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A Generic Qualitative Study Of District, School, And Teacher Leader Experiences With Increasing Reading And Writing Achievement, Jennifer Fowler

Theses and Dissertations

English Language Arts (ELA) test scores have declined since the 2020 COVID-19 virus caused schools and districts in the United States and around the world to shut down for substantial periods of time. School and district leaders and teachers across the country are working to increase ELA achievement.

In this generic qualitative research study, local district, school, and teacher leaders were interviewed and asked questions about their experiences with increasing reading and writing achievement using semi-structured interview protocols.

Four research questions were addressed. They concerned the challenges, successes, supports, guidance, mandates, and advice offered by district, school, and teacher leaders …

Teachers' And Coaches' Perspectives On The Challenges In Implementing A Literacy Coaching Program, Lucia West

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem in a local school district in the Southwest region of the United States was the lack of improvement in reading achievement scores in Grades 3 through 5 despite the implementation of a literacy coaching program during the previous 3 years. This lack of improvement in reading achievement has an impact on students’ subsequent academic performance and outcomes. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of teachers and literacy coaches in the local setting regarding the challenges in implementing the literacy coaching program. The conceptual framework of the study was Vygotsky's third space theory. …

Teachers' And Coaches' Perspectives On The Challenges In Implementing A Literacy Coaching Program, Lucia West

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem in a local school district in the Southwest region of the United States was the lack of improvement in reading achievement scores in Grades 3 through 5 despite the implementation of a literacy coaching program during the previous 3 years. This lack of improvement in reading achievement has an impact on students’ subsequent academic performance and outcomes. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of teachers and literacy coaches in the local setting regarding the challenges in implementing the literacy coaching program. The conceptual framework of the study was Vygotsky's third space theory. …

Influence Of An Afterschool Reading Program On Elementary Student Reading Achievement, Chapple Osborne-Arnold

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMany elementary school students require and may benefit from supplemental reading support and interventions that can be provided by afterschool programs. The problem addressed in this study was that it was not known if third grade students benefited from an afterschool reading program in one East Tennessee District. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare end of year scale scores on the Standardized Test for the Assessment of Reading (STAR) of third grade students who attended the afterschool reading program for 30 or more days and those who did not attend the afterschool reading program while controlling for …

Fidelity Of Implementation Of A Balanced Literacy Program In The Elementary Classroom, Shalonda Young

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe local problem is that literacy in the target school district continues to rank below the state average and the fidelity of implementation (FOI) of balanced literacy (BL) has not been addressed since BL was initiated in 2014 to address student literacy achievement. Teachers reported limited professional development (PD) and lack of motivation to implement BL as designed. The purpose of this basic qualitative research study was to explore elementary English language arts (ELA) teachers’ and support staff personnel’s perceptions of the FOI of a BL program in the target school district ELA classrooms to determine in what ways the …

Principles Of Developing The Main Skills In English Language Acquisition, Gulnoz Murotova, Dildora Khudoynazarova

Mental Enlightenment Scientific-Methodological Journal

The article discusses the main principles of teching English and the method of stylistic analysis, which are important means of reforming the teaching of reading and improving the quality of teaching. It also discusses the use of stylistics in teaching English in higher educational institutions in terms of listening, speaking, reading and writing. It can develop learners’ ability to appreciate and distinguish languages and improve their logical thinking ability, as well as promotes reading comprehension. The main attention is drawn to the fact that mastery of syntactic analysis of the text contributes to the formation of students’ competence in four …

To Note Or Not To Note: Students' Conceptualizations Of Note Taking During Academic Reading In A Developmental Reading Course, Margaret J. O'Kerns

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This grounded theory research study investigated one active reading strategy, note taking, with a goal of creating student-centered, evidence-based curriculum for the developmental reading instructor. Sixteen students participated in a two-part session: a semi-structured interview and a think aloud of an assigned, academic text. The students were asked to discuss their attitudes regarding reading, both academically and for pleasure, and about any previous reading instruction. They were then observed reading their assigned text, an expository article, and queried as to their use (or not) of any note taking procedures or strategies. As an outcome of this study, it became apparent …

Cultivating A Stem Investigation: Reading And Task Expectations For Introductory Biology Courses, Tina M. Ballard

