Study 2: How Do We Know How Much Supplemental Instruction (Tier Two ) Is Required for 2nd Grade Students to Respond to Intervention?
Second-grade students at risk for reading problems were assigned to a reading intervention in groups of 1:3 (one adult with three students).
Duration of their reading instruction varied based on students' response to treatment. This research study was designed to determine:
- the number of students at-risk for reading problems who would not meet exit criteria after each 10-week segment of supplemental reading instruction,
- the extent to which students who were provided intervention and responded positively (released from supplemental treatment) would "thrive" without supplemental instruction in the general education classroom, and
- the expected amount of supplemental intervention needed to distinguish response groups.
Participants. Forty-five 2nd-grade students (25 females, 20 males) were identified as at-risk for reading disabilities using a two-tiered identification process:
- Nominated by teachers in the lowest percentile of their class and having reading problems, and
- Failed 2nd grade TPRI screen.
A priori criteria were established for exit from the intervention and included:
- obtaining a passing score on the screening portion of the TPRI,
- median-score performance on the TORF above 55 CWPM on a second-grade level passage, with fewer than five errors; and
- a score of 50 CWPM on second-grade fluency progress monitoring sessions for at least three consecutive weeks.
Students unable to meet these criteria were reassigned to groups of three and continued receiving supplemental instruction for 10 more weeks.
How was the tutoring conducted? The intervention was provided by 4 trained, experienced tutors. Students were tutored in groups of 3. Instruction was 35 minutes every day and was supplemental to core-reading instruction. Eight intervention validity checks were provided for each tutor.
How many struggling readers exited at each of the three testing periods?
- early exit (10 weeks) n = 10: 6 boys, 4 girls; 9 Hispanic/Latino and 1 African-American
- mid-term exit (20 weeks) n = 14: 5 boys, 9 girls; 10 Hispanic/Latino, 2 African American, 2 White
- late exit (30 weeks) n = 10: 5 boys, 5 girls; 9 Hispanic/Latino, 1 White
- no exit (never met criteria) n = 11: 4 boys, 7 girls; 7 Hispanic/Latino, 1 African American, 3 White
What number of students who met exit criteria after 10 and 20 weeks of supplemental reading instruction continued to meet criteria?
- 23 of 24 students who met exit criteria after 10 and 20 weeks continued to make gains without supplemental reading instruction.
- All of the students who exited after 10 weeks of supplemental reading continued to make gains.
How many of the students who met exit criteria after 10 and 20 weeks of supplemental reading instruction made minimal progress in the classroom--defined as averaging 1 correct word per week on the TORF?
- Early Exit: All continued to make progress for the next 10 weeks; for the subsequent 10 weeks, only 7 of the 10 continued to make progress
- Mid Exit: Only 9 of 15 continued to make progress for the next 10 weeks.
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