dc.contributor.author	Abercrombie, Laura Johnson
dc.coverage.spatial	United States	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2024-04-24T15:02:16Z
dc.date.available	2024-04-24T15:02:16Z
dc.date.issued	2023-11-15
dc.identifier.other	adbd414a-8d00-4049-850e-0564b618b34b	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10428/7143
dc.description.abstract	Identifying at-risk readers in early grades is an ongoing challenge for educators, especially those in Title I schools where environmental and economic disadvantages may negatively impact students’ reading ability. The purpose of the current study was to compare methods of identifying at-risk readers in kindergarten through third grade in Title I schools. This study was conducted in two Title I elementary schools using Acadience Reading Diagnostic to measure reading achievement and growth in students with reading disabilities, students at risk of reading disabilities, and typically reading students. Reading composite scores (RCS) were significantly different between the typical group and each of the other two groups (at-risk and identified groups) at all grade levels. Growth rate classifications were significant between groups only for kindergarten and first-grade participants. Among the three risk identification methods, there was fair agreement between low-achievement (LA) and low-growth (LG) methods and moderate agreement between dual-discrepancy (DD) and the other two methods. RCS means were found to be significantly lower than published norms. Growth rate classification means also fell significantly below published norms except for participants in first grade. Application of the LA and DD methods to local norms resulted in the identification of fewer than half the number of at-risk participants compared to published norms. The dual discrepancy method was recommended to identify at-risk readers in these grades because both achievement scores and growth rates were significantly different among kindergarten and first-grade groups. Due to a large number of participants identified as at-risk based on the use of published norms and the lack of significant difference in growth rates among groups in second and third grade, it was recommended that the LA method based on local norms be used to identify at-risk readers in second and third grades.	en_US
dc.description.tableofcontents	Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 1 -- Statement of the Problem 1 -- Definitions of Terms 2 -- Purpose 4 -- Research Questions 4 -- Research Hypotheses 5 -- Significance of the Study 5 -- Conceptual Framework 5 -- Summary of Methodology 7 -- Limitations 8 -- Chapter II: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 9 -- Domains of Reading Instruction 9 -- Models of Reading Instruction 10 -- Balanced Literacy 14 -- Structured Literacy 15 -- Assessment of Reading Ability 17 -- Pre-literacy Skills 18 -- Sound-Symbol Correspondence (SSC) 25 -- Word Reading Ability 26 -- RTI in Reading 30 -- Assessment of Reading Ability in Underserved Populations 31 -- Universal Screeners 32 -- Acadience Reading Diagnostic 33 -- Classification of Risk Status 37 -- Purpose 40 -- Chapter III: METHODOLOGY 42 -- Participants 43 -- Measures 44 -- Assessment Administration Procedures 44 -- Statistical Methods 45 -- Chapter IV: RESULTS 48 -- Reading Achievement and Growth in Typical, At-Risk, and Identified Groups 48 -- Agreement of Risk Classification Methods 51 -- Local Versus Published Norms 52 -- Chapter V: CONCLUSIONS, INTERPRETATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 55 -- Significance of Achievement and Growth Scores 55 -- Risk Classification Methods 56 -- The Costs and Benefits of Using Local Versus Published Norms 59 -- Conclusions 60 -- Identifying At-Risk Readers 60 -- Instructional Recommendations 61 -- Future Research 61 -- REFERENCES 63 -- APPENDIX A: Institutional Review Board Exemption Report 75 -- APPENDIX B: Letter of Cooperation 77	en_US
dc.format.extent	1 electronic document and derivatives, 89 pages. 816779 bytes.	en_US
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf	en_US
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US
dc.rights	This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.	en_US
dc.subject	Dissertations, Academic--United States	en_US
dc.subject	Early childhood education	en_US
dc.subject	Special education	en_US
dc.subject	Speech therapy	en_US
dc.title	Universal Assessment of Early Reading Ability in Title I Schools	en_US
dc.type	Dissertation	en_US
dc.contributor.department	Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders of the Dewar College of Education and Human Services	en_US
dc.description.advisor	Lamb, Katherine
dc.description.committee	Carter, Matthew D.
dc.description.committee	Radcliffe, Barbara
dc.description.degree	S.L.P.D.	en_US
dc.description.major	Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology	en_US