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

College completion is an important discussion in today’s world with only about 30% of community college students completing their degrees within three years of starting their programs. Especially in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields, students are changing their majors or not completing their degrees for a variety of reasons. Previous research has established that there are high attrition and failure rates for introductory biology courses which may be causing some students to change their majors or not complete their degrees. This multicase study investigated the reading and task demands for introductory biology courses designed for STEM majors …

The Effect Of The Vocabulary Spelling City App On Student Performance In Spelling, Vocabulary, And Reading Comprehension In Grades 5-8 At Glenview Adventist Academy, Fernando Oleynick Lista

Dissertations

Problem and Purpose

Students in fifth through eighth grades at Glenview Adventist Academy (GAA) presented difficulties in the subjects of spelling, vocabulary and reading comprehension. The school had not followed the previous 10-year trend of technology implementation in the classroom, in spite of conclusive research on its advantages. This study was conducted to determine to what extent teaching methodology and the use of technology could affect academic performance in the areas of spelling, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Research on the implementation of software and the use of tablets (iPad Minis) in the classroom has been scarce and contradictory in the …

The Relationship Between At-Home Reading Literacy Activities And Reading Literacy Scores Of Beginning Kindergarteners, Shera Chantel Caviness

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 33% of U.S. prekindergartners have trouble recognizing the English alphabet and their associated sounds. To compete and succeed globally today, children start early with English alphabet recognition and phonics instruction to develop fluent reading skills. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between parental recollection of at-home reading literacy activities of prekindergartners and beginning kindergarteners’ reading literacy scores. Vygotsky’s theory of social interaction and Piaget’s theory of child development provided the theoretical basis for this study. The key research question focused on the relationship between parental recollection of at-home reading literacy activities of prekindergarteners and beginning …

Scottish National Assessments: National Report For Academic Year 2018 To 2019, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Assessment and Reporting

No abstract provided.

Incidencia De Las Habilidades Lectoras Y Las Operaciones Del Pensamiento Sobre La Calidad De La Educación En Los Estudiantes Del Curso 203 Del Colegio San Agustín I.E.D: Desde Las Perspectivas De Las Docentes, Andrea Adelayda Navarrete Forero, Yerly Viviana Roa Cortés

Maestría en Docencia

El objetivo de esta investigación es identificar la incidencia que tienen las habilidades lectoras y las operaciones del pensamiento sobre la calidad de la educación de los estudiantes del curso 203 del Colegio San Agustín I.E.D., con base en las perspectivas de las docentes. Para esto se llevó a cabo una investigación de tipo descriptiva con un enfoque cualitativo, mediante el método de estudio de caso. Se utilizó la entrevista como técnica de recolección de la información, mediante la cual se entrevistaron las seis (6) docentes que estaban vinculadas directamente con este curso en las áreas de español, matemáticas, inglés, …

Teachers' Perceptions Of African American Middle School Males' Reading Performance, Louis David Figueroa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School administrators at a middle school in the northeastern United States lacked understanding regarding reading services and teaching strategies to improve African American middle school (AA MS) males' performance on standardized state reading assessments. English language arts (ELA) teachers' perspectives on and experiences of teaching reading to AA MS males at the target site were explored using Kolb's model of experiential learning. A qualitative intrinsic case study with an anonymous survey was used to collect data at the target site. Fifteen individuals who met inclusion criteria of being 6th- or 7th-grade ELA teachers at the target site were recruited using …

Predictive Nature Of Teacher Traits On Academic Achievement Of African-American Students, Lacoñia Rayelle Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historically, biases, a lack of cultural diversity in teacher and administrative staff and misunderstanding about methods for teaching low socioeconomic students have related to the underperformance of African-American students when compared with their European American peers. Therefore, this quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the impact of teachers' ethnicity, years of experience, and motives of hope and fear on the academic success of African-American students in reading and math. Data were collected from 55 7th- and 8th-grade teachers from a charter school system (25 reading teachers and 30 math teachers) using a survey and the Multi Motive Grid. Forward …

English Teachers' Perceptions Of Vocabulary Instruction In English Language Learners' Classrooms, Karima S. Ezzair

