Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Anne W. Joslin
Committee Member
Maryanne Roesch
Committee Member
Maryellen Maher
Keywords
academic achievement, achievement gains, audio books, class size, computer software, direct instruction, grades, literacy, military families, ninth grade students, paperbacks, parents, program implementation, questionnaires, Read 180, reading, reading achievement, reading ability, reading improvement, reading inventory, reading support programs, school principals, small-group instruction, standardized achievement tests, student achievement, student success, teachers, whole-group instruction
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to determine whether a reading support program for 9th-grade students was implemented in a school that served children of military parents and whether the reading support program was an effective strategy for improving achievement. The school designated literacy as its instructional focus for the 2002-2003 school year. In this study, a sample of 10 9th-grade students who attended a school that served children of military parents was asked to participate in a reading support program. This program incorporated the Read 180 program (Hasselbring, 1999), and it had a class size of 7 students. The program consisted of whole-group direct instruction, small-group direct instruction, and the use of computer software, audio books, and paperbacks. A questionnaire was administered to program participants, parents of program participants, the program teacher, and the program school principal.
Student success data (reading inventory, standardized achievement tests, and grades) were analyzed. The study results indicated that the reading support program was implemented at the targeted school. The students who participated experienced an average increase of 16.5 normal curve equivalents on standardized reading achievement tests. Of the participating students, 70% increased 1 letter grade in reading. Responses from the questionnaires indicated that the reading support program had been helpful in improving the reading ability of the students who participated. It was recommended that the reading support program continue to be implemented and be expanded to other grade levels and other schools in future years.