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Western Governors University Teachers College

Master of Science, Curriculum and Instruction

WGU Capstone Research Template

The following pages provide a template for planning and writing the capstone written

paper. You are encouraged to copy this document and type directly in the template to ensure

alignment with capstone requirements. If you do so, remember to remove this cover page from

the paper and replace it with your own before submitting your work.
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Reading Fluency Remedies Past Elementary School

Helen WIlson

A Capstone Presented to the Teachers College Faculty

of Western Governors University

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Science, Curriculum and Instruction

Cindy Norton

December 30, 2022

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Abstract

I utilized an action research project with instructional instruction. My

research topic was remeding fluency deficiencies post elementary school age

students. The questions that guided the research was, if students, who are

taught using quantitative data based intervention would see a significant

growth in overall reading ability after a short interval of intensive instruction.

We found that during the Covid Lockdowns students missed out on some

vital parts of the language development that is integral in the growth of their

reading abilities. Because of this, students were not showing grade level

reading fluency abilities. The cause seems to be a lack of direct instruction

on phonological awareness and basic reading strategies. This problem lead

to us to ask the question, “How does intense direct instruction impact 7 th

grade students reading fluency?” The instruments and methods we used for

this research was using the Basic Reading Inventory (BRI) as our quantative

data collection method. We used the BRI for the pre and post assessment.

Our stakeholders were 113 7th grade students with varying demographics.

We concluded and agreed with Bigozzi when he stated, “Though it may be

difficult to determine the cause of the lack of fluency, we know that if it is not

properly and systematically addressed that students will continue to struggle

with fluency, reading motivation, the ability to comprehend high-leveled text

and could be set up for low achievement through their academic career.”

(2022)
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Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Topic and Problem.....................................................................................................5

Research Question(s).................................................................................................................5
Justification.................................................................................................................................5
Chapter 2: Review of the Literature............................................................................................6

Introduction to the Literature Review.....................................................................................6

Thematic Subheading................................................................................................................6
Thematic Subheading................................................................................................................6
Thematic Subheading................................................................................................................6
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................6
Chapter 3: Research Methodology...............................................................................................7

Research Question(s).................................................................................................................7
Participants or Stakeholders.....................................................................................................7
Data Collection Instrument(s) and Alignment to Research Question(s)..............................7

Method.......................................................................................................................................7

Data Analysis Techniques.........................................................................................................7

Timeline of Data Collection Activities......................................................................................7

Resources....................................................................................................................................7
Data Security and Confidentiality............................................................................................7
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................7
Chapter 4: Results.........................................................................................................................8

Summary of Research................................................................................................................8
Summary of Results or Findings..............................................................................................8
Implementation..........................................................................................................................8
Answer(s) to the Research Question(s)....................................................................................8
Product........................................................................................................................................8
Chapter 5: Conclusions.................................................................................................................9
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Overview of Conclusion(s).........................................................................................................9
Strengths and Weaknesses of Methodology.............................................................................9
Influential Factors......................................................................................................................9
Recommendations for Further Investigation..........................................................................9
Barriers or Limitations to Drawing Conclusions....................................................................9
Implications of Research on Educational Practice.................................................................9
References.....................................................................................................................................10

Appendix A...................................................................................................................................11

Appendix B...................................................................................................................................12

Appendix C...................................................................................................................................13

Appendix D...................................................................................................................................14
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Chapter 1: Topic and Problem

Research Type

I will be doing action research with instructional instruction. The

instructional intervention that I will be using is twofold. The first is that I will
do five intensive meetings with small groups for six weeks at a time to focus
on filling the gaps in their specific areas such as phonological awareness and
increasing their reading fluency. Two days a week we will focus on writing
and three days a week we will focus on literacy and grammar. The students
will be pre-assessed and then benchmarked weekly until the final
assessment which will include fluency, speed, and comprehension. The pre-
assessment we will use is Woodcock Johnson, the program I will use is
Language Live for the intervention and the assessments I will use Reading
Inventory Assessment
This topic aligns with the field of curriculum and instruction because
students are constantly working on increasing reading fluency,
comprehension, and application. It is vital that these students fill the gaps
and master the concepts missed so they will be able to move along with their
peers into higher order thinking topics and writing when they go to high
school.

