Demonstrated Record of Effectiveness in Increasing Student Achievement

Florida RFA 2008-2009 Narrative Language (Updated December 2008)

5.1 The provider must have a demonstrated record of effectiveness in increasing the student academic achievement toward meeting the state achievement standards [NCLB, 20 U.S.C. Section 1116(e)(12)(B)(i)].

5.1.1 (0-5 points) Describe specific student achievement data to document evidence that the applicant’s company or organization had a positive impact on increasing student achievement toward meeting state achievement standards. Include quantitative data that documents student learning gains.

Total Character = 2232, 341 Words

Each student begins by taking a skills assessment to identify the educational needs of the student, make informed decisions about instructional level placement, create instructional plans for students and capture baseline data for evaluating progress. The assessments used are the Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation (GRADE) and the Group Mathematics Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation (GMADE). Both assessments are published by Pearson Publishing and are nationally normed and criterion referenced. Performance on the skills assessment helps the trained teachers identify a starting instructional level for each student. Individual student skill gaps and strengths are identified for the teachers and are used to guide instruction.

Students are given a pre assessment at the start of the program to determine placement and a post assessment at the end of the program to demonstrate the student’s progress, relative to baseline achievement in reading and mathematics, from the outset of a student’s participation in the program. Additionally, assessments are administered, throughout the program, to evaluate student progress and skill acquisition. Based on the assessments, adjustments are made to the instructional program, if needed.

Through the end of the 2007-2008 school year the program has served more than 8,000 students. The results detailed below show the program is successful at making substantial growth in students’ core reading and math skills in a condensed amount of time. The results include only students who attended twenty or more hours (71+%) of instruction.

The scores used in evaluation of academic growth include the Growth Scale Value score (GSV) and Percentile Rankings. The GSV score is a developmental standard score that is used to track students’ growth between tests and across grade levels. The percentile rankings evaluate the percentile change after instruction. Both the GSV and percentile scores compare the students to the norm group.

Academic Growth for Reading

% Meeting and exceeding median GSV growth = 51%

Average change in percentile = +6.5

Average attendance rate = 87%

Academic Growth for Math

% Meeting and exceeding median GSV growth = 51%

Average change in percentile = +9.1

Average attendance rate = 88%

5.2 The provider must document that the instructional strategies used are high quality, based upon research, and designed to increase student academic achievement of eligible students and attain proficiency in meeting the state’s academic achievement standards [NCLB, 20 U.S.C. Section 1116(e)(12)(C)(ii)].

5.2.1 (0-5 points) Identify the curriculum of the proposed program and quantitative research that documents its effectiveness in increasing student achievement.

READING ONLY

Reading only = 2303 Word count = 319

Reading is designed with each skill taught over three lessons and is based on The National Reading Panel Report (NRP) (2000), including Word Analysis, Vocabulary Development, Reading Fluency, and Reading Comprehension. The phonics instruction allows students to apply what they learn about sounds and letters to reading. Students are given the opportunity to read synthetic, decodable, connected and authentic texts and are guided with questioning and strategy instruction to help improve comprehension. Comprehension vocabulary is introduced prior to the first reading of the text and indirect vocabulary support is provided throughout the instructional sessions. Both oral and written vocabulary support is provided through the inclusion of oral discussion, comprehension questions, and a student resource book. Fluency instruction is integrated into the reading activities for each session.

Regarding alphabetics, the NRP specifies certain key findings:

1. Phonemic awareness instruction is most effective when (a) alphabetic letters are included, (b) there are fewer rather than more manipulations of phonemic units, and (c) instruction is conducted in small groups.

2. Systematic phonics instruction produces significant benefits for students in kindergarten through sixth grade and for students with reading disabilities, regardless of socioeconomic status.

