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# *Results from West Virginia's Reading First Program: DIBELS Data*

***Prepared for:***

**West Virginia Department of Education**

Building 6, Room 318

1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East

Charleston, WV 25305-0330

***Prepared by:***

**By The Numbers**

702 Windsor Court

State College, PA 16801

814-867-0661 (Phone)

814-235-7618 (Fax)

Email: <solutions@bythenumbers.info>

##### **October 31, 2007**

# *Results from West Virginia's Reading First Program: DIBELS Data*

**Introduction**

A total of 42 schools in 25 counties participated in West Virginia's
Reading First program during the 2006-2007 program year. Across the 42
schools, there were 40 schools that provided the program to students in
grade 1, 40 schools that provided the program to students in grade 2,
and 40 schools that provided the program to students in grade 3. Two
schools (Academy Primary and Point Pleasant Primary) provided the
program only to grades 1 and 2, while another two schools (BUIS and
Point Pleasant Intermediate) provided the program only to grade 3.

The vast majority of these 42 schools (36; 86%) have participated in the
Reading First program since the beginning. These schools are termed
Cohort 1. The remaining six schools (14%), termed Cohort 2, completed
their first year of participation in the program at the end of the
2006-2007 program year. Academy Primary, Point Pleasant Primary, BUIS
and Point Pleasant Intermediate are in Cohort 1. Consequently, 34
schools in Cohort 1 provided the program to students in grades 1, 2 and
3, respectively. All six schools in Cohort 2 provided the programs to
students in grades 1, 2 and 3.

**Results**

Table 1 provides descriptive statistics for the DIBELS Oral Reading
Fluency and Retell Fluency by cohort and for all schools. A total of
5,579 students were tested, with 4,765 students in Cohort 1 and 814
students in Cohort 2. Overall, a total of 3,701 students (66%) were
proficient in Oral Reading Fluency, with 3,197 (67%) proficient in
Cohort 1 and 504 (62%) proficient in Cohort 2. The percentage of
students who were proficient on Retell Fluency is considerably higher
than the percentage for Oral Reading Fluency. For Retell Fluency, 4,773
students (86%) across both cohorts were proficient. Similarly, 4,091
(86%) students in Cohort 1 were proficient in Retell Fluency and 682
(84%) were proficient in Cohort 2.

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Table 1     |             |             |             |             |
|             |             |             |             |             |
| Number      |             |             |             |             |
| Tested and  |             |             |             |             |
| Percentage  |             |             |             |             |
| Proficient  |             |             |             |             |
| on DIBELS   |             |             |             |             |
| Oral        |             |             |             |             |
| Reading     |             |             |             |             |
| Fluency and |             |             |             |             |
| Retell      |             |             |             |             |
| Fluency by  |             |             |             |             |
| Cohort      |             |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|             | Oral        |             | Retell      |             |
|             | Reading     |             | Fluency     |             |
|             | Fluency     |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|             | Number      | Number (%)  | Number      | Number (%)  |
|             | Tested      | Proficient  | Tested      | Proficient  |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Cohort 1    | 4,765       | 3,197 (67%) | 4,765       | 4,091 (86%) |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Cohort 2    | 814         | 504 (62%)   | 814         | 682 (84%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| All schools | 5,579       | 3,701 (66%) | 5,579       | 4,773 (86%) |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

Analysis of variance was used to assess whether the percentage of
Reading First students scoring at the proficient level differed
significantly between the two cohorts. Results indicate that the
percentage of proficient students between these two cohorts does not
differ significantly for the DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency or the Retell
Fluency (Oral: F=2.438; df=1,118; p=0.121; Retell: F=0.106; df=1,118;
p=0.745). These results indicate that the data from the two cohorts can
be analyzed together.

Table 2a presents descriptive statistics for the DIBELS Oral Reading
Fluency and Retell Fluency for each grade participating in the Reading
First program. In Table 2b, figures are presented for each grade within
each cohort.

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Table 2a    |             |             |             |             |
|             |             |             |             |             |
| Number      |             |             |             |             |
| Tested and  |             |             |             |             |
| Percentage  |             |             |             |             |
| Proficient  |             |             |             |             |
| on DIBELS   |             |             |             |             |
| Oral        |             |             |             |             |
| Reading     |             |             |             |             |
| Fluency and |             |             |             |             |
| Retell      |             |             |             |             |
| Fluency by  |             |             |             |             |
| Grade       |             |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|             | Oral        |             | Retell      |             |
|             | Reading     |             | Fluency     |             |
|             | Fluency     |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|             | Number      | Number (%)  | Number      | Number (%)  |
|             | Tested      | Proficient  | Tested      | Proficient  |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Grade 1     | 1,890       | 1,332 (70%) | 1,890       | 1,625 (86%) |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Grade 2     | 1,876       | 1,200 (64%) | 1,876       | 1,661 (89%) |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Grade 3     | 1,813       | 1,169 (64%) | 1,813       | 1,487 (82%) |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| All grades  | 5,579       | 3,701 (66%) | 5,579       | 4,773 (86%) |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

Again, analysis of variance was used to assess whether the percentage of
Reading First students scoring at the proficient level differed
significantly between grades. There is a significant difference between
grades for the Oral Reading Fluency, while the percentage of proficient
students in grades 1, 2, and 3 on the Retell Fluency tended to be
significantly different (Oral: F=3.986; df=2,117; p=0.021; Retell:
F=2.338; df=2,117; p=0.101). On the Oral Reading Fluency, grade 1 has a
significantly higher percentage of proficient students than grades 2 or
3, as indicated by the LSD post hoc test. Specifically, 70% of students
in grade 1 were proficient on the Oral Reading Fluency, compared to 64%
in grades 2 and 3. Between 82% and 89% of the students were proficient
on the Retell Fluency across grades 1, 2, and 3, with the difference
between grades 2 and 3 being statistically significant on the LSD post
hoc test. Only 82% of students in grade 3 were proficient compared to
89% of those in grade 2. The percentage of students who were proficient
in grade 1 was between these two extremes at 86%.

