Anne McGill-Franzen

School Response to Reading Failure: Instruction for Chapter 1 and Special Education Students in Grades Two, Four, and Eight

A study of 64 students in grades 2, 4, and 8 indicated that students identified as disadvantaged and participating in Chapter 1 received significantly more reading/language arts instruction in their regular education classes than mainstreamed children identified as handicapped and served through special education programs. Although the latter receive more special reading instruction than did Chapter 1 participants, the amount was not sufficient to offset the loss in the regular education program. In addition, the instruction offered in the special education program provided less direct teaching and more seat work than instruction in either the regular education or the Chapter 1 program. These results suggest that the special education programs studied did not generally enhance either the quantity or quality of reading/language arts instruction the participants received. However, the small amounts of reading/language arts instruction offered mainstreamed handicapped students must also be of concern.

Unintended Effects of Educational Reform in New York

Trends in the incidence of retention, remediation, and identification of students as handicapped were examined in 12 elementary schools across a period of increased high-stakes assessment and public accountability (1978-1979 to 1988-1989). At the primary grade levels there was a significant increase in the incidence of identification of students as handicapped and a significant increase in the proportion of children retained in grade or identified as handicapped. The increases occur before the administration of the first mandated high-stakes assessments. The implications of these trends for understanding reports of school effectiveness and statewide student achievement in reading are discussed Finally, suggestions for the redesign of large-scale high-stakes assessment reports are offered.

Putting Books in the Classroom Seems Necessary But Not Sufficient

The authors found statistically significant effects on the educational outcomes of kindergarten students enrolled in the classrooms of teachers who received a large supply of high-quality childrens books and who participated in teacher development training. Kindergarten children who were taught by teachers who had a well-stocked classroom library and who had participated in a series of training sessions on the display and use of books in kindergarten classroom lessons achieved significantly higher scores on every measure of literacy development when compared with children who were taught by teachers who were provided with a well-stocked classroom library but not professional development support. Simply providing teachers with a generous supply of childrens books had little effect on the educational outcomes of students.

The Impact of Summer Reading Setback on the Reading Achievement Gap.

ing and Learning, College of Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, where ANNE McGILLFRANZEN is a professor of education. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Education through the National Institute for Student Achievement, Curriculum, and Assessment (R305T010692). However, the opinions expressed are those of the authors. The Impact of Summer Setback on The Reading Achievement Gap

Failure To Learn To Read: Formulating a Policy Problem.

THE AUTHOR argues that, over the past two decades, failure to learn to read has been reconceptualized as a problem of disability rather than socioeconomic disadvantage. The high rate at which low-achieving readers are referred to special education classes and the concomitant decline in numbers of eligible students served in compensatory reading programs evidence a shift in how reading problems are perceived at the school level. This changing definition of failure to learn to read is also reflected in a decrease in the number of professional papers on the disadvantaged, and an increase in papers on the topic of disability. As a result of the interaction between the interests of the professional media, the federal governments concern for ensuring equity, and judicial and legislative requirements, disadvantaged students are merely eligible for compensatory education, whereas the learning-disabled are entitled to special education. Funding formulas often provide school boards with fiscal incentives to choose one type of service over another. It is argued that these broader policy decisions have combined to shape a particular configuration of services for low-achieving readers at the school level. Thus, the prevailing definitions of reading failure are embedded in policies that have emerged from a larger social and political context, a context that reading researchers need to be more aware of if low-achieving children are to benefit more fully from advances in professional knowledge.

The Confluence of Two Policy Mandates: Core Reading Programs and Third‐Grade Retention in Florida

Using multiple analytic methods, we examined the fit between 2 concurrent policy mandates in Florida—the adoption of core reading programs in high‐poverty schools, and the retention of third graders who scored at the lowest levels on the state assessment. We first examined 2 contemporary third‐grade basal reading programs for the guidance offered teachers who teach a range of learners. We found that 1 program (F) included significantly more preparation for reading and independent practice, and more instruction in vocabulary and fluency; the other program (C) included significantly more comprehension segments, particularly questioning to develop interpretations. In the second phase of the study, we examined the relation between these programs and student achievement. We found an inverse relation between poverty and achievement, regardless of program. Similarly, there were no significant differences between programs for students who achieved at average levels. Nonetheless, significantly more students in program C achieved at the lowest test level, failing third grade, and significantly more students in program F achieved at the highest level. Juxtaposing our analysis of the core programs against the achievement test results, we offer tentative explanations of the differential influence and limitations of both core programs, suggesting that such curriculum standardization may further disadvantage the lowest‐achieving readers.