3. Impact of systematic phonics is strongest in kindergarten and first grade.

4. Phonics must be integrated with instruction in phonemic awareness, fluency, and comprehension.

The powerful relationship between comprehension and vocabulary is a very consistent finding in reading research. Research shows that good readers have large vocabularies (Anderson & Freebody, 1981; Nagy, Anderson, & Herman, 1987) and that improving students’ vocabularies also can improve their reading comprehension (Beck, Perfetti, & McKeown, 1982; McKeown, Beck, Omanson, & Pople, 1985). “Students who lack adequate vocabularies or effective word-learning strategies necessarily struggle to achieve comprehension” (Lehr & Osborn, 2005).

READING AND MATH

Total Characters = 2427 Word count = 343

Reading is designed with each skill taught over three lessons and is based on The National Reading Panel Report (NRP) (2000) including Word Analysis, Vocabulary Development, Reading Fluency, and Reading Comprehension. Students study phonemic awareness, comprehension vocabulary prior to the first reading of the text selection and vocabulary support is provided throughout the sessions during phonemic awareness/phonics instruction, a variety of text selections, and comprehension instructional activities. Fluency instruction is integrated into the reading activities for each session.

Regarding alphabetics, the NRP specifies certain key findings:

2. Systematic phonics instruction produces significant benefits for students in kindergarten through sixth grade and for students with reading disabilities, regardless of socioeconomic status.

3. Impact of systematic phonics is strongest in kindergarten and first grade.

4. Phonics must be integrated with instruction in phonemic awareness, fluency, and comprehension.

According to Torgesen (2002), it is essential that we ensure that classroom instruction, especially in kindergarten through grade 3, is skillfully delivered with a balanced emphasis on word-level and reading comprehension skills. “Students who lack adequate vocabularies or effective word-learning strategies necessarily struggle to achieve comprehension” (Lehr & Osborn, 2005).

The Math program draws upon the findings of the National Research Council, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the principles outlined in the PSSM. The program is based on the content and process standards by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) (2000). The Content Standards are addressed in the program throughout the levels and the Process Standards are an integral part of the lesson design.

Each skill is taught over two lessons and is a balance between direct instruction and discovery learning. Problem solving is included for each skill and specific lessons are devoted to problem solving strategies. Formative and summative assessments are conducted throughout the program and concepts move from a concrete approach, often using manipulatives, to pictorial and then abstract.

5.2.2 (0-5 points) Identify the key instructional strategies of the proposed program and the quantitative research that documents the effectiveness of the instructional strategies in increasing student achievement. Examples of instructional strategies may include scaffolding, graphic organizers, use of manipulative resources, effective question and answer techniques, use of prior knowledge, direct instruction, directed practice, and mastery learning. For more information on effective instructional strategies, see http://www.cpt.fsu.edu/ESE/in/strmain.html.

Reading = 2401 Words = 363

READING ONLY-

The reading program engages students in accessing their prior knowledge related to the reading process, to the form and structure of text, and to the text topic. These skills and strategies are directly taught through teacher-guided lessons and then are applied in connected text. Vocabulary development is directly taught in the context of word study employing both direct and indirect instruction. Fluency development is integrated into each session by repeated oral readings of the passages with a focus on increased speed, accuracy, and intonation with initial reading modeled by the teacher.

The NRP identified seven categories of text comprehension that improve comprehension. Many are more effective when used as part of a multiple-strategy method:

1. Comprehension monitoring, where readers learn how to be aware of their understanding of the material;

2. Cooperative learning, where students learn reading strategies together;

3. Use of graphic and semantic organizers (including story maps), where readers make graphic representations of the material to assist comprehension;

4. Question answering, where readers answer questions posed by the teacher and receive immediate feedback;

5. Question generation, where readers ask themselves questions about various aspects of the story;

6. Story structure, where students are taught to use the structure of the story as a means of helping them recall story content in order to answer questions about what they had read; and

7. Summarization, where readers are taught to integrate ideas and generalize from the text information.

Included are a variety of graphic organizers and scaffolded instruction determines the amount of teacher intervention and student support provided during each activity.

