Project STAR was implemented at Trento National High School to address students' poor reading skills by extending English class time from 60 to 80 minutes, including a dedicated reading lesson. The initiative resulted in significant improvements in students' reading levels, with increases in independent readers and decreases in frustration levels during the 2005-2006 school year. The project garnered support from teachers and parents, culminating in a budget of PHP 120,000 for resources, and helped the school achieve higher rankings in national assessments.

1. PROJECT
STAR
Strengthening
Time
Allotment in
Reading
TRENTO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Trento, Agusan del Sur

2. Trento is the last town
located in the southern part
of CARAGA Region where
Trento National High
School is situated. It is one
of the biggest schools in
terms of population in
Agusan del Sur division. It
is headed by a principal II,
having a total number of 63
nationally paid teachers
and 9 locally paid teachers,
and 2,098 students.

3. Academically, its performances
have excelled in the Division, Region
and even in the National level.

4. In spite of the good performance
which was shown by the students, it
does not do away with the problem in
poor word recognition and poor word
comprehension. It is a fact that majority
of the students falls on the frustration
level. Just like other schools in the
division of Agusan del Sur, its Mean
Percentage Score (MPS) is affected by
this problem.

5. To address the problem, Project
STAR was introduced to ensure
improvement among students’ skills in
word recognition and word
comprehension. Project STAR simply
means Strengthening Time Allotment in
Reading. This extends 20 minutes from
the usual 60 minutes to make it 80
minutes time alloted for English subject.

6. This is designed to ensure the use
of English Language in school to
encourage maximum participation
of students in the classroom and
to improve their reading ability.

7. This project however is said to be
unique aside from its 80 minutes
description because even if the
regular class for English is only 4
days, hence it does not mean
reducing the number of minutes in
a particular lesson in English.

8. From the 60 minutes time allotted
before in English lesson everyday,
at present, it reaches to 80
minutes, and the remaining one
day is intended only for reading
lesson.

9. This aims to increase the Reading
Level of the students from
Frustration Level to 5% increase in
Independent Level and 5% decrease
in Frustration Level both in word
recognition and word
comprehension.

10. Based on the Basic Education
Curriculum (BEC), English subject is
given sixty minutes only. Hence, it is a
practice already of the English teachers
to find a day in integrating the reading
lessons on their English subject. The
Prototype Lesson Plans were followed;
however, the skills in reading are not
arranged from basics so as to ensure
mastery of the basic skill before jumping
to complicated ones.

11. Even to the utmost initiative of the
teachers but still the reading level of
the students has no improvement at all.

12. In School Year 2004-2005, the
overall total percentage of the
reading level of the students is very
discouraging. The total number of
students who took the post oral
reading test was 2,498.

13. Among the students who took the
test, there were 795 students or
32% belong to Independent Level;
1,082 or 43% who belong to
Instructional Level; and 618
students or 25% who belong to
Frustration Level in Word
Recognition.

14. While in Word Comprehension, there
were 583 students or 23% who belong
to Independent Level; 901 students or
36% who belong to Instructional Level
and 1,011 students or 41% who belong
to Frustration Level.

15. Upon finding at the very low result
of the post oral reading test School Year
2004-2005, the English teachers were
alarmed on the situation. They convened
for a meeting and it was decided to
increase the number of minutes of the
English subject to 80 minutes from the
usual 60 minutes.

16. The project seemed
to be viable to the
students to have a focus
attention in reading. On
the part of the teachers, it
also served as an avenue
to make follow up on
students’ mastery of the
lesson taught wherein
different skills of
students are expected to
be developed.

17. School Year 2005-2006 was the
first implementation of the Project
STAR.

18. During enrolment
period, an oral reading test
was conducted by the
English teachers to all
incoming first year students
who enrolled in school. This
serves as a pre requisite of
freshmen enrollees. There
was an oral reading test
conducted from first year to
fourth year in the month of
June.