Research Topic

How does intense direct instruction impact 7 th grade students reading

fluency? The questions guiding the research question is if students, who are
taught using quantitative data intervention will see a significant growth in
overall reading ability and thus their writing ability, as well.

Problem Statement

Students who do not master phonological awareness and basic reading strategies struggle to
become fluent readers beyond elementary school. The impact is that students who do not
have the proper fluency background in elementray school, without
interventions, will struggle to be successful in reading comprehension which
is required for success in the post elementary level school years.

Problem Impact and Root Cause(s)

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During the Covid Lockdowns students missed out on some vital parts of the
language development that is integral in the growth of their reading abilities.
Because of this, students are not showing grade level reading fluency
abilities. The cause seems to be a lack of direct instruction on phonological
awareness and basic reading strategies.
It is important that these students master fluency early on so they will be
able to comprehend the complex text they will have in high school. Dr.
Timothy Rasinski defines fluency as the ability to “read words accurately,
effortlessly, or automatically so that readers can preserve their limited
cognitive resources for the more important task in
reading―comprehension―and with appropriate prosody or expression so as
to give meaning to the words that is implied through emphasis, phrasing,
and intonation, and relatedly, comprehension.” (Rasinski, 2006). If students
are not fluent readers, they have trouble comprehending the text (Breznitz,
2006). This topic is important because students must be fluent readers to
have not only academic success but overall success in life. “The children who
are truly at risk in this country are those who cannot read. Academic,
emotional, and social issues abound for children who are poor readers.
Children who are behind their peers in reading struggle with low self-esteem
and feelings of inadequacy. Low achievement in reading is also the common
denominator in school discipline, attendance and dropout problems, and
juvenile crime.” (Reading Foundation, 2022)
In addition, Vaughn indicates that only 35% of fifth-grade students in the
United States are performing at a proficient level in reading. (2014) If we are
aware that Country wide direct instruction on introductory fluency skills such
as decoding, and phonics are not taught past elementary school and it is a
common issue that students come into middle school without the fluency
skills needed to meet the expectations of middle or high school reading
fluency. Genevieve Manset-Williamson explains that there is a significant
relationship between fluency and comprehension. (2022) Dr. Don Deshler
goes into further detailing that in middle and high school, students and their
academics are more focused on being “college and career” standards. These
standards focus on reading grade level texts of all genres with a “greater
focus on higher-order skills” like theme, analyzing text and author’s purpose.
He also states that because students are coming into these higher grade
levels with low reading proficiency these students are ill prepared to meet
these more challenging expectations.(2022)
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Research Question(s)

How does intense direct instruction impact 7th grade students reading
fluency? The questions guiding the research question is if students, who are
taught using qualitive and quantitative data intervention will see a significant
growth in overall reading ability and thus their writing ability, as well.
Justification

The justifcation for this project is that it can help me and students identify
what needs to be done to fill in the gaps for students who come to middle
school without the prerequisite knowledge needed to be successful in their
higher education years. because it can help me and other educators who
are struggling with teaching their students letter recognition. Students who
struggle to read have a much more bleak outlook for their future educational
careers. MY hopes are that, by doing this research, it can help other
educators and students to have greater success in teaching fundamentals of
reading fluency in a short amount of time to prepare their students to have
more academic success and to be more prepared in their future educational
careers. Reading flunecy is an undeniable vital part of the student's
education. It is also a fact that a students' phonological knowledge is a
strong indicator of how much reading success they may have in the future
and thus how much academic success.. If this skill set is not mastered in
elementary school, without intensive interventions, they could struggle with
the reminader of their academic career and possibly further in their lives.
Thus, there is a clear need for this project because it can help my students
master grade level reading fluency expectations and be more successful in
their educational careers
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Chapter 2: Review of the Literature