The importance of fluency in successful reading was addressed in the National Reading Panel report (2000) regarding research on two instructional approaches that are widely used in classrooms to build reading fluency. Results showed all effective repeated reading procedures have two features in common: (1) They provide students with many opportunities to practice reading, and (2) they provide students with guidance in how fluent readers read and with feedback to help them become aware of and correct their mistakes (Osborn & Lehr, n.d.). This guidance can come from peers and parents, as well as from teachers (Foorman & Mehta, 2002; Shanahan, 2002).

READING AND MATH = 2469 Words = 361

The reading program accesses prior knowledge related to the reading process, the form and structure of text, and the text topic. Fluency development is integrated by repeated oral readings of the passages, initially modeled by the teacher. Vocabulary development is directly taught in the context of word study. The program includes a variety of graphic organizers, and scaffolded instruction determines the amount of teacher intervention and student support.

The NRP identified seven categories to improve text comprehension that improve comprehension. Many are more effective when used as part of a multiple-strategy method:

1. Comprehension monitoring, where readers learn how to be aware of their understanding of the material;

2. Cooperative learning, where students learn reading strategies together;

3. Use of graphic and semantic organizers (including story maps), where readers make graphic representations of the material to assist comprehension;

4. Question answering, where readers answer questions posed by the teacher and receive immediate feedback;

5. Question generation, where readers ask themselves questions about various aspects of the story;

6. Story structure, where students are taught to use the structure of the story as a means of helping them recall story content in order to answer questions about what they had read; and

7. Summarization, where readers are taught to integrate ideas and generalize from the text information.

The Math program draws upon the findings of the National Research Council, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the principles outlined in the PSSM. Students are taught to look for patterns, make conjectures, and test their theories. Instructional modifications are made based on students’ daily Process Standards elucidated in the NCTM Principles and Standards: Problem Solving, Reasoning and Proof, Connections, Communication, Representation, Productive Disposition.

Problem solving strategies, as well as representation, are core components (e.g., use or make a table, look for a pattern, work backwards, make a picture or design). Manipulatives are used to introduce, model concepts and support student learning (e.g. base-ten blocks, unifix cubes, and fraction tiles) Connections are made between skills as skills are grouped by concept and organized by order of difficulty. Opportunities to develop reasoning skills through problem solving activities are demonstrated by verbal response to questions.

5.2.3 (0-5 points) Identify the major design elements of the proposed program and quantitative research that documents the effectiveness of the elements in increasing student achievement. Examples of major elements may include mode of instruction, time on task, or resource materials.

Character Count = 2301 Words = 345

The lesson designs for both the Reading and Mathematics programs are highly structured and systematic. The lessons provide teachers explicit and precise directions for teaching skills. The lessons are designed so that each skill is taught over multiple days for intensive instruction.

Reading lessons are taught in a three-lesson sequence starting with accessing prior knowledge, introduction of the new skill and guided practice in the first sequence. The second sequence focuses on review of the skill, guided practice, and independent student practice. The final sequence is repeated independent practice, review of the skill from the first sequence and extension activities. For those children most at risk of reading failure, the same components are essential, but they need to be made “more explicit and comprehensive, more intensive, and more supportive in small-group or one-on-one formats” (Foorman & Torgesen, 2001).

Math lessons are taught in a two-lesson sequence. The focus of the first lesson is direct instruction to teach the skill and guided practice. The second lesson focuses on independent practice of the skill introduced in first lesson. Every lesson includes practice in basic math facts. Class discussion and dialogue about math computation and the reasoning behind the concepts are at the basis of instruction. This is followed by the opportunity for individual student’s mathematics work in the areas of problem solving and computation.

The tutoring instructional programs include the use of Teacher Lessons Manuals, Student Resource Books, Anthologies and Manipulatives. The Reading Resource Books all have pages for students to complete for each lesson in the four areas of Word Analysis (Phonemic Awareness, Phonics or Word Study), Vocabulary, Fluency, and Reading Comprehension. These materials and the mode of instruction allow for each student to practice and review skills not mastered. The Math Resource Books all have sections for vocabulary definitions and activities, places for the students to complete work during the guided practice portion of the lesson, independent practice and problem solving exercises on every skill, and opportunities for students to practice their communication of mathematics by summarizing the skills and concepts in their own words.