Date of Award
2001
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
John Kellmayer
Committee Member
Charles L. Faires
Keywords
3rd-grade, achievement, administrators, adopt, aligned, assessment, attended, basic skills, computer program, comprehensive tests of basic skills, concluded, conduct, curriculum, daniel webster elementary school, develop, development, district, evaluation, findings, gary, gary community school corporation, gcsc, implement, indiana, learning systems, observations, opportunities, periodic assessment, positive impact, professional development, program, questionnaires, reading, recommendations, researcher, results, school year, sessions, standardization, standardized test for assessment in reading, state standards, students, surveys, teachers, test scores, utilizing
Abstract
This practicum report presents an evaluation of the current 3rd-grade reading curriculum for the Gary Community School Corporation (GCSC) in Gary, Indiana, at Daniel Webster Elementary School. Traditionally, Daniel Webster Elementary School students have performed well, particularly, at the 3rd-grade level in reading achievement as measured by the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills. However, during the 1997-1999 school years, test scores for the district, as well as Daniel Webster Elementary School, declined or failed to show progress. Results from a district evaluation of the reading curriculum in 1 998, along with the decline in reading scores, caused the GCSC to develop, adopt, and implement a new reading curriculum for the 2000-2001 school year.
Qualitative methods that were used to conduct the evaluation included observations, questionnaires, and surveys. Periodic assessment of 3rd-grade students' reading progress at Daniel Webster Elementary School was conducted utilizing the Standardized Test for Assessment in Reading (Advantage Learning Systems, 1998) computer program.
At the completion of the evaluation of the 3rd-grade reading curriculum at Daniel Webster Elementary School, the researcher concluded the following based on the results: (a) The curriculum was aligned with the state standards; (b) the professional development opportunities were offered throughout the school year, and teachers attended the sessions; and (c) the new curriculum had a positive impact on the 3rd-grade reading achievement.
Information from the 3rd-grade reading curriculum evaluation was shared with district administrators. Recommendations were made about the reading program to district administrators.