Date of Conferral

2016

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Jennifer Keeley

Abstract

Many schools throughout the United States are struggling to address student deficiencies in reading. Empirical evidence demonstrating the efficacy of reading intervention programs is often lacking. This study examined the effectiveness of an 8-week reading intervention program, the Wilson Reading System (WRS), that was implemented in a local elementary school in Washington D.C. to address the reading deficiencies of 75 third-grade students. Guided by Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), a quasi-experimental pre/post research design was used to examine differences in reading proficiencies following the completion of the WRS program, as measured by the Dynamic Indicator of Basic Literacy Skills (DIBELS) assessment instrument. A multivariate analysis of variance was used to test the differences in DIBELS posttest composite scores and individual subscale scores. A multivariate analysis of covariance was used to examine pre/post differences while controlling for gender and days absent. While there was a statistically significant difference in the DIBELS composite score (p < .05), the individual subscales lacked statistical significance when controlling for gender and days absent. The descriptive and bivariate analysis of test scores with respect to gender and days absent were not of practical nor statistical significance. These findings suggest that the results of this study were due to the duration of the reading intervention program. This study contributes to positive social change as it brings to light the limited value of short-term intervention programs and highlights the extensive and integral efforts needed to address academic deficiencies in reading literacy.

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