I was asked to complete an academic assignment (based on a fictional school) about struggling readers and strategies for improvement.

1. EVALUATING STRUGGLING
READERS
BY: MARQUITA L. JOHNSON

2. COMPARING PHEONIX ELEMENTARY WITH
OUR CURRENT READING
• CURRENTLY OUR SCHOOL USES AN INCLUSION MODEL.
• ACCORING TO THE READING, THE INCLUSION MODEL MAY NOT
WORK BECAUSE THERE IS NO SEPARATION TO FOCUS
EXCLUSIVELY ON THE SPECIAL NEEDS POPULATION
(GUNNINGS,T.G, 2014)
• OTHER SHORT COMINGS INCLUDE: NO FORMAL WAY TO
MEASURE OR DOCUMENT PROGRESS, LACK OF CLEAR GOALS
AND NO FLEXIBILTY TO MEET STUDENT NEEDS.

3. READING IMPACTING FACTORS
•EDUCATIONAL FACTORS ARE FACTORS
CONTROLLED BY THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM SUCH
AS THE FOLLOWING:
•TEACHING METHODS AND MATERIALS
•TEACHER AND INSTRUCTIONAL TIME (GUNNINGS
T.G, 2014)
•SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT AND DIAGNOSED

4. READING IMPACTING FACTORS CONTINUED
• NONEDUCATIONAL FACTORS ARE OUTSIDE OF THE CONTROL OF THE
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM SUCH AS:
• HOME ENVIRONMENT, LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES AND GENDER
• PHYSICAL HEALTH: ILLNESS AND NUTRITION
• PERCEPTUAL: VISUAL AND AUDIBILITY
• EMOTIONAL: THE WAY A STUDENT FEELS (GUNNINGS T.G,2014)
• ALL OF THE IMPACTING FACTORS CAN IMPACT THE READING ABILITY
IN A POSITIVE WAY OR NEGATIVE WAY.

5. RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION
• OUR CURRENT SYSTEM PARTIALLY COVERS 2 OUT OF THE 3 TIERS
FOR RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION MODEL.
• FIRST STAGE INCLUDES OBSERVATION OF STUDENT AND
MONITORING STUDENT PROGRESS. IF PERFORMANCE DOES NOT
IMPROVE GO TO SECOND STAGE
• SECOND STAGE INCLUDES EXTRA INSTRUCTION PROVIDED BY
TEACHER OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SPECIFIC TO STUDENT NEEDS. IF
STILL NO IMPROVEMENT GO TO STEP THREE ( OPITZ, M.F, RUBIN,D.,
AND ERECKSON, J.A 2015)
• THIRD STAGE INCLUDES ADDITIONAL TESTING. IF NECESSARY REFER
TO EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN SERVICES AND PROVIDE INTENSIVE
INTERVENTIONS

6. ADDING TO INTERVENTIONS
• AFTER STAGE 1, PHOENIX ELEMENTARY WILL GIVE STUDENTS AN INTEREST
SURVEY AND INFORMAL ASSESSMENT LIKE SAN DIEGO QUICK ASSESSMENT
TO DIAGNOSE READING LEVELS.
• BY STAGE 2 WE HAVE IDENTIFIED STRUGGLING READERS AND WILL PROVIDE
ONE-ON-ONE (ZOOM IN) OR GROUP INSTRUCTION (ZOOM OUT) BASED ON
STUDENT NEEDS AND PROVIDE ADDITONAL ASSESSMENTS TO MONITOR
PROGRESS (OPITZ,M.F, RUBIN,D. AND ERECKSON J.A, 2015)
• BY STAGE 3, WE WILL SET UP A PROGRAM EXCLUSIVELY FOCUSED ON
EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS AND THOSE NEEDING INTENSIVE INSTRUCTION
(OPITZ,M.F RUBIN,D. AND ERECKSON J.A, 2015)

7. IMPORTANT PARTS OF RTI
• SCHOOL WIDE PREVENTION SYSTEM INCLUDES ALL 3 TIERS
• SCREENING OR DOES THE TEACHING MET STUDENT NEED (OPITZ, M.F, RUBIN D.,
AND ERECKSON, J.A, 2015)
• PROGRESS MONITERING THROUGH ASSESSMENTS (OPITZ, M.F, RUBIN D., AND
ERECKSON,J.A, 2015)
• DATA BASED DECISION MAKING OR EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES (OPITZ,M.F,
RUBIN, D. AND ERECKSON,J.A , 2015)
• ALL OF THE PARTS MENTION PREVIOUSLY ARE VITAL TO A SUCCESSFUL
INTERVENTION. THE PROCESS IS CONTINOUS AND SOMETIMES THE DURATION,
FREQUNCY, INTERVENTION AND GROUPS SIZE NEED TO CHANGE TO MEET
STUDENT NEED.