Introduction to the Literature Review

Intensive reading fluency intervention is an invention program aimed at

providing support
for students who enter middle school with below grade level fluency skills.
The programs
discussed in my research includes using a valid universal screening for
fluency and then
explicitly teaching the three main elements of fluency remediation,
comprehension acquisition
skills and ultimately application in writing. The common themes within the
literature is that
there is a correlation between reading and post elementary academic
success, that fluency is not
explicitly taught in post elementary education and thus is a critical problem
for middle and high
school educators and that students who come to post elementary schools
without the
prerequisite grade level fluency have significantly lower comprehension and
writing skills.
Mason states that even though we know that teaching phonics in
elementary schools in a
“balanced” literacy environment helps to develop strong reading and de-
coding skills in
elementary aged students, there is still many students that enter post
elementary education
without these skills. Because of this, these students have reading deficits
that are difficult to
remediate by the time they reach middle school age. (2005) Samuel
reiterates this sentiment
when he states that an increasingly large number of post elementary schools
aged students are
reading between a 2nd and 5th grade level and this is primarily due to their
lack of fluent reading.
(2003) Dr. Timothy Rasinski explains that when students are fluent in
reading, they can then
focus more easily on the more important task of reading comprehension but
that without proper
fluency skills reading comprehension is a near impossible task to accomplish
for certain
students. (2006).
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Grade level fluency as it pertains to post elementary success

If we know that students who cannot read fluently are more likely to shy
away from reading or asking questions about the text which will just further
the gap in their comprehension levels. Students who struggle to read the
words are not able to move beyond the words to higher level thinking
questions. We also are all too aware that Tennessee’s Education
Commissionaire, Penny Schwinn, has stated that over 20 percent of students
who scored “below-basic” reading skills beyond the third grade had not
graduated high school by age 19. (2019) Álvarez-Cañizo says that the ability
to read an article or piece of literature with accuracy is one of the most
“decisive” factors in a student’s ability to comprehend the theme, meaning
and subtilties of the text. If a student is not fluent, they are focusing on the
strenuous task of reading the words and unable to focus on the deeper
meaning associated with comprehension. (2015) Paige echoes this sentiment
stating that because of comprehensions importance to later academic
success, ensuring that students have the proper fluency to read the
increasingly lengthier and complex texts is vital in preparing students for
“college- and career-ready reading achievement.”( 2020) It is clear that
coming into post elementary educational settings with grade level fluency
skills is key to later academic success. Reading fluency is the beginning of
reading competency that extends beyond reading comprehension. Yildirim
looked at the effects of reading fluency on motivation and comprehension in
a student’s overall school success. His research confirmed what many
others’ also state, that proper fluency leads to a high level of reading
motivation, and comprehension and that those that are successful in fluency
did better than 63% of their classmates. (2013)

Fluency Skills are not Explicitly Taught Past Elementary School Level

Vaughn indicates that only 35% of fifth-grade students in the United States
are performing at a proficient level in reading. (2014) If we are aware that
Country wide direct instruction on introductory fluency skills such as
decoding, and phonics are not taught past elementary school and it is a
common issue that students come into middle school without the fluency
skills needed to meet the expectations of middle or high school reading
fluency. Genevieve Manset-Williamson explains that there is a significant
relationship between fluency and comprehension. (2022) Dr. Don Deshler
goes into further detailing that in middle and high school, students and their
academics are more focused on being “college and career” standards. These
standards focus on reading grade level texts of all genres with a “greater
focus on higher-order skills” like theme, analyzing text and author’s purpose.
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He also states that because students are coming into these higher grade
levels with low reading proficiency these students are ill prepared to meet
these more challenging expectations.(2022)

Low Overall Long Term Academic Success

We know that a disturbingly high number of elementary age students are

entering middle school with lacking grade-level fluency skills. What is
becoming more and more clear is that, according to Park, students who have
lower fluency skills have lower comprehension and writing skills. (2014)
Yildirim goes even further explaining that less than 20 percent of students
who are reading below grade level in the third grade ever apply or attend
college compared to 60 percent of students who are reading at grade level in
the third grade who do attend college. (2014) Burg with the NAEP 2018 Oral
Reading Study says that there is subpar development of foundational skills,
such as phonics, explicitly taught to build fluent oral readers. This directly
effects comprehension, writing and overall academic success. This is
concerning. Reading comprehension is “critical for learning across the
disciplines”, and only becomes more difficult, widening the gap, as students
progress through the grade levels. (2021)

Conclusion

Bigozzi expertly explains that there is a vital relationship between reading

fluency and
comprehension. This is a complex problem that spans many grade levels and
must be
addressed from the bottom up. (2022)

Chapter 3: Research Methodology

Research Question

How does intense direct instruction impact 7th grade students reading
fluency?

