Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Dennis Triplett
Committee Member
David Shellman
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
achievement gains, balanced literacy, balanced literacy program, middle schools, program evaluation, qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis, reading ability, reading achievement, reading improvement, reading programs, reading scores, rural schools, seventh grade students, standardized tests, student achievement, teacher behavior, teacher perceptions, teacher performance, text level scores, utility, years (1999-2001)
Abstract
This report describes the effect a balanced literacy program on student achievement in reading. The evaluation focuses on the reading achievement of 94 seventh-grade students in a rural middle school setting. In previous standardized test administrations, many of the students were not making adequate gains as expected in reading.
Strategies used to evaluate the balanced literacy program included (a) comparing the text level scores of 7th-grade students for a 3-year period (1999-2001) and (b) interviewing balanced literacy teachers to determine program effects on teacher behavior and to ascertain their perception of the program's utility.
The overall goal of this project, to determine if the balanced literacy program had a significant impact on student achievement, was met. An analysis of the balanced literacy program yielded notable gains in student reading scores. Quantitative analysis of the balanced literacy program did indicate some positive results that can be used gauge future student achievement in reading. From a qualitative perspective, the evaluation indicated positive results that can affirm the contributions the program has on teacher performance.