Reading Achievement Comparison of Special Education Students Instructed Through the SRA Corrective Reading Program

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the reading progress of middle school special education students after being administered the SRA Corrective Reading Program for the school year 1997. The students were placed in homogeneous reading groups within the program after being given a placement test. In April of 1996, these students were given the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests (Form H) which were used as a baseline. These same students were again tested in April of 1997 using the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests (Form G) to determine if any significant growth in reading scores occurred. The testing in 1996 and in 1997 consisted of two subtests: Word Identification and Passage Comprehension. Upon analysis of the data, it was found that 2 of the 13 students showed a statistically significant improvement in their reading scores, 9 of the 13 students in the study showed a marginal positive change, and 2 students out of 13 showed a decline. Based on the decision criteria set forth in this study that if 7 or more of the 13 students showed no increase or a decline, this investigator would recommend dropping the program. A concern this researcher has with this recommendation is that 2 of the 13 students did make a statistically significant improvement and 9 of the 13 made a marginal positive change.