The Effectiveness of Ability Grouping Kindergarten Students In Reading Groups On Improving Reading Scores - Research Proposal Example

? THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ABILITY GROUPING KINDERGARTEN IN READING GROUPS ON IMPROVING READING SCORES By Date Introduction Education is a fundamental aspect in our daily lives, which has attracted different researches (Ismail & Majeed, 2011). In the education system, teachers and schools have the responsibility of ensuring that all students experience an achievement in their academics. This way, schools now focus on different strategies to ensure students’ reading achievement. This research proposal focuses on the strategy of ability groupings in kindergartens, and its effectiveness in improving students’ reading scores. Review of Literature  Kindergartens comprise students, who exhibit diverse individual differences. However, regardless of these individual differences, the mission of the schools is to ensure that the students acquire reading achievement (Adey & Dillon, 2012). There are different strategies, which teachers use to ensure that this mission is achieved. Ability grouping in the classroom is one of the strategies, which some teachers employ in kindergartens. This strategy has potential benefits to students. Nonetheless, different studies have been conducted to explore the effect of ability grouping on kindergarten students (Ammirati, 2010). Literature establishes between-class grouping and within-class ability grouping as the most common ability groupings. Between-class grouping involves separating students in distinct class groups based on their academic performance. On the other hand, within-class ability grouping involves teachers grouping students with similar abilities into small groups for purposes of reading or math instruction (National Education Association, 2013). McCoach, O’Connell, and Levitt (2006) focused on within-class ability grouping. In their study, they explored the specific effects of within-class grouping on kindergarten students’ reading growth across the kindergarten year. They also identified other instructional and school factors, apart from within-class grouping, which influenced the reading achievement of students. These hypothesized a positive relationship between frequent use of within-class grouping and students’ reading achievement. In their study, these researchers drew on the ECLS-K database, from where they included only the first-time kindergarten students, who learnt in the same school the whole year. They also excluded students with learning disabilities, and those with limited proficiency in the English language. A multilevel analysis was then used to assess the influence of within-class grouping and other school and instructional factors on the reading achievement of kindergarteners. Nonetheless, the results from this study showed that when teachers use within-class grouping more frequently, this had a positive influence on the mean school gain in reading. This study therefore, suggests that the use of ability groupings in kindergartens might lead to an improvement in the early literacy and reading (O’Connell & Levitt, 2006). In another study, Tach and Farkas (2005) used the ECLS-K data to explore the influence of within-class reading on kindergarten and first grade students. These hypothesized that the effectiveness of within-class ability grouping is influenced by the incoming level of reading of the students, their proficiency in mathematics, as well as their preschool behavior problems, which are more common among boys and those students from families of low socioeconomic status. The researchers used hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) on the ECLS-K data, and included only those students and classrooms that had complete data, beginning from kindergarten, end of kindergarten, and first grade. Nonetheless, results of this study showed that prior reading test scores of students and the judgment of teachers on the learning ability of students influenced the effectiveness of within-class ability groupings in kindergartens. Overall, the ability groupings in kindergartens, according to this study, have a positive influence on the learning achievement of students (Tach & Farkas, 2005). Furthermore, Ismail & Majeed (2011) conducted a study in Pakistan to explore the influence of ability groupings on their self-esteem and their perceptions of their teachers. The study sample was drawn from schools within Pakistan. The researchers recorded the self-esteem measures of the students, as well as their perceptions of their teachers. The researchers used independent sample t tests on the data, to determine the influence of ability grouping on students’ self-esteem, and perception of their teachers. Nonetheless, results of this study showed that the students, who performed highly recorded high levels of self-esteem, as compared to the students, who performed poorly. On the other hand, the high performers perceived their teachers as less controlling and supportive, while the low performers considered their teachers to be highly controlling and less supportive (Ismail & Majeed, 2011). Therefore, overall, this study concluded that ability groupings have negative influence on the self-esteem of low performers, as well as their perception of their teachers. Gilrane et al, (2008), in their study, concluded that the most effective way of reducing reading achievement disparities and improving the reading scores of all students is by the teachers facilitating high-quality classroom instruction and programs. Moreover, in order for students to experience reading instructions that are of high quality, there is need for their teachers to possess an expert content knowledge in order to serve this purpose (Gilrane et al, 2008). For this reason, the researchers consider professional development an important aspect for teachers, as this will help them to gain expertise and capacity to develop programs for students, which will be effective in improving their reading achievement and boost their overall literacy levels. Statement of Problem The role and effectiveness of ability groupings has not been given the attention it deserves. Therefore, as most kindergarten teachers attempt to improve the reading scores of their students, some have paid lee attention to ability groupings strategy. This study therefore, seeks to investigate the effectiveness of ability groupings on the reading scores of kindergarteners in Russell Primary School. Depending on the results of the study, ability groupings might or might not be recommended to kindergarten teachers. Hypothesis Russell Primary kindergartners taught reading skills using ability grouping would have higher assessment scores than those taught in multilevel classes. Operational Definitions Assessment is the process of documenting, usually in measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs. Multilevel