The examination of student, teacher, and curriculum perspectives and their impact on adolescents\u27 perpetuation in remedial reading programs

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the factors that influence students\u27 perpetuation in remedial reading programs. While much has already been done to examine the instructional elements that contribute to this problem, this study sought to examine the perspectives of teachers, students, administrators and parents in order to understand why some students remain in remedial programs for extended periods of time when the goal of remediation is purportedly to help students gain knowledge and skills and then exit remediation. The findings of this study led to five major assertions. First, students in remedial programs are viewed negatively by teachers and administrators. Second, school personnel view factors that are out of the school\u27s control, such as poverty, parental influence, student attitude, state mandates, and a mismatch between courses and the students they serve, as reasons for not being able to help remedial reading students succeed in school. Third, certain instructional detractors, including defensive teaching, failure to establish conditions for learning that were conducive to student learning, and a disregard for students\u27 interests were found to be well within the control of the school. Fourth, students involved in remedial reading programs were found to be educated within layers of isolation, including physical and academic separation from their peers. As well teachers were found to be isolated as well. This isolation led to feelings of alienation and a disconnectedness from the school culture. Finally, remedial reading students contradicted the negative views of the teachers and administrators and provided evidence of positive characteristics that had been overlooked as a result of their remedial reading status. This study concludes with a call for quality staff development that can effect school changes in climate, learning environment and quality of instruction for all students