Participants or Stakeholders

The demographic profile of the target population I have access to is 113 7th
grade students,
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46.78 % are female and 53.22% are male, 23.39% are Economically
Disadvantaged, 3% are
English Language Learners, 22.51% are Students with Disabilities and there
are 5 langauges
spoken in whole at my school. The student investigator has a dual
relationship with all of the study participants as their primary English,
Language Arts teacher.

The role of the student participants is to complete the intensive instruction

with fidelity and be willing to have data shared with other stakeholders to
assess the value of the instruction. The relationship between the student
participants and the researcher is that I am their current ELA teacher for the
academic school year.

The teachers who will assist in implementation of the research consist of one
ELA student-teacher and 1 Exceptional Education Teacher. Both educators
are male. The role of the teacher is to teach, assess and observe with fidelity
using the provided tools and be willing to assess the data collected at the
closing of the research to assess the success of the instruction. The
relationship between the researcher and the teachers is that the researcher
is a peer, a co- teacher and a team and ELA lead instructor for the building.

Data Collection Instrument(s) and Alignment to Research Question(s)

I will use Basic Reading Inventory (BRI) to identify clues that a student is or
is not reading fluently with questions such as: Is the student chunking the
text? Is the student skipping a word? Is the student self-correcting missed
word? Is student sounding out new word? The BRI will be given pre and post
interventions to show growth.

We will use quantative data using the Basic Reading Inventory (BRI) which is
a one-on-one test with the teacher in which the student reads three
passages in a set time and answers comprehension questions. The BRI will
be given at the beginning as a pre-test, and at the end as a post-assessment
during this research. Teacher made assessments will be given in between
the before mentioned as an informal or formative check in on growth. These
are aligned with the research method as the quantitative formats used will
provide an overall picture of the students’ academic growth.
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Method

The methods and instruments that will be used and their alignment to the
research question is that these methods and instruments are proper to assist
the educator in getting the most accurate data to answer the research
question: How does intense direct instruction impact 7th grade students
reading fluency? We will use Basic Reading Inventory assessments for Pre-
testing, and post-testing data collection. It aligns because it provides
accurate grammar and phonetical grade levels with clear indications as to
where the gaps in learning may be. It also aligns as they are district provided
and approved tools that align to the state standards that the students will
ultimately be tested on. It is integral in providing the students intensive
instruction based on where they are at the start of the instruction.

Data Analysis Technique(s)

The data analysis technique I will use for quantitative data is descriptive
statistics. We will look for an average of all participants baseline, midline,
and final summative assessments to assess success. My research question
is how does intense direct instruction impact 7 th grade students reading
fluency? The questions guiding the research question is if students, who are
taught using quantitative data collected intervention will see a significant
growth in overall reading ability and thus their writing ability, as well.

Timeline of Data Collection Activities

The timeline of data collection will be five weeks. In the first week, my first
step is to identify a baseline academic reading fluency score on the
participants by giving them the Fast Bridge assessment and the BRI
assessment.

Once the students are identified I would them group them into three groups
5th-6th grade reading levels, 3rd and 4th grade reading levels and 2nd grade and
below reading levels. Students would then be given the direct instruction at
their level using the Measure Academic Progress (MAP) program. This
program will be used for 30 minutes a day 5 days a week during their
Personalized Learning Time (PLT). They will begin at the grade level they
were assessed at.
Once the students have completed a week of instruction, I would assess if
they have moved up a level in their MAP program daily.

The fourth thing I would do in the second week is give a teacher made
assessment to check for reading growth as a benchmark. These tests will be
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based on the material read that week and have both a fluency component
where the student reads aloud to the teacher and a comprehension
component which is taken independently.

At the start of week three, the students will continue to utilize their online
MAP program and teacher will check for growth of levels within the program.
At the end of the week the teacher will again give a fast bridge test checking
for fluency improvements based on baseline data from two weeks before and
give the teacher lead BRI which will check for fluency and comprehension.
These will be used as quantitative data.

