7.+Data+-+Analysis,+Interpretation,+Display

Data Analysis, Display, and Interpretation Alison Browne, Robin Halbert, Georgie Perigny, Cavelle Porter, Wanda Quigg
 * **Overarching Question: **Is the Guided Reading program at L. B. Primary School effective?  ||


 * Sub Question 1: **Is there fidelity of implementation for the Guided Reading program according to the guidelines established by Fountas and Pinnell (1996).


 * Sub Question 2: **Are students who participate in the program demonstrating improvements in reading skills over the school year?

**Finding 1 **
 * The Guided Reading Program is **not** being implemented with fidelity, according to the guidelines established by Fountas and Pinnell (1996). ||

Evidence for this finding comes from both the teacher and administrator interviews, as well as the student focus groups. The chart below (Finding One Evidence) displays the various sources of data that converge to support our finding. A summary of the data analysis that supports this finding is presented following the chart.
 * Evidence **

Finding One Evidence 1

The administrator and Guided Reading teachers of grades 1, 2, and 3 were all interviewed by an evaluator utilizing the same eight questions about the L.B. Primary School Guided Reading program. All stakeholders who were interviewed appeared relaxed and comfortable in answering the evaluator’s questions. Through the data analysis process, the evaluation team identified five dominant themes – infidelity of program delivery, training, time constraints, student engagement, and student progress. The following chart displays the content analysis of the data:
 * Teacher and Administrator Interviews – Data Analysis Summary: **
 * **Content Analysis ** || **Administrator/ Teachers Interviews– Key Evidence ** ||
 * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Infidelity of Guided Reading Program based upon Fountas and Pinnell (1996) || * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">If more time was provided and leveled reading books available the GR program could be successful.
 * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Teachers indicated that their lessons lacked structure and did not reflect the guidelines presented by Fountas and Pinnell (1996) ||
 * || * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The school’s GR collection is depleted and most titles have only 2 or 3 copies instead of 6
 * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The school just doesn’t have the money to replenish the collection
 * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Many teachers have a stash of reading materials that they've collected over the years that they use for guided reading groups. One teacher stated, “The students know what kind of books they can and cannot read. I let the kids choose for themselves”. ||
 * || * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Some teachers don't believe in formal assessments but had cranked out some DRA scores when they needed marks for report cards. One teacher stated, “My students know me and I know them. I let them choose their reading groups and then I switch them around so that the bad ones are mixed up with the good and they can help keep them in line <span style="color: #535353; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">.”
 * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Although teachers gathered DRA data for the evaluation, they did not regularly use it to inform instruction (they used it as summative evaluation, rather than formative), and admitted to having filed them in a shoebox to analyze at a later date on a trip to Cuba
 * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Administration encourages teachers to use assessments as it fits their needs ||
 * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Time constraints || * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Although space was provided to ensure that learning centers were utilized, there was no time within the day to continue with GR. One teacher stated “I don’t have time to do any GR after March because we are always too busy decorating for Easter and then going on year end field trips.”
 * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">There are simply too many interruptions in the school day – announcements, recess
 * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">I just can’t sit still for 20 minutes because of my hemorrhoids – most lessons that I get to are only 10 minutes
 * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">When I’m doing assessments I just don’t have time for GR lessons ||
 * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Student Engagement || * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The other students are reading silently at their seats.
 * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Teachers indicated that they struggled to engage students, within the class, and within groups during GR lessons. ||
 * || * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students work on their work at seats while some students are reading quietly. ||
 * || * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The GR leaders read the books to the group and then ask them some questions. I sometimes get the GR leaders to read round robin. ||
 * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Student Progress || * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Many teachers are concerned that assessments did not show improvements in students reading skills. A teacher stated “I’m stumped, the students just don’t know what reading skills to use by the time they reach me in grade 1 and then my DIBELS results are poor”. ||
 * || * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">There was concern, by both teachers and administration, over the number of students who just do not seem to be progressing. The administration stated, “many students are reading at the same level as they were at the beginning of the year or only a level or two higher. They are not meeting the benchmark levels set for end of the year reading. ||
 * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Training || * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">A one-day inservice was offered to all Elementary teachers. ||
 * || * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Most teachers commented that they did not receive enough training to properly implement the program. One teacher said, “Since I only started teaching 5 years ago, I just received training from teachers who have previously used guided reading.”
 * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The principal had offered training, but no one attended. He indicated that staff felt a high school chemistry teacher wouldn’t know anything about reading anyway. (“They’re probably right,” he chuckled.)
 * <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Teachers are encouraged to talk to each other if they need help ||

