Project Based Learning Collaborative Partnership

National Professional Development School Conference 2013 New Orleans, LA

Angela Coleman, M.Ed., Special Education Teacher/NETScope School LiaisonSue Spencer, PhD, Winthrop University Faculty-in-Residence

Brian Edmond, M.Ed., Assistant Principal

The Effects Of Reading A-Z Leveled Reading Program On Student

Achievement

A Little About Us

Chester Park School of Inquiry• 435 students in grades PreK-5• 48 faculty members/17 teachers• Title I School:

90% free/reduced meals• 75% African American students• 21% Caucasian students• 2% Two or more races• 1% Hispanic• 1% Asian

Winthrop University• 4 year liberal arts core• 5,000 undergraduate

students • 1,000 graduate students• 286 faculty• COE teaching certification

programs– ECED PK-3– ELEM 2-6– Middle Level Ed. 5-8– Physical Education K-12

Reading A-Z Project Discussion

1. The Problem: School Report Card2. Project description 3. Implementing A-Z/Raz-Kids in a special

education resource classroom4. A-Z/Raz-Kids data from two intervention

classrooms

A-Z Project Description• A-Z Reading Computer Assisted learning is being used in 17

classrooms at CPESI• Funded by a $1700 NetSCOPE mini-grant• Professional development webinar was provided

by A-Z• Faculty held organizational meetings with administration to

discuss implementation and leveling • A start date was set and implementation began• Data is collected each nine weeks • Data being presented is for two nine week periods (September-

January)

• Online curriculum resources for grades K-6, special education, intervention reading, and ESL

• Books are developmentally aligned, available on 27 levels, multiple languages, and gradually get more difficult

• Leveling Charts correlated with major benchmarks http://www.readinga-z.com/book/leveled-books.php• Incorporate best practices in reading:

– phonetics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, formative/summative assessments, and is

– correlated with most major standardized assessments/benchmarks.

• Raz Kids component for skill maintenance

What is Reading A-Z?

Using Reading A-Z/Raz Kids in Special Education Classroom

• Wide range of fiction and nonfiction books• Nonfiction books include many topics which can be matched

to current science and social studies topics• Complete lesson plans, graphic organizers, worksheets, and

paper quizzes are available for each book• Includes comprehension skills packets to help teachers

reteach comprehension skills• http://www.readinga-z.com/book.php?id=220

• Can be used along with Reading A-Z or separately

• Can find many of the same books on Raz-Kids• Provides audio assisted and independent

reading formats with supports to increase comprehension and fluency skills

• http://www.raz-kids.com

What is Raz-Kids

• Students made brochures about the solar system based on a rubric

Extending the Lessons

Graphic Organizers

• Graphic organizers to support the development of comprehension skills

• http://www.readinga-z.com/more/graphic_org.html

Graphic Organizers

Questions??

• Students were selected to go to intervention classes 5 days a week based on MAP scores

• Students independently used Raz-Kids 4 days a week, 30 minutes each day

• Intervention teachers taught specific skills on Friday of each week

• Skills identified by using Raz-Kids Teacher Reports

Raz Kids in the Intervention Classroom

Data: Dominie Individual Progress

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 530

10

20

30

40

50

60 Individual Domine Growth

Pre-test 8.3 average reading level Post-test 9.2 average reading level

Data: MAP Scores

1

2

178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187

180

186

Average MAP Reading Scores

1-Fall 2012

2- Winter 2013

Data: MAP Scores

Teacher Perception DataQuestion Response

How often do your students use Raz-Kids

Once a week 2-3 times per week

> 3 times per week

36% 29% 36%

How long do Student usually read on Raz-Kids

< 10 Minutes

10-15 Minutes

20-30Minutes

> 30 Minutes

7% 36% 43% 14%

How often do you use data reports on Raz-Kids

Frequently Often Almost Never Never

0% 54% 38% 8%

Would you like to Raz-Kids again next school year?

Yes No I don’t know

86% 7% 7%

Question Response 1 Response 2 Response 3

Teacher Perception DataQuestion ResponsesHas using Raz-Kids reading program had a positive effect on students’ reading comprehension skills?

Yes No

93% 7%

Has using the Raz-Kids reading program had a positive effect on students’ reading fluency?

Yes No

86% 14%

How would you characterize the reading skills of students participating in the Raz-Kids reading program?

No change since beginning

Improvement of at least 1 reading

level

Improvement of at least 2 reading

levels

35% 64% 0%

My students who are participating in the Raz-Kids reading program:

Are motivated to read more after

Raz-KidsAre motivated

about the sameI don’t see any real difference

50% 36% 14%

Student Log In Screen

• In addition to CPESI two partner schools in the same complex are also using the program

• Collect and analyze student data from the three schools to determine any effect on reading performance

• Based upon student performance data a decision will be made on whether to continue using Reading A-Z and Raz-Kids

Future Directions

Project Based Learning Collaborative Partnership

Brian Edmond, M.Ed., Assistant Principal Angela Coleman, M.Ed., Special Education Teacher/NETScope

School LiaisonSue Spencer, PhD, Winthrop University Faculty-in-Residence

Questions ?

BooksBooks

Books

• Reads the stories aloud to students• Students take quizzes to test comprehension of

stories• Students can go back to reread the stories and

retake quizzes• http://www.raz-kids.com/main/Assign

Books

Quizzes

• Cover a variety of reading comprehension skills

• Teachers can track progression with skills

Quizzes

Teacher ReportsTeacher Reports

Student Incentive ProgramStudent Incentive Program: Raz-Rockets