Sample Project Proposal: Second Grade Literacy in a Title I School Project Description In her article Patricia Cunningham (2007) explains that one of the most influential factors on student reading achievement in high poverty schools is the time students spend engaged in reading. Additionally, Michelle J. Kelley and Nicki Clausen-Grace (2009) state that reading engagement can help students overcome setbacks such as low family income and lack educational background. Research shows that for students, specifically low income students, to grow as readers, they must engage in substantial amounts of independent reading. Since many low-income students do not have do not have the resources or supervision needed to engage in substantial, meaningful independent reading at home, many elementary schools like my own have allocated a portion of the school day for independent reading. Many students, however, are not truly engaged during this time. Instead of reading, students pretend to read, switch books frequently, look around the room, or play with their friends (Kelley & Clausen-Grace, 2009). In this project students will self-evaluate their independent reading behaviors using a rubric and open-ended prompts, identify behaviors in need of improvement, and set specific behavior goals for independent reading with the ultimate goals being to increase engagement during independent reading time and to reading behaviors. 2. Outcomes Students will be able to evaluate their own independent reading behaviors using a class-created rubric. Each student will be able to identify an independent reading behavior in need of improvement and set a goal for improving that behavior. Students will engage in more on-task behaviors and fewer off-task behaviors during independent reading time (Observational Behavior Checklist).
When using the reading rubric to evaluate their reading behaviors all students correctly assessed their reading volume and respectfulness toward other readers. All students except S2 were able to correctly assess their use of reading strategies; their times spent reading, and were able to provide evidence for why they placed themselves in at least one category. Three of five students accurately assessed their ability to stay in one spot and their concentration level during reading. In all situations where students incorrectly assessed themselves, the students inflated their performances. I think this was done to avoid disappointing the teacher and due to the rubric’s headings. The headings were Outstanding, Good, So-So, and Uh-Oh! While discussing the rubric with children during individual conferences the children made comments such as, “I did a bad job,” which led me to think that when the students place themselves in a low category, they saw the category as a personal reflection no as a reflection of the specific reading behavior. This resulted in instances where students marked themselves in the Outstanding or Good categories instead of the So-So or Uh-Oh! categories which were more reflective of their behaviors. Collaboration and Impact of Project When modifying Kelly and Clausen-Grace’s (2009) behavior observation checklist for independent reading, I collaborated with my mentor teacher on which behaviors to add and exclude from the checklist. Because increasing literacy skills was a school target in her school, she discussed this project with the School Improvement Facilitator. My mentor provided examples of independent reading rubrics which guided the class and me as we made our own rubric. I attended a staff development meeting on high progress classrooms and student engagement during which the school principal asked me to share what the project involved and some of my findings. My mentor teacher is using the system I designed to share with other teachers in classrooms around the school, In these classrooms the systematic observation and self-evaluation will be used to increase student engagement in reading as well as in writing and math. Future Plans I have learned many useful approaches that I can implement in my own classroom to increase independent reading. I believe all students—especially those struggling with literacy skills—can benefit
Figure 2: Assessment of Independent Goal-setting Pre-Assessment Mid-Project Assessment Post-Assessment Skill # of students able # of students unable # of students able # of students unable # of students able # of students unable Student identified an area of strength in his independent reading 6 0 5 0 5 0 Student identified an area of weakness in his independent reading 3 3 4 1 5 0 Student set a goal for independent reading based on the identification of an area of weakness 3 3 4 1 4 1 Student was able to tell how or using what strategy he would achieve his goal. 2 4 1 4 3 2 Figure 3: Independent Reading, Self-evaluation Rubric Assessment Skill Pre-Assessment Mid-Project Assessment Post-Assessment
# of students able # of students unable # of students able # of students unable # of students able # of students unable The student accurately assessed time spent reading * 5 1 2 3 4 1 The student accurately assessed staying in one spot.* 5 1 5 0 3 2 The student accurately assessed concentration during reading. 4 2 3 2 3 2 The student accurately assessed his volume during reading.* 5 1 4 1 5 0 The student accurately assessed how well he respected the readers around them.* 4 2 5 0 5 0 The student accurately assessed what he did when he came to a difficult part of the text. 4 2 3 2 4 1