class-students in this class are on various levels. Significance of Study This study is very significant as it addresses the academic disparities in the kindergarten level. In fact, with the students possessing different abilities, it is necessary to identify, explore, and address different available strategies, which teachers can adopt for purposes of ensuring high reading scores for all students regardless of their abilities. This study addresses the effectiveness of the ability grouping strategy that teachers use to ensure high achievers do not suffer demerits of slower learners. The results of this study will therefore, offer a good basis to gauge the application of this strategy at the kindergarten level, which now focuses on full-day programs that offer reading instructions as well as nurturing students. Local Context Russell Primary School is located in Russell, KY. Most students in Russell attend the Russell Independent Schools, to which Russell Primary School belongs. Nonetheless, Russell Primary School is the only primary school in the district. Russell Independent School comprises Russell High School, Russell Middle School, Russell Primary School, and Russell Area Technology Center. Nonetheless, Russell Primary School houses kindergarten through third grade. According to the Kentucky State Report Card, in 2011-2012, the enrollment of Russell Primary School was 737 students and 28 full time teachers. 45% of the enrollment qualified for free or reduced lunch. 95.3% of the population was Caucasian, 1.4% African American, .7% Hispanic, .7% Asian, and 2% other. The ratio of girls to boys was 50.2% female to 49.8% male. In addition, the school’s attendance rate was 95.3% (Kentucky State Report Card, 2012). Nonetheless, the setting for this study will be my classroom. For the 2013-2014 school year, I will have 24 students, 16 boys, and 8 girls. Method This study will include elementary school students from grade kindergarten to 6th grade. The MAP scores of these students will be analyzed, in order to develop informed conclusions for this study. In addition, the opinions and experiences of teachers on ability grouping in a kindergarten will be explored. The teachers will therefore respond basing on their personal experiences and beliefs of ability grouping. They will also air their feelings regarding their students’ readiness when entering kindergarten, personal thoughts, and effects of ability grouping on their reading scores. Nonetheless, from the MAP scores of the students, it will be possible to determine some of the effects of ability grouping in the kindergarten. The participating students might share their likes and dislikes on reading before and after ability grouping. The study will analyze positive, natural, and negative responses to ability grouping. These will mainly come from the kindergarten students, as well as their teachers. The researcher will also interview parents, whose children are low-level readers to establish the development of the reading abilities in their children after ability grouping. Finally, this study will use multilevel analysis to assess the effects of ability grouping on individual reading gain during the kindergarten years. In addition, the study will be conducted between fall and spring. This way, the individual reading gain scores will be computed by establishing the difference between fall RIT-scaled reading scores and spring RIT-scaled scores. The estimated average school change will also be computed by aggregating the reading gain scores of participating students. The study will employ both the qualitative data derived from interviews with teachers, and quantitative data, which will be mainly derived from the MAP scores of the participating students. Nonetheless, fifteen people will ensure that respondents answer questions in the questionnaires appropriately, while four other people will facilitate the interviews. Research Design This study will employ a mixed empirical-analytical design. The study will compare data from the seventy-two participating students. Nonetheless, these participants will be grouped within three kindergarten classes, and none will be grouped with first grade students. The researcher will focus solely on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) of the students, which will be in the explored. The MAP testing results will be reported in RIT scores. This will basically help to determine the rate of growth of the student in school. The participants selected will be from the white and non-white communities, but the whites will dominate, as these make up a larger part of the population of the school and surrounding community. Subjects and Sampling This study will make use of a population of 72 kindergarten students. The age limit for the students is between 10 and 16 years. The main participants will include kindergarten students only, and not their parents, teachers, or administrators. In addition, the study population will ensure that the aspect of gender balance is highly embraced. For this reason, the participants will include a mixture of both sexes, i.e., males and females. Furthermore, efforts will be made to ensure that the study population reflects the American national representation in terms of race and ethnic backgrounds. However, since Russell town is less diverse, with 95% of the total population being white, most of the study participants will be of the White race. Nonetheless, any other race that satisfies the selection criterion of participants will be readily included in the study. Therefore, 99% of the study participants will be white, while 1% will be non-whites. Furthermore, for the selection criterion, only students, who have remained in the same school across the base year will be considered. In addition, the potential participants must be proficient in the language of English. The selected students to participate in the study will also be required to get permission from their teachers or administrators, in order to participate in the study. However, the researcher will have obtained consent from the school administration, before the commencement of the study process. Nonetheless, for this study, the sample size might vary, depending on different issues that might arise on the side of respondents. Instrumentation In this study, the Measure of Academic Process testing (MAP) will be used to determine the performance levels of every student in relation to their level of education and standards of the curriculum. This also will determine instruction levels that a specific student deserves, as well as informing the teachers on the most appropriate instructional decisions. This approach defines the details and the actual data relating to the learning path of a student. It helps in establishing ability groups in the classroom as it narrows down to the learning level of a student (Northwest Evaluation