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Teaching At-Risk Youth - Tucson Urban League Pilot Results
Location
The Tucson Urban League Charter School is located in Tucson, Arizona. The school serves at-risk youth, primarily from low socio-economic backgrounds. The population is predominately Hispanic and African American. Many of the students have either been expelled from their local public school or they are the siblings of a student who has been expelled. The student turnover rate at this school is extremely high for several reasons. Following their expulsion period, students may return to public school or drop out altogether. Gang activity has a large influence and many students succumb to this lifestyle--leaving school by the eighth grade. The effects of drugs are also evident in student behavior and culture.
Environment
The existing computer lab housed 30 computers and each computer operated independently as a stand-alone machine. Earphones were added to the machines so that they could be used with My Reading Coach - Version 1. Each student was to receive 40 minutes on the program daily. Students worked on the program as consistently as their environment allowed.
Pilot Methodology
Teacher Training / Support and Feedback
All three teachers for grades 6 through 8 and their 3 classroom aides were instructed to participate in the program. Each of the instructors received 4 hours of training. The teachers were given a schedule of when their students were expected to be in the lab. A lab coordinator was present in the lab during student sessions. Teacher and aide turnover during the 3-month pilot period exceeded 50%. Student Selection and Pilot Period
The pilot period was limited to 8 months. 47 students participated in the pilot and but due to the high turnover rate only 17 students were present for pre- and post-testing, 3 of them began as total non-readers and 6 had been previously identified as learning disabled.
All three teachers for grades 6 through 8 and their 3 classroom aides were instructed to participate in the program. Each of the instructors received 4 hours of training. The teachers were given a schedule of when their students were expected to be in the lab. A lab coordinator was present in the lab during student sessions. Teacher and aide turnover during the 3-month pilot period exceeded 50%. Student Selection and Pilot Period
The pilot period was limited to 8 months. 47 students participated in the pilot and but due to the high turnover rate only 17 students were present for pre- and post-testing, 3 of them began as total non-readers and 6 had been previously identified as learning disabled.
Pilot Results
Time Spent on My Reading Coach
By the pilot end date 12 of the students had finished the program and 5 students had online work remaining. On average students needed 34 hours to complete the program.
By the pilot end date 12 of the students had finished the program and 5 students had online work remaining. On average students needed 34 hours to complete the program.
Performance Summary - Stanine Improvement: Students Completing the Program
The 12 students who were able to complete the program in the time allotted on average increased two stanine levels. The graph below shows each student's pre- and post-test results from the Degrees of Reading Power® Reading Comprehension test. The largest jump between pre- and post-test results was five stanine levels (student E).
| Pre & Post -Test Administered: Degrees of Reading Power® |
The five remaining students who were unable to complete the program within the scope of the pilot were also tested. These students showed an average increase of one stanine level in their reading comprehension scores.
Average Time to Complete Program
The average time for the students to complete My Reading Coach was 34 hours. Five of the 12 students were able to complete the program in 34 hours or less. The results indicate a positive correlation between the student's beginning stanine level and the time required to complete the program:| Beginning Stanine Level | Average Hours to Complete Program |
|---|---|
| 0-1 | 48 Hours |
| 2 | 36 Hours |
| 3 | 34 Hours |
| 4 | 24 Hours |
The lower the beginning stanine level, the more time students spent to complete the program.
Conclusion
Although the Tucson Urban League serves a difficult and highly mobile population, the data gathered is encouraging. The scores of the students indicate that even in the toughest of environments, improvements will be gained. Each of the students experienced success and all are better readers as a result of using My Reading Coach. Although the pilot only focused on reading skills, improvements in students' spelling and writing skills were also observed.
