Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe the degree to which Reading Recovery students have sustained reading skills as measured by standardized test scores in second and third grade. The purpose of the study was also to determine the strength of correlation between the first-grade text reading levels and standardized test scores of these students in second and third grade. Methodology. For this descriptive study, assessment data were collected from a stratified sample of 116 students from the South Bay Area of California. Both a shift analysis of individual scores and a test for strength of correlation were conducted. Findings. Major findings of this study were: (1) Very few discontinued students had second and third grade scores in the first quintile. (2) Discontinued English proficient students tended to improve their reading performance between second and third grade. (3) The highest distribution of third-grade scores for discontinued students was in the third quintile. (4) Discontinued limited-English-proficient students performed as well or better than discontinued English-proficient students. (5) Nondiscontinued students who were served in Reading Recovery during the spring semester performed better than students served in the fall. (6) For English proficient students, there was a relationship indicated between first-grade text reading levels and second- and third-grade standardized test scores. Conclusions and recommendations. As a result of this study, it was concluded that a full program of Reading Recovery resulting in successful discontinuation was beneficial to students in regard to reading performance. Very few of these students scored in the first quintile in second and third grade. By third grade, the highest distribution of student scores was in the third quintile, with significant numbers also in the fourth quintile. The results for nondiscontinued students were not as positive. The test for strength of correlation indicated that a relationship existed between first-grade text reading levels and second- and third-grade standardized test scores for English proficient students. It is recommended that other assessments in addition to the text reading level be used in Reading Recovery to inform instruction and assist in discontinuation decisions.