Date of Award

Spring 5-2010

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Committee Chair

Rose McNeese

Committee Chair Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Committee Member 2

James T. Johnson

Committee Member 3

Gaylynn Parker

Committee Member 3 Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Committee Member 4

Gary Peters

Committee Member 4 Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if third grade reading performance of students enrolled in south Mobile County Title I schools improved as a result of the first year implementation of the Scott Foresman Reading Street program. Attempts were also made to identify predictors that may improve future reading performance and data were obtained regarding the perceptions and overall satisfaction of the certified instructional personnel in grades K-5 employed in the Mobile County Public School System during the 2009-2010 school year, the first school year following the initial full year of program implementation. Reading performance was measured using the Stanford Achievement Test-I Oth Edition. Independent variables included scores from the Alabama Reading and Mathematics Test, OLSAT School Ability Index, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, and annual absences.

Research findings indicated no significant differences between the performance third grade participants before and after the implementation of the Reading Street curriculum. A review of the literature revealed that generally speaking, reading achievement outcomes did not immediately increase following the first or second year of curriculum change and implementation. It is suspected that the findings of this study may be characteristic of the curvilinear nature of reading curriculum implementation which has been reported in the literature.

Statistical analyses revealed no specific predictors within the data that may improve future student performance within the participating population. In addition, the questionnaire data indicated that certified instructional personnel overall were very satisfied with the new program.

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