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

English language learners (ELLs) from an urban high school in the southeastern United States struggled to achieve reading proficiency on the federally mandated reading assessments. The purpose of this case study was to gain an understanding of ELL teachers' perceptions about how using effective vocabulary pedagogies affected the reading comprehension of high school ELLs. Guided by Vygotsky's theory of development, the research questions of this study addressed ELL teachers' perceptions of vocabulary instruction and its effect on reading comprehension. The purposeful sampling included 5 high school teachers, an administrator, and an English for students of other languages compliance specialist, who …

Technology With Differentiated Instruction For Advanced Middle School Students' Reading Achievement, Clarissa Haymon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educators offer rich learning experiences to all students, including advanced learners. A school district experienced a decrease in improvement percentiles on annual state reading achievement tests for advanced middle school students between 2012 and 2015. Guided by the theory of differentiated instruction, this quantitative study evaluated the effectiveness of Achieve 3000, a technology-enhanced program for differentiating reading instruction in a middle school that has a large percentage of advanced learners. The program was fully implemented for advanced 6th through 8th grade students beginning in the 2017-18 school year. Using a causal-comparative design, the archived reading scores of 120 advanced 6th …

Instructional Reading Practices For Third Grade African American Males, Kimberly Dawn Whaley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American males often struggle to read on grade level. However, 3 East Texas Title I schools demonstrated exceptionally high levels of reading proficiency with this population. This study addressed the knowledge gap of understanding the instructional practices linked to high reading achievement of third grade African American males in Title I schools in East Texas. Guided by Ladson-Billings's theory of culturally relevant pedagogy, which builds upon academic success, cultural competence, and development of critical consciousness, and supported by Vygotsky's theory of social and cognitive constructivism, the reading instructional practices of the 3 schools were investigated. Research questions focused on …

Influence Of Two Instructional Models On Reading Achievement Of Esl Middle School Students, Thomasine Campbell Hassell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

English as second language (ESL) students are not meeting reading proficiency standards

compared to their native English-speaking middle school peers. To address the low achievement

scores among ESL students, the study site implemented an instructional hub in which trained

ESL resource teachers used the sheltered instruction observation protocol (SIOP) model. The

purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the difference in reading achievement

scores between ESL students who participated in the instructional hub and those who

participated in traditional instruction. Krashen's second language acquisition theory and Terrell's

natural approach theory provided the framework for the study. Archival data from …

Seeing Reading In First-Year Composition, Matthew Felumlee

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on a study of reading-into-writing strategies employed by students in two sections of first-year-composition (FYC) that were paired with a support course as part of an accelerated learning program (ALP) at a community college. Each FYC course was comprised of 11 students whom the college had deemed college-ready without the ALP course, and 11 students who were deemed at remedial levels in reading and / or writing and who were subsequently required to enroll in the ALP course. The study employs grounded theory methodology to identify and consider the many factors that influenced how reading was portrayed, …

Elementary Teachers' Beliefs Of Using Guided Reading Pedagogy And Student Data, Ivonne Miranda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In today's classrooms, many teachers meet students' reading needs by providing guided reading. However, little is known about how teachers combine student data and pedagogical content knowledge to plan guided readings lessons. This study focused on understanding how elementary teachers use guided reading pedagogical content knowledge and student data when planning a guided reading lesson. The conceptual framework was based on Fountas and Pinnell's guided reading framework, and Clay's theory of data collection with respect to literacy processing. The research questions concerned how teachers' use, guide, and reflect on guided reading pedagogical content knowledge and students data when planning a …

The Effects Of Academic Parent Teacher Teams On Latino Student Achievement, Barbara Dee Bench

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Decades of research have noted the importance of parent involvement in students' academic success. Less is known about parent engagement models that aim to increase Latino students' reading achievement. This project study examined the effectiveness of a 2-year parent engagement program implemented to address poor reading achievement of Latino elementary school students in a small urban district. The purpose of this study was to determine disparities in student scores between those parents who participated in the program and those parents who did not participate. The research questions examined parent engagement levels in comparison to increased summative reading scores. Based on …

Allison Singley, Director Of Parent Relations, Musselman Library, Allison C. Singley

Next Page

In our new Next Page column, Allison Singley, Director of Parent Relations, shares with us the three books she is currently reading and why it might take her a while to finish them, her two desert island books (one of which inspired her doctoral dissertation), how she maintains a habit of reading poetry daily, and why she doesn’t write in books anymore — or feel the need to finish one!

