to ability levels determined by pre-test information as well as instruction via reality based, relevant, action-oriented methods that draw a high level of interest from the students targeted by this applied dissertation.
To determine if the ability-based block scheduling had an effect for the targeted group, pre and post-test measures from the Hammill Multiability Achievement Test, the Ohio Ninth Grade Proficiency Tests, and the Developmental Teaching Objectives Rating Form-Revised were compared. Course grades and one-time measures of the Test of Written Language were collected to assess the outcomes. Between the pre and post measures, ability-based block scheduling was employed. The expected outcome was that students would significantly increase reading and mathematics grade equivalents, proficiency test score passing rates, and DTORF-R ratings made by the classroom teachers for the areas of behavior, communication, socialization, and academics/cognition. The data were analyzed and there were four expected outcomes that led to mixed results. All of the outcomes were not completely met, but the direction of the data was favorable to the use of ability-based block scheduling with the targeted students.