19. After identifying
students’ reading level,
students were grouped
according to their
reading level.
Students under
frustration level were
given much attention
in reading to make
sure that their reading
performance would be
improved.

20. Friday is the chosen day for reading.
Teachers responded positively in doing
their task in reading. Identifying the
sounds through oral recitation was the
first skill tackled. Skills like noting
details, giving titles and sequencing of
events and others which are reflected in
the training matrix were also introduced
and taught. Some of the suggested
activities in the matrix were modified as
long as the skills were just the same.

21. In the classroom, the English
teachers were applying the multi-grade
teaching approach. This is to guarantee
that the reading needs of the students in
a classroom will be given attention. The
reading levels have corresponding needs
to attend to. The independent readers
need to be enriched; the instructional
readers need to be enhanced, and the
frustration readers need to be
remediated.

22. The material used for independent
readers is the Science Research
Associate (SRA) kit. Any authentic
materials were utilized for the
instructional readers. To remediate the
frustration readers, intervention
materials made by the teachers were
utilized.

23. A Workbook for Reading Remediation for
High School Students, CDs about the
production of sounds and other reading
materials were also used as
supplemental for the reading needs.

24. Like the regular classes in English,
macro-skills were also given
emphasis in reading lesson thus;
student’s interactive participation
was being maximized.
•

25. English teachers were
conducting regular meeting to
consolidate information pertaining
to the recent implementation. LAC
session was conducted to foster
collaboration and camaraderie
among the English teachers.

26. To better
implement the said
practice, the Parents
Teachers Association
(PTA) agreed during
the General
Assembly on
February 25, 2006 to
contribute P60.00 for
reading materials and
other instructional
needs.

27. The said project has a proposed
budget yearly of One Hundred Twenty
Thousand Pesos ( Php 120,000.00). Of
the three sets of SRA kits of the school,
two were purchased out of the said
contribution. There were also some
instructional materials given to the
teachers like cartolinas, manila papers
and others in the first year of
implementation.

28. Just recently, a training on English
Proficiency for all teachers was
conducted to propagate the roles of
every teacher in reading regardless of
subjects handled.

29. With the intensification of time in
English, the target objective which is 5%
increase in Independent Level and 5%
decrease in Frustration Level both in
Word Recognition and Word
Comprehension was attained ( as shown
in table 1 and 2 and graphical representation
1-5).

30. As of School Year 2004-2005, there
were 795 or 32% of the students
belong to Independent Level and 618
or 25% belong to Frustration Level in
Word Recognition.

31. But it increased into 75% who
belong to Independent Level and it
decreased into 6% who belong to
Frustration Level during the
implementation of Project STAR in
School Year 2005-2006

32. On the other hand, in Word
Comprehension category in SY 2004-
2005, only 583 students or 23% belong
to Independent Level but it increased
into 31% of the SY 2005-2006 while
there were 1,011 students or 41%
belong to Frustration Level in SY 2004-
2005 and it decreased into 382
students or 19% in SY 2005-2006.

33. In addition to it, the school ranked
8th
in the National Achievement Test
(NAT) out of Top Ten in the Division and
ranked 32nd out of the top Thirty-five in
the Region. It is observed that extending
time in English and incorporating reading
in the curriculum is one of the factors
that Trento National High School starts
and continues soaring high.

34. Graph 1: Representation on the Comparison of
Post Oral Reading Result in Word Recognition
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
Independent Instructional Frustration
Word Recognition
2004-2005 Post Test
2005-2006 Post Test

35. Graph 1: Representation on the Comparison of
Post Oral Reading Result in Word Recognition
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
Independent Instructional Frustration
Word Recognition
2004-2005 Post Test
2005-2006 Post Test

36. Graph 2: Representation on the Comparison of
Post Oral Reading Result in Word Comprehension
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
Independent Instructional Frustration
Word Comprehension
2004-2005 Post Test
2005-2006 Post Test