Exploring The Ways In Which Highly Efficacious Intermediate Teachers Employ Best Practices In Reading Instruction For Struggling Readers, Terrence P. Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed method study was to build on the earlier efficacy work of Tschannen, Moran, and Hoy (2001) and the reading teacher efficacy work of Szabo and Mokhtari (2004) to add to educational research related to teacher efficacy and reading. This study is specifically focused on the teaching of reading to struggling readers at the intermediate levels. The study was guided by four research questions that focused on the teaching of struggling readers at the intermediate level. Reading teacher self-efficacy levels were established through a survey instrument. In addition, data from two interviews, structured and semi-structured, about …

Book Review - Teaching African American Learners To Read, Tiffany A. Flowers

Journal of Research Initiatives

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Reading Fluency And Lexile Measures, Joshua Purvis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With increasing emphasis being placed on teachers to show an improvement in student achievement, schools are relying on indicators such as reading fluency and reading comprehension to gauge student progress throughout the year. Since the growth on these assessments are used in calculating teachers and administrators’ yearly job evaluations, the significance of these measures has never been higher. Teachers and administrators want to know if the time spent on measures such as reading fluency is worth the sacrifice in the instructional day, when this time could be spent on teaching state mandated standards. The purpose of this quantitative non-experimental correlational …

Educators' Perceptions Of Best Practices For Increasing Literacy Among High-Poverty Students, Giuseppe Di Monte

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The local problem addressed in this study was the low reading achievement of high-poverty fourth-grade students in a small rural school in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The purpose of this instrumental case study was to examine the perceptions of the campus principal and teachers at a sampled high-poverty and high achieving elementary school to determine best practices for meeting literacy needs of high-poverty students. This knowledge is important because student success in reading achievement contributes to overall academic success. The neo-sociocultural conceptual paradigm of Wertsch, del Rio, and Alverez, which links cognitive and cultural learning processes, was …

Optional Flexible Year Program And Middle School Student Achievement In Reading, Robyn Alane Fender

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Local student reading results on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness have decreased. It is of great concern that many students had less than full mastery of the prerequisite, fundamental skills in reading. The study site used the Optional Flexible Year Program for remediation of students at risk of not passing the state assessment. The purpose of this concurrent explanatory study was to explore the relationship between participation and nonparticipation in the remediation program and student reading achievement and to better understand staff perceptions regarding the remediation program. Guided by Vroom's expectancy theory of motivation, quantitative research questions …

Working Memory Difficulties And Eligibility For K-12 Special Education, Corrie L. Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Working memory (WM) has long been associated with deficiencies in reading. Approximately 35% of students in the United States who receive special education services do so under the category of specific learning disability (SLD). The study's theoretical underpinning was Baddeley's model of WM; previous research revealed a significant literature gap regarding how WM difficulties affect eligibility for special education under the category of SLD in reading. In this quasi-experimental study, a purposive sample was taken from archival data of two groups of K-12 students who had been referred for special education eligibility evaluation: The two groups were students evaluated for …

A Case Study Of Middle School Teachers' Preparations For High-Stakes Assessments, David Lee Yeary

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students, educators, and schools across the country have been presented with challenges as a result of rigorous standards and high-complexity tests. The problem addressed in this case study was that teachers in a rural middle school in a southeastern state were preparing students to take a new high-stakes state-mandated assessment in English language arts with very little information about what should be done to best prepare students to perform well. Danielson's work on instructional leaders, Webb's work on alignment of standards and assessments, and Tankersley's research on alignment of instruction and assessment provided the frameworks for the study. The participants …

A Study Of Instructional Methods On Fourth Grade Reading Achievement, Benita Jessup

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a significant percent of 4th grade students read below the basic level. In one elementary school students participated in additional reading instruction as intervention for students scoring basic and below basic on the state standardized test. The purpose of this ex post facto non-experimental quantitative study was to determine the effectiveness of direct instruction versus fluency (repeated reading) instruction on the reading achievement of 4th grade students. This study is based on the theory of automatic information processing in reading and the theory of prosody. The overarching research question for this study …