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Based on the evidence presented above, we conclude that the GR program at L. B. Primary School is **not** being implemented with fidelity, according to the guidelines established by Fountas and Pinnell (1996).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Teacher and Administrator Interviews Interpretation: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">In our focus group sessions, a number of students described GR as time when they took turns reading aloud from books, or engaged in what is often called ‘round robin’ reading. This contradicts the program requirements, as described by Fountas and Pinnell (1996) that each student read books on their own, at their own pace. (Please see pages <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">21 & 22 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> for charts displaying the content analysis of the data from the focus groups.)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Focus Groups Analysis Summary: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The evidence presented above provides further support for our conclusion that the GR program at L. B. Primary School is **not** being implemented with fidelity, according to the guidelines established by Fountas and Pinnell (1996).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Focus Groups Interpretation: **

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Finding 2 **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Some students who participated in the Guided Reading program demonstrated improvement in reading skills over the year and some did not. ||

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Evidence for this finding comes from DRA results, DIBELS results, teacher and administrator interviews, as well as the student focus groups. The chart below (Finding Two Evidence) displays the various sources of data that converge to support our finding. A summary of the evidence that supports this finding is presented following the chart.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Evidence **

Finding Two Evidence

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The plot below (Grade 1-3 DRA Reading Level Scores) displays student growth in reading level scores from September to June. Although some improvement is shown, the gains are gradual and very little progress is seen between the March and June assessment periods. Outliers in the plot below represent two students whose reading skills were strong at beginning of the year and maintained their strengths over the course of the year. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Some students’ DRA reading level scores improved over the year and some students’ scores did not improve. Most students (42 out of 48) were reading at a higher level at the end of the year, as compared to the beginning of the year. Five students were reading at the same level at the end of the year as compared to the beginning of the year, one student was reading at a lower level, and 19 students’ reading levels increased by one (11 students) or two (8 students) levels. One student in grade one met the benchmark for end of year reading; one student in grade two met the benchmark; and one student in grade 3 met the benchmark (grade 1 - level 16, grade 2 - level 28, grade 3 - level 38). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">As noted, a pattern emerged across all grades: the majority of students did **not** improve their reading levels between the March and June assessments (14 out of 48 students demonstrated growth in their reading level between March and June; of the remaining 34 students, 4 students dropped back a level, and 30 students read at the same level.)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">DRA Reading Level Results - Analysis: **

Grade 1 - 3 DRA Reading Level Scores
 * || Labels  ||  Sept.  ||  Nov.  ||  March  ||  June  ||
 * Min ||  0  ||  2  ||  2  ||  2  ||
 * Q1 ||  6  ||  8  ||  10  ||  10  ||
 * Median ||  12  ||  12  ||  14  ||  14  ||
 * Q3 ||  16  ||  18  ||  20  ||  20  ||
 * Max ||  34  ||  34  ||  38  ||  38  ||
 * IQR ||  10  ||  10  ||  10  ||  10  ||
 * Upper Outliers ||  2  ||  2  ||  2  ||  1  ||
 * Lower Outliers ||  0  ||  0  ||  0  ||  0  ||

