The Effects of Literacy Interventions on Reading Scores for Low-Achieving Students

As America’s schools strive to educate a diverse population of students, some of these students, who are identified as low-achieving, find school to be difficult. The need to improve low-achieving students’ reading skills has been the focus and concern of educators for many years. This study, which utilized a causal comparative research design, investigated third and fourth grade students’ literacy achievement scores for participation or non-participation in the Students Reading Enrichment Program (SREP), which is an in-school and/or after-school program, in the Jenkins School District (JSD). The SREP provides low-achieving students the opportunity to work in small groups with interventionists, teachers, and tutors who offer structured support based on each student’s ability level. The purpose of the study was to determine if the SREP in-school and after-school programs affected student achievement in Grades 3 and 4. Students’ MCT2 and STAR Reading scores were statistically examined. Existing data from a convenience sample of students were used. A multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and Pearson correlations were used to answer the research questions for this study. The independent variables for the study were: (a) level of participation, (b) grade level, (c) sex, and (d) attendance. The dependent or treatment variable, Reading Achievement, was comprised of students’ reading scaled scores on MCT2 and STAR Reading. No statistically significant differences were found to indicate that reading interventions affected student achievement in Grades 3 and 4. Recommendations for future research include: (a) conducting longitudinal studies to determine long term effects on students attending in-school and after-school programs over the remaining four years of the SREP, (b) analyzing other variables such as classroom teachers, in-school interventionists, after-school teachers, and after-school tutors, (c) investigating the unique contribution that each of these variables has on student achievement, (d) comparing data for the interventionists who are certified teachers and the interventionists who are not certified teachers, and (e) examining the professional development of classroom teachers, in-school interventionists, after-school teachers, and after-school tutors