Association, 2009). The instrumentation also involves cognitive, social, and emotional development assessments of students as well as parent, teacher, and administrators’ questionnaires and interviews (National Center for Education Statistics, 2010). ECLS-K will also be used to establish early literacy and reading skills. This employs RIT-scaled cognitive assessments on the respondents. This therefore, measures reading abilities, vocabulary, printed word recognition, comprehension, and sound identification. The reading assessment scores will be RIT-based and manifest the overall assessment of reading ability among all participating students. The RIT scale is an equal-interval scale, which is used to chart the academic growth of a student from year to year. This is aligned to the relevant standards of curriculum, and provides important information, which can be used target individual instruction. Nonetheless, in this study, the RIT-based scores will therefore, define the level of academic achievement of the participating students. Procedure In this study, only individuals satisfying the selection criteria will be included as participants in the study. These will however, include both females and males. Most importantly, before the study, I will seek permission from the principal administrator of Russell Primary School, in order to conduct the study in the school. In addition, the administrators and teachers will be drawn upon to help in the facilitating of the whole process. There will be two sets of questionnaires. The first one that is done in original English, and the second set will be a translated version, done with the help of some lecturers. A computerized questionnaire will seek answers for 10 questions, whose challenge depends on the student’s ability to answer them. This test will be used to establish the level of performance of every individual in relation to his or her level of education, which helped in ability grouping. The other questionnaire will bear an assessment of the student’s perception, academic achievement, and reading scores after an ability grouping. It will have 10 questions that require a response that is on a range of 1 to 4. The participating students will be subdivided into two groups namely A and B, depending on their past academic scores and with the assistance of the elementary teachers and Measure of Academic Process testing. The instruments will record the results and analyze them in terms of level of literacy, individual scores, average scores, variance, and t-tests. Data Analysis In this study, the process of analysis of data will be performed at different levels. First, analysis of data collected from the participating students will be analyzed with the intention of determining the academic capabilities of the students. Nonetheless, this first analysis will seek to establish the literacy levels of the participating students with a view of establishing their abilities. This analysis will therefore, show the difference in reading scores between the different students. The students will then be categorized in two major groups, depending on their scores. Students with high-reading scores will occupy group A, while the low-level readers will fall under group B. The second analysis, based on this grouping, will establish the perception of the two groups of students about ability grouping. Nonetheless, it is expected that the perceptions of these students will vary. Furthermore, the gain scores will be calculated for the subgroups of the students. This will help to determine the performance gaps of the students over time. In this study therefore, it will be possible to determine the gaps between the whites and non-whites, and the more privileged and less privileged. This therefore, will provide the teachers with ways of developing strategies of narrowing the performance gaps, if at all they will be identified. Limitations of Study This study exhibits considerable limitations. First, there will be bias in the selection process of participants. The selection criterion involved requires that only students who have never changed schools between fall and spring of their kindergarten year be included in the study sample. For this reason therefore, the results might not reflect the effect of ability grouping among all kindergarten students. In addition, the use of self-report questionnaires to establish the frequency of using ability groupings among teachers cannot generate the accuracy of teachers' self-ratings. Moreover, this data cannot determine the quality of instruction in the ability groupings and cannot establish whether the teacher modified the instruction to suit student’s needs. More so, the timing of the study might lead to misplaced levels of reading proficiency, thus leading to wrong results of the measure of academic process testing. However, overall, the study is considered significant, as it will address the effectiveness of ability grouping kindergarten students in reading groups on improving reading scores. References Adey, P., & Dillon, J. (2012). Bad Education: Debunking Myths in Education. New York: McGraw-Hill International, 2012. Ammirati, C. (2010). Selected Research on Kindergarten Ability Grouping for Reading Instruction and Influences on Teaching Identity. Retrieved from: http://christineammirati2011.wmwikis.net/file/view/Kindergarten+Ability+Grouping+for+Reading+Instruction.pdf Gilrane, C. P., Roberts, M. L., & Russell, L. A. (2008). Building a community in which everyone teaches, learns, and reads: A case study. The Journal of Educational Research, 101(6), 333-349,384. Ismail, Z., & Majeed, A. (2011). Student self-esteem and their perception of teacher behavior: A study of class grouping system in Pakistan. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(16) Kentucky State Report Card (2012). Retrieved from http://education.ky.gov/AA/Reports/Documents/KYReportCard_2011.pdf McCoach, D. B., O'Connell, A.,A., & Levitt, H. (2006). Ability grouping across kindergarten using an early childhood longitudinal study. The Journal of Educational Research, 99(6), 339-346,384 National Center for Education Statistics, US Department of Education. (2010). Early Childhood Longitudinal Program (ECLS): Kindergarten class of 1998-1999 (ECLS-K). Retrieved from: http://nces.ed.gov/ecls/kindergarten.asp National Education Association. (2013). Research Spotlight on Academic Ability Grouping. Retrieved from: http://www.nea.org/tools/16899.htm Northwest Evaluation Association. (2009). Measures of Academic Progress. Retrieved from: http://www.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1583136/File/area/board/08-09agendas/061709agenda/nweaoverview.pdf Tach, L.M., & Farkas, G. (2005). Learning-related behaviors, cognitive skills, and ability grouping when schooling begins. Social Science Research, 35(4), Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com.proxy.wm.edu/science Read More