37. Graph 3: Representation of the Post Oral Reading
Result in Independent Level and Frustration Level
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Independent Frustration Independent Frustration
Word Recognition Word Comprehension
2004-2005
2005-2006

38. Graph 4: Representation of the Variance in
Word Recognition
WORD RECOGNITION VARIANCE
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Independent Instructional Frustration
Word Recognition
Reading Level
Percentage
2004-2005
2005-2006

39. Graph 5: Representation on the Variance in
Word Comprehension
WORD COMPREHENSION VARIANCE
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Independent Instructional Frustration
Word Comprehension
Reading Level
Percentage
2004-2005
2005-2006

40. PROPOSED BUDGET OF THE READING PROGRAM
IN TRENTO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
2,000 students X 60.00 = P 120,000.00
School Year 2005-2006
Workbook remediation (15 copies) P 10,000.00
Photocopy for reading texts 5,000.00
SRA Reading Kit ( 2 sets) 40,000.00
INSET on Reading 20,000.00
Improvement of the reading room 10,000.00
Story Books 5,000.00
2 Cassette Players(Handy Cassette) 10,000.00

41. PROPOSED BUDGET OF THE READING PROGRAM
IN TRENTO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
2,000 students X 60.00 = P 120,000.00
School Year 2005-2006
Cassette Tapes /CDs on Sounds/Rhymes 4,000.00
5 doz. Cartolina (assorted) 450.00
5 doz. Manila Paper
360.00
12 doz. Pentel Pen 390.00
12 bot. Pentel Pen Ink 900.00
1 doz. Class Record 420.00
1 doz. Pilot Pen Black 240.00
1 doz. Masking Tape 150.00

42. PROPOSED BUDGET OF THE READING PROGRAM
IN TRENTO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
2,000 students X 60.00 = P 120,000.00
School Year 2005-2006
Instructional Materials ( Word Game etc) 3,000.00
Miscellaneous Expenses 2,090.00
Travel Expenses 5,000.00
Documentation 3,000.00
__________
120, 000.00

43. The Result and Comparison
of the Pretest and Post Test
in Oral Reading
SY 2004-2005 and SY 2005-2006

44. School Year No. of
Students
Students Actually Tested
2004-2005
Pre test 2579 2554
Post test 2498 2495
Difference
2005-2006
Pre test 2249 2218
Post test 2010 1999
Difference

45. Word Recognition
Independent
Level
% Instructional
Level
% Frustration
Level
%
742 29% 1028 40% 784 31%
795 32% 1082 43% 618 25%
3% 3% - 6%
1048 47% 701 32% 469 21%
1498 75% 382 19% 119 6%
28% - 13% - 15%

46. Word Comprehension
Independent % Instructional % Frustration %
Level Level Level
537 21% 821 32% 1195 47%
318 14% 845 38% 1055 48%
-7% 6% 1%
583 23% 901 36% 1011 41%
628 31% 984 49% 387 19%
17% 11% -29%

47. The Result and Comparison of the
Pretest and Post Test in Oral Reading
SY 2004-2005 and SY 2005-2006
School
Year
No. of
Students
Students
Actually
Tested
pre 2004-2005 2579 2554
2005-2006 2249 2218
post 2004-2005 2498 2495
2005-2006 2010 1999

48. -15%
-13%
28%
6%
119
19%
382
75%
1498
21%
469
32%
701
47%
1048
-6%
3%
3%
25%
618
43%
1082
32%
795
31%
784
40%
1028
29%
742
Level
Level
Level
%
Frustration
%
Instructional
%
Independent
Word Recognition

49. Word Comprehension
Independent % Instructional % Frustration %
Level Level Level
537 21% 821 32% 1195 47%
583 23% 901 36% 1011 41%
2% 4% -6%
318 14% 845 38% 1055 48%
628 31% 984 49% 387 19%
17% 11% -29%

50. GOD BLESS & HAVE A
GOOD DAY!!!