Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
Donald Lueder
Committee Member
Carolyn Buckenmaier
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
Accelerated Reader, Alabama, Alabama Reading Initiative Program, assessment, achievement, comprehension, data analysis, direct instruction, explicit instruction, grades 6, grades 7, grades 8, home-school connection, Huntsville, integrated instruction, learning opportunities, library book circulation, media center, media specialist, middle school, parental involvement, parent reading logs, phonemic awareness, phonics, postintervention, pre-intervention, public schools, Qualitative Reading Inventory, reading achievement, reading comprehension, reading intervention, reading inventory, reading literacy, reading progress, reading skills, reading specialist, schoolwide programs, staff development, Stanford Achievement Test, STAR, student achievement, students, teacher training, text reading
Abstract
This dissertation describes a schoolwide program that was designed to improve reading skills of students at a middle school with a population of 700 students. Located in the northwest section of Huntsville, Alabama, the public school houses students in grades 6, 7, and 8. An analysis of data from the Stanford Achievement Test, the Qualitative Reading Inventory, and the Student Test and Assessment of Reading indicated that more than 50% of the students in the school were reading below their grade-level equivalency.
Several previously implemented instructional strategies, such as Accelerated Reader and the Alabama Reading Initiative Program had not impacted students’ reading achievement. These include hiring a full-time reading specialist and utilizing reading intervention teachers who could deliver highly skilled instruction and explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics and direct and integrated instruction in text reading and comprehension.
Therefore, additional strategies as part of the present applied dissertation study were implemented to attempt to increase reading skills. The strategies included (a) extending learning opportunities for reading, (b) connecting the school to reading in the home, (c) involving the media specialist and media center in the reading process, (d) offering additional training and support to students, and (e) offering training to teachers.
The evaluation of reading progress was determined by a comparison of pre- and postintervention results from the Stanford Achievement Test, the QRI, and the STAR. Several objectives sought an increase in reading by at least 50% of the targeted students. These objectives were not met. Another objective was exceeded in that the number of students checking out library books increased by 37%. Another objective was not met because the majority of parents did not complete and/or return reading logs.