Transcript Accelerated Reader as a Mechanism for Independent Reading

Accelerated Reader as a Mechanism for Independent
Reading Assessment: Reading Gains in Ninth Graders
Wendy Stephens
April 29, 2006
CECS 5610
Dr. Knezek
Existing research
Chenoweth (2001) notes that all existing research failed to
meet federal standards of scientific rigor
Most work carried out by academics evaluating the efficacy
of Accelerated Reader (AR), underwritten by
Renaissance Learning
Ross et al. (2004) attempt to structure their study to meet
the rigorous experimental guidelines outlined by federal
government, but Renaissance Learning's provision of
Accelerated Reader materials and monthly in-school
consulting free-of-charge on the part of the software
company makes this use of the software far from typical
More work is being undertaken to evaluate efficacy so
schools can use federal funding (including Title I) to pay
for software components
Design
Type of Design: Ex post facto bivariate and multivariate data
analysis using previously collected data.
The proposed model presents a static group comparison, "a design
in which a group which has experienced X is compared with one
which has not, for the purpose of establishing the effect of X"
(Campbell & Stanley, p. 12).
X ------------- 0
------------- 0
Principle: Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) will control for
mediating variables to investigate the relationship between a
particular classroom computerized reading practice program and
reading gains.
Variables
Independent variables:
• the number of books read
• mean level of books read
• reading volume
• percent correct
• race, gender, and socioeconomic background
Dependent variables:
Growth in scores derived using another Renaissance Learning product,
the STAR reading assessment, will be used as pre- and post-test
outcome measure.
Improvement, rather than students' overall end reading ability, is the
measure under consideration
Limitations and design
improvement
• Single school, grade level, and treatment classroom as a sample of
convenience provide the largest limitations to the proposed study.
Expanding the study to a variety of school environments would also
increase overall reliability.
• Experimental design improvement at a single school might involve
using alternative measures for reading comprehension assessment in
some sections of the current AR teacher's classroom, and asking other
ninth-grade English teachers to implement AR in some classes as a
point of comparison.
• Pre-test, post-test comparison proposed as an outcome measure
would result in data that could be used to contrast the control and
treatment groups, though even that design presents many interactions
you cannot quantify. Instruction may differ between ninth-grade
classroom teachers in ways other than the incorporation of AR, what
Topping and Sanders (2000) "significant intra-school variation" (p.
306) or "noise" (p. 308) at the classroom level.
References
Campbell, D.T. and Stanley, J.C. (1966). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research.
Chicago: Rand McNally.
Chenowith, K. (2001, Sept.) Keeping score. School Library Journal 47, 48-52.
Everhart, N. (2005, Oct. 7 ). Accelerated reader research -- finally! Presented at the American
Association of School Librarians Conference, Pittsburgh, PA.
Melton, C.M., Smothers, B. C., Anderson, E. M., Fulton, R., Replogle, W.H., & Thomas, L. (2004, March).
A study of the effects of the Accelerated Reader program on fifth grade students' reading achievement
growth. Reading Improvement.
Ross, S.M., Nunnery, J. & Goldfeder, E. (2004). A randomized experiment on the effects of Accelerated
Reader/Reading Renaissance in an urban school district: Preliminary evaluation report. Memphis,
TN: The University of Memphis, Center for Research in Educational Policy. Retrieved March 30, 2006
from http://crep.memphis.edu/web/research/pub/Memphis_AR-RR_05-14-04_FINALcr.pdf.
Topping, K.J., and Fisher, A.M. (2002, July 29). Accelerated Reader: U.K. pilot. Presented at the
International Reading Association World Congress on Reading, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Topping, K.J. & Paul, T.D. (1999). Computer-assisted assessment of practice at reading: A large scale
survey using Accelerated Reader data. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 15: 213-231.
Topping, K.J. & Sanders, W.L. (2000). Teacher effectiveness and computer assessment of reading:
Relating value-added and learning information system data. School Effectiveness and School
Improvement 11:3, 305-337.
Vollands, S. R. Topping, K.J., & Evans, R. M. (1999). Computerized self-assessment of reading
comprehension with the Accelerated Reader: Action research. Reading and Writing Quarterly 15:197211.