Date of Award

Fall 12-1-2014

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if the frequency with which middle school teachers implement research-based literacy strategies serves as a predictor of success on the English/language arts portion of ISTEP+. The study looked at research-based strategies in fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. Teachers of English, language arts, social studies, science, and a combination of the above subjects were surveyed. Seven questions from each area were posed relating to the frequency of implementation per quarter. The study was split into two groups, high-poverty schools and low-poverty schools. Of those teachers surveyed, teachers in low-achieving, low-poverty schools reported using research-based fluency strategies more often than those in high-achieving, low-poverty schools. However, there was no significant difference between the frequency of implementation of research-based fluency strategies in high-achieving, high-poverty schools and low-achieving, high-poverty schools. Statistical significance was found with the reported implementation of research-based comprehension strategies among low-achieving schools compared to high-achieving schools among the high-poverty schools in this study. There was no significant difference in the frequency of implementation of comprehension strategies in low-achieving, low-poverty schools compared to high-achieving, low-poverty schools. The reported implementation of research-based vocabulary strategies was not significant among low-achieving schools compared to high-achieving schools among the low-poverty schools in this study. Likewise, the reported implementation of research-based vocabulary strategies was not significant among low-achieving schools compared to high- iv achieving schools among the high-poverty schools in this study. It was predicted that the ELA ISTEP+ pass rate decreased by .509 for every one percentage increase in the free and reduced lunch percentage while holding all other variables constant.

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