Measuring Third Grade Reading Performance With and Without Using the Study Island Program

Measuring Third Grade Reading Performance With and Without Using the Study Island Program by Caprice A. Phillips-Mitchell MEd, Dominican University, 2010 MLIS. , Dominican University, 2002 MAT. , National Louis University, 2000 BA. , Robert Morris University, 1996 Doctoral Study in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University December 2018 Abstract The low test scores on third graders’ Illinois State Assessment Test (ISAT) is a concern in the Allgood Elementary School community. Thirty percent of third graders are retained because they do not meet the standard on the ISAT. A technology-assisted reading program, Study Island, was implemented to increase reading proficiency. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was an improvement in standardized test performance after the implementation of Study Island for the academic school years 2009-2012. Dewey’s theory of experience provided the theoretical framework for the study because when students are engaged in hands on experience in education it reflects a meaningful learning experience. A correlational study was conducted to examine whether the computer-based program had an effect on student reading performance on the ISAT. The sample consisted of students in two third-grade classrooms (N = 305) enrolled during these years. Archived ISAT scores were used to compare student performance. A oneway ANOVA determined whether statistically significant differences existed in the mean scores of students who did and did not use the Study Island reading program. The results show, ISAT scores were significantly higher only after the second year of implementation of the program. The findings, presented in a white paper, can promote social change by helping school officials make informed decisions on implementing Study Island, ultimately to improve reading outcomes for students and help them become critical thinkers in society.The low test scores on third graders’ Illinois State Assessment Test (ISAT) is a concern in the Allgood Elementary School community. Thirty percent of third graders are retained because they do not meet the standard on the ISAT. A technology-assisted reading program, Study Island, was implemented to increase reading proficiency. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was an improvement in standardized test performance after the implementation of Study Island for the academic school years 2009-2012. Dewey’s theory of experience provided the theoretical framework for the study because when students are engaged in hands on experience in education it reflects a meaningful learning experience. A correlational study was conducted to examine whether the computer-based program had an effect on student reading performance on the ISAT. The sample consisted of students in two third-grade classrooms (N = 305) enrolled during these years. Archived ISAT scores were used to compare student performance. A oneway ANOVA determined whether statistically significant differences existed in the mean scores of students who did and did not use the Study Island reading program. The results show, ISAT scores were significantly higher only after the second year of implementation of the program. The findings, presented in a white paper, can promote social change by helping school officials make informed decisions on implementing Study Island, ultimately to improve reading outcomes for students and help them become critical thinkers in society. Measuring Third Grade Reading Performance With and Without Using the Study Island Program by Caprice A. Phillips-Mitchell MEd, Dominican University, 2010 MLIS. , Dominican University, 2002 MAT. , National Louis University, 2000 BA. , Robert Morris University, 1996 Proposal Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University December 2018 Dedication I am thankful to God and the variables that created the structure and creativity for my life. Among these variables are my loving parents, who taught me as a child to value education. They always instilled in me that education was my inheritance. My father taught me a proverb at an early age, “Educate that you may be free. ” Thank God for my loving and wonderful husband; supported me unwaveringly throughout over three years of the dissertation process and allowed me to follow my dream without complaining about the long hours of studying. Thank you for being the extraordinary man you are to our children. Finally, special thanks to my family, friends, and colleagues, who assisted me throughout this process and I shall be forever grateful to God who made it all possible. Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge and thank Dr. Amy White and Dr. Tammye Turpin for being exemplary committee members and being patient with me throughout the rigorous doctoral process. Also, special thanks to Walden University’s faculty and staff that have assisted me throughout the years of my doctoral journey to assure I completed the program.