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Table 2b    |             |             |             |             |
|             |             |             |             |             |
| Number      |             |             |             |             |
| Tested and  |             |             |             |             |
| Percentage  |             |             |             |             |
| Proficient  |             |             |             |             |
| on DIBELS   |             |             |             |             |
| Oral        |             |             |             |             |
| Reading     |             |             |             |             |
| Fluency and |             |             |             |             |
| Retell      |             |             |             |             |
| Fluency by  |             |             |             |             |
| Grade and   |             |             |             |             |
| Cohort      |             |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|             | Oral        |             | Retell      |             |
|             | Reading     |             | Fluency     |             |
|             | Fluency     |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|             | Number      | Number (%)  | Number      | Number (%)  |
|             | Tested      | Proficient  | Tested      | Proficient  |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Cohort 1    |             |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| > Grade 1   | 1,623       | 1,155 (71%) | 1,623       | 1,393 (86%) |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| > Grade 2   | 1,584       | 1,017 (64%) | 1,584       | 1,420 (90%) |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| > Grade 3   | 1,558       | 1,025 (66%) | 1,558       | 1,278 (82%) |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|             |             |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Cohort 2    |             |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| > Grade 1   | 267         | 177 (66%)   | 267         | 232 (87%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| > Grade 2   | 292         | 183 (63%)   | 292         | 241 (83%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| > Grade 3   | 255         | 144 (56%)   | 255         | 209 (82%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

Table 3 presents the percentage of students who were proficient on Oral
Reading Fluency and Retell Fluency for each county. The counties with
the highest percentages of proficient students on Oral Reading Fluency
are Lincoln (76%), Mingo (75%), Monongalia (74%), Roane (74%), Logan
(73%), and Mercer (73%). The county with the lowest percentage of
proficient students is McDowell at 34%, followed distantly by Pocahontas
(42%), Webster (46%), Preston, (50%), and Doddridge (54%). The bulk of
the counties have between 60% and 70% of their students ranked as
proficient on Oral Reading Fluency.

The counties with the highest percentage of proficient students on
Retell Fluency are Gilmer (97%), Webster (97%), Fayette (96%), and
Summers (95%). The counties with the lowest percentage of proficient
students on Retell Fluency are Mineral (73%), Hampshire (76%), Wirt
(76%), and Roane (77%). The bulk of the counties have between 80% and
93% of their Reading First students ranked proficient in Retell Fluency.
Specifically, 11 counties have between 80% and 89% of their students
ranked as proficient, and another 6 counties have between 90% and 93% of
their students ranked as proficient.

There was no real correspondence within the 25 counties between the
percentage of Reading First students proficient in Oral Reading Fluency
and Retell Fluency. The Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient
between the percentage proficient in Oral Reading Fluency and Retell
Fluency is only -0.24, which is not statistically significant (p=0.245).

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Table 3     |             |             |             |             |
|             |             |             |             |             |
| Number      |             |             |             |             |
| Tested and  |             |             |             |             |
| Percentage  |             |             |             |             |
| Proficient  |             |             |             |             |
| on DIBELS   |             |             |             |             |
| Oral        |             |             |             |             |
| Reading     |             |             |             |             |
| Fluency and |             |             |             |             |
| Retell      |             |             |             |             |
| Fluency by  |             |             |             |             |
| County      |             |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|             | Oral        |             | Retell      |             |
|             | Reading     |             | Fluency     |             |
|             | Fluency     |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|             | Number      | Number (%)  | Number      | Number (%)  |
|             | Tested      | Proficient  | Tested      | Proficient  |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Calhoun     | 223         | 156 (70%)   | 223         | 186 (83%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Doddridge   | 239         | 128 (54%)   | 239         | 192 (80%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Fayette     | 128         | 84 (66%)    | 128         | 123 (96%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Gilmer      | 94          | 60 (64%)    | 94          | 91 (97%)    |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Hampshire   | 164         | 113 (69%)   | 164         | 125 (76%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Hardy       | 167         | 113 (68%)   | 167         | 139 (83%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Kanawha     | 465         | 319 (69%)   | 465         | 393 (85%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Lincoln     | 285         | 216 (76%)   | 285         | 266 (93%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Logan       | 343         | 251 (73%)   | 343         | 299 (87%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Mason       | 301         | 189 (63%)   | 301         | 281 (93%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| McDowell    | 128         | 44 (34%)    | 128         | 115 (90%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Mercer      | 197         | 143 (73%)   | 197         | 164 (83%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Mineral     | 328         | 228 (70%)   | 328         | 239 (73%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Mingo       | 270         | 202 (75%)   | 270         | 219 (81%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Monongalia  | 496         | 367 (74%)   | 496         | 428 (86%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Nicholas    | 158         | 107 (68%)   | 158         | 146 (92%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Pocahontas  | 118         | 50 (42%)    | 118         | 106 (90%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Preston     | 217         | 109 (50%)   | 217         | 176 (81%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Roane       | 109         | 81 (74%)    | 109         | 84 (77%)    |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Summers     | 171         | 108 (63%)   | 171         | 163 (95%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Tucker      | 242         | 159 (66%)   | 242         | 213 (88%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Upshur      | 280         | 197 (70%)   | 280         | 253 (90%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Webster     | 92          | 42 (46%)    | 92          | 89 (97%)    |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Wetzel      | 149         | 100 (67%)   | 149         | 119 (80%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Wirt        | 215         | 135 (63%)   | 215         | 164 (76%)   |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+