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">In all of the DRA literacy assessment measures (Comprehension, Fluency, Phonics, Phonological Awareness, and Vocabulary), three patterns emerged: gradual improvement of scores over the school year, scores that do not meet the school’s established benchmarks, and a trend for students to show little or no improvement between March and June. The outlier in the June Vocabulary scores and September Comprehension scores represents one student in grade three who had demonstrated steady growth in reading and comprehension, as well as solid vocabulary knowledge over the course of the school year.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">DRA Comprehension, Fluency, Phonics, Phonological Awareness, and Vocabulary Analysis: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">On the basis of the assessment data gathered through the Developmental Reading Assessment (presented above), the Guided Reading program at L. B. Primary School is not very effective in promoting student growth in reading skills; some students are demonstrating improvements in reading skills over the school year and some are not.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">DRA Results - Interpretation: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Some students’ composite DIBELS scores improved over the year and some students’ scores did not improve. Only two students in the school (2 out of 48) reached the benchmark level where they are considered to be achieving their appropriate reading outcomes. The majority of the students (46 out of 48) are considered at a high risk of not achieving their reading outcomes without additional support and intervention. One student in grade one met the benchmark for end of year indicators; one student in grade two met the benchmark; and none of the students in grade three met the benchmark.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">DIBELS Results Analysis: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">In all of the DIBELS assessment measures (Letter Naming, Phoneme Segmentation, Nonsense Word Fluency, Oral Reading Fluency, Retell Fluency, and Word Use Fluency), three patterns emerged: gradual improvement of scores over the school year, scores that do not meet the school’s established benchmarks, and a trend for most of the students to show little improvement and a few show no improvement between March and June. The charts below display the DIBELS composite literacy scores, followed by the various DIBELS subtest scores.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">DIBELS Letter Naming, Phoneme Segmentation, Nonsense Word Fluency, Oral Reading Fluency, Retell Fluency, and Word Use Fluency Results Analysis: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">On the basis of the assessment data gathered through the DIBELS (presented above), the Guided Reading program at L. B. Primary School is not very effective in promoting student growth in reading skills.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">DIBELS Results - Interpretation: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">There were mixed opinions expressed through the teacher and administrator interviews. Some felt that GR was having a positive effect on student reading skills, serving to develop fluency, comprehension, and independence, whereas others expressed concern regarding some students’ lack of progress. Teachers felt that students were often not engaged in GR lessons, nor were they very excited about their book selections. Teachers also expressed concern over the school’s collection of GR books, noting that there was no longer a wide variety and copies of books had been lost. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">As the end of the school year approaches, teachers and the administrator worried that students would not meet the end of year benchmarks established by the Board. Nevertheless, it was also noted that teachers felt some students were progressing well with their reading skills and that the form of GR offered served to meet their needs. (See page 3 for a chart displaying the content analysis of the data from the Teacher and Administrator Interviews.)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Teacher and Administrator Interview Analysis: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The above data from the teacher and administrator interviews provides further evidence to support our finding that some students who participate in GR demonstrate improvements in their reading skills over the school year, and some students do not.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Teacher and Administrator Interview Interpretation: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Two researchers conducted three separate focus groups, one from Grade 1, one from Grade 2, and one from Grade 3. One researcher took the role of the moderator while the other was the recorder. The students that were selected from each class were selected by a random sample**.** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The researchers welcomed each group of students into the conference room and started each session with introductions, small talk, cookies, and juice in order to make the students feel at ease with the moderators. The students appeared to be visibly comfortable with their peers and so in each instance, the students relaxed into a dialogue that was authentic. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The moderator structured the conversation around the following three questions:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Focus Group Data Summary/Display **

//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Do you read in places other than at school? // //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">What do you learn about in your guided reading sessions? // //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">What helps your reading improve most at school? //

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The majority of students were lively and involved in the discussions that emanated from the guiding questions. The focus groups provided the researchers with much data to analyze while searching for trends. The conversations illuminated recurrent instances in all three grade level focus groups. The data collected clusters around three themes – enjoyment of reading, guided reading, and reading improvement. The following charts display the content analysis of the data:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Focus Group Content Analysis **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">:

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Enjoyment of Reading __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">: It is clear from the focus group discussions that reading in L B Primary school is not seen as something enjoyable. Students enjoy reading outside of school and having the opportunity to select reading material that appeals to their interests. The students describe the leveled books that are used for guided reading in LB Primary School as “old.” Students are aware of the leveling of the books as denoted by the letters found on the cover. However, they are generally not clear at to whether they are reading at grade level or not. __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Guided Reading __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">: The focus group data indicates that there is a lack of clarity around what exactly guided reading is and what its purpose should be. Students were aware of and had participated in some small group reading. Mostly the reading in these small groups was done by taking turns. Many felt it was a competition to see who could finish first. The quality and content of the books was held to be poor. __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Reading Improvement __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">: Students were unclear at to how reading at school should be improving their own reading skills. Students had difficulty articulating an understanding of both decoding and comprehension strategies.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Focus Groups - Interpretation: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">On the basis of the assessment data gathered through the focus groups, the Guided Reading program at L. B. Primary School is not very effective in promoting student growth in reading skills.

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Conclusion **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Based on the findings presented above, that the Guided Reading Program is **not** being implemented with fidelity, and some students who participated in the Guided Reading program demonstrated improvement in reading skills over the year and some did not, we have concluded that the Guided Reading program at L. B. Primary school is **not** effective. ||