8. EVIDENCED BASED PRACTICES
• FACTORS OF EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES INCLUDE: SOUND RESEARCH
DESIGN, QUALITY DATA ANALYSIS AND OTHER RESEARCHERS REPLICATING
RESULTS (READING ROCKETS, 2016). ACCORDING TO PROMISE PRACTICE
NETWORK, 2 SUCESSFUL PRACTICES INCLUDE:
• ACCELERATED READING PROGRAM (GRADES K-12). STUDENTS ARE GIVEN
THE STAR ASSESSMENT AND ACCELERATED READING QUIZZES TO MONITOR
GROWTH.
• ANOTHER ONE IS PART OF THE INCREDIBLE YEARS CALLED BASIC (AGES 6-
12) AND FOCUSES ON BEHAVOR STRATEGIES LIKE GOOD CHOICES,
ELIMINATING NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR AND USING COPING SKILLS (PROMISE
PRACTICE NETWORK,2014)

9. BACK TO THE CHECKLIST
• WE NOW KNOW THE EDUCATIONAL AND NONEDUCATIONAL FACTORS
• SOME OF THE BEST WAYS WE CAN USE THESE FACTORS ARE:
• BEING AWARE OF STUDENT’S BACKGROUND AND ADJUST TEACHING TO SUIT
THERE NEEDS.
• CONSTANTLY EVALUATE OURSELVES AND OUR STUDENTS. ALWAYS USE THE
INFORMATION TO ENHANCE STUDENT LEARNING. LOOK FOR STRENGTHS AND
WEAKNESSES (GUNNINGS, T.G, 2014).
• AFTER EVALUATION, BE TASK ORIENTED IN HOW WE WILL USE THIS
INFORMATION. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE MATERIALS WE ARE USING DO NOT
ENCOURAGE LEARNING, TAKE ON THE TASK OF FINDING NEW RESOURCES
(GUNNINGS, T.G, 2014)

10. RECCOMENDATIONS
• USE ANOTHER STAFF MEMBER TO ORGANIZE THE PROGRAM OTHER THAN CURRENT
LIASION.
• MAKE SURE WE ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION. FOR EXAMPLE,
GIVING INFORMAL INVENTORIES AND PROVIDING PROMPT FEED BACK IMMEDIATELY. IN
ORDER TO GIVE PRODUCTIVE FEED BACK TEACHERS HAVE TO ANALYZE THESE 3
COMPONENTS: AFFECTIVE (FEELINGS OF A READER), GLOBAL (HOW THEY THINK) AND
LOCAL (HOW THEY FORM LANGUAGE). CREATE A TIMELINE OF STUDENT PROGRESS TO
ASSESS READING SKILLS (GUNNINGS, T.G, 2014)
• ALSO USE THE INTERACTIVE APPROACH FOR TEACHING READING. A READER MAY NOT
UNDERSTAND A WHOLE PASSAGE OR WORDS. HOWEVER SYNTHESIZED TOGETHER MAY
PROVIDE MORE CLARITY (GUNNINGS, 2014)
• LOOK AT PDP’S FOCUSED ON IMPROVING READING SKILLS LIKE FIT (FRAMEWORK FOR
INTENTIONAL AND TARGETED TEACHING ON WWW. ASCD. ORG.

11. RECCOMENDATIONS CONTINUED
• SEEK OUT OTHER EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES LIKE
ACCELERATED READER,BASIC AND OTHERS.
• HAVE CLEAR GOALS FOR INSTRUCTORS.
• HAVE A FORUM WHERE PARENTS, STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS
CAN CONNECT AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
• ALWAYS HAVE ROOM FOR FLEXIBILITY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF
THE STUDENTS.

12. REFERENCES
• AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (2009) APA MANUAL (6TH ED)
WASHINGTON, D.C LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
• GUNNINGS,T.G (2014) ASSESSING AND CORRECTING READING AND WRITING
DIFFICULTIES (5TH ED.) BOSTON, MA: ALLYN,BACON
• OPITZ,M.F, RUBIN, D., ERECKSON,J.A (2015) UNDERSTANDING, ASSESSING
AND TEACHING READING: A DIAGNOSTIC APPROACH (7TH ED). BOSTON, MA:
ALLYN BACON
• <ref>PROMISE PRACTICE NETWORK (2014) EVIDENCE BASED
PRACTICES.ONLINE
• <ref> READING ROCKETS (2017) HELPING STRUGGLING READERS. ONLINE