COMPREHENSION AND COHERENCE: NEGLECTED ELEMENTS OF LITERACY INSTRUCTION IN REMEDIAL AND RESOURCE ROOM SERVICES

The instructional experiences of 16 second‐grade at‐risk readers were observed and analyzed for instructional emphasis and coherence across classroom settings during the school day in two districts with differing configurations of special services. Children who were classified as handicapped were more likely to be excluded from reading group instruction in the regular classroom than were Chapter 1 students, but both groups typically participated in classroom language arts instruction and seatwork. Neither the instruction in Chapter 1 nor that in special education appeared more differentiated or more appropriate for individual children than that of the regular education classroom. The reading and writing instruction in the specialist services was frequently different than that in the classroom, usually but not always easier and often focused on different levels of text or requiring different student responses. Special services do not appear to be organized to contribute to success in the classroom reading ...

Selecting "App"ealing and "App"ropriate Book Apps for Beginning Readers.

Beginning with a brief rationale for selecting quality digital picture book apps for beginning readers, the authors describe the elements of digital picture books and provide a brief review of the instructional benefits of digital picture book use for beginning readers. They then present a detailed taxonomy for selecting quality picture book apps. Examples drawn from actual apps available for young children illustrate the concepts addressed. Beginning with a brief rationale for selecting quality digital picture book apps for beginning readers, the authors describe the elements of digital picture books and provide a brief review of the instructional benefits of digital picture book use for beginning readers. They then present a detailed taxonomy for selecting quality picture book apps. Examples drawn from actual apps available for young children illustrate the concepts addressed.

Teachers’ use of new standards, frameworks, and assessments: Local cases of NYS elementary grade teachers

Abstract The authors investigated how primary grade teachers in four upstate New York districts used the state standards in a summer cross‐district curriculum development institute funded in part with federal initiatives. Using document and interview analyses, the authors interpreted teachers’ perceptions of the standards and described the teachers’ curriculum products in light of the four district contexts in which the teachers worked. Next, a cross‐case comparison of teachers from two of the districts with similar demographics but differing expectations for teachers’ work further illustrated the influence of district context in determining what teachers understood to be their responsibility. The study also reported that teachers held a more narrow view of learning than that set forth in the state standards, a view that the authors attributed to teachers’ real‐life experiences with the subject matter of beginning reading instruction, an area not adequately addressed by the standards.

“I am Amazed at How Differently I See Things”: Taking Ideas and Appropriating Language from Video Observations of Teaching

Abstract Purpose This study explored the impact of integrating digital tools on professional preparation in literacy, specifically an online digital video portal for teachers’ self-observation of instructional practice. Methodology/approach As a design experiment (Bradley & Reinking, 2011), a graduate-level Reading Education course was revisioned for blended learning to accommodate the professional development of practicing teachers in a rural, remote context. This chapter focuses on understanding how teachers experience video as a platform for reflection on and improvement of practice, with implications for those who seek to incorporate digital video into literacy professional development. Findings Through video analysis mediated by the use of a self-evaluation guide and a collaborative, online community, teacher-learners reflected on their own and their peers’ pedagogy and language interactions with students. After overcoming initial struggle with watching themselves on the video, the close analysis of clips became a powerful catalyst for professional growth. Teachers’ reflections shifted from outward-directed to inner-directed. Practical implications To successfully integrate video analysis in Reading Education practicums and professional development for in-service teachers, consideration should be given to technical as well as pedagogical components. Purposefully building in various scaffolds, for example, technical tutorials, prompts to focus video analysis, and safe platforms for sharing and collaboration, proved to be beneficial for teacher-learners in our courses.