Week four will be a continuation of the online MAP program used for 30
minutes 5 days a week with the teacher checking for online level growth
within the program. Again, like in week two, the teacher will provide a made
assessment to check for reading growth as a benchmark. These tests will be
based on the material read that week and have both a fluency component
where the student reads aloud to the teacher and a comprehension
component which is taken independently.

Week five will be the final week where the students will continue to utilize
their online MAP program and teacher will check for growth of levels within
the program. At the end of the week the teacher will again give a fast bridge
test checking for fluency improvements based on baseline data from the
weeks before and give the teacher lead BRI which will check for fluency and
comprehension. These will be used as quantitative data.

At the end of week 5, the students will complete a BRI post assessment and I
will assess the success of the research.

Resources

The resources that will be needed for the participants are a Consent form for
the participants disclosing that I am doing a graduate level research project
on reading fluency designed to assist increasing their reading fluency and
comprehension. They will also require a Chromebook or laptop, internet
access or hotspots for each computer, earphones for each student, online
access to the MAP program, online access to google docs for survey, and
online access to Fast Bridge program.

The teacher will require paper versions of the BRI reading passages,
inventory and questions for grade kindergarten through 8 th grade, a
classroom setting big enough to isolate students into three groups, online
access to google docs for survey, and paper copies of the teacher
observation rubric. The teacher will also need a computer, projector and all
typical classroom materials such as paper, pencils, and so forth.
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For the data collection the researcher will require access to MAP scores, BRI
reading inventory sheets, access to Fast Bridge results, access to the google
docs surveys and the teacher observation rubrics

Data Security and Confidentiality

All identifying data will be changed, all information kept on computer will be
encrypted and
password protected. All data will be kept on a separate harddrive which will
not be connected
to the internet unless in use and sotred in a passcoded filing cabinet.
I will use to remove all personal identifiers is to assign each person a
psuedenom and an
associated data number which will also be kept on the encrypted documents
on the harddrive in
a locked cabinet.

The data will be stored on a separate encrypted hardrive in a safety vaut

cabiney located at West
End Middle School during the research and then transported to my private
residence. The safety
vault has a combination code that only the instructor is privy to. Once the
three year period has
expired a local shredding company will shred the documents in their secure
location.

Conclusion

The key elements of this research project to to give students intensive

reading fluency instruction over a short amount of time. Each student will
complete a Pre-test using the Basic Reading Inventory (BRI) to assess their
reading level and gaps in their fluency. Students will then complete an
specialized online intervention program which they will work through. At the
end of the research, all students will complete a BRI post test to assess their
hopefully elevated reading fluency score according to the BRI. In order to
mitigate any conflict of interest, all students will be given the Pre-
assessment, instruction and post assessment though what
will be presented in my research will be gathered using probility sampling
which means students data will be chosen using a method based on the
theory of probability leaving both instructor and study participants unsure as
to who’s data will ultimately “make the cut.”
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Chapter 4: Results

Summary of Research

Summary of Results or Findings

Implementation

...

Answer(s) to the Research Question(s)

Product

…
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Chapter 5: Conclusions

Overview of Conclusion(s)

Strengths and Weaknesses of Methodology

Influential Factors

Recommendations for Further Investigation

Barriers or Limitations to Drawing Conclusions

Implications of Research on Educational Practice

…
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References

Álvarez-Cañizo, M., Suárez-Coalla, P., & Cuetos, F. (2015). The role of reading fluency in
children’s text comprehension. Frontiers in Psychology, 6.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01810

Bigozzi, L., Tarchi, C., Vagnoli, L., Valente, E., & Pinto, G. (1AD, January 1).
Reading fluency as a predictor of school outcomes across grades 4–9.
Frontiers. Retrieved November 13, 2022, from
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00200/full

Burg, S. (n.d.). Methodology studies - oral reading fluency: NAEP. Methodology Studies -
Oral Reading Fluency | NAEP. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from
https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/studies/orf/

Don Deshler , Why do so many adolescents struggle with content-area reading? IRIS Center.
(n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2022, from
https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/sec-rdng2/cresource/q1/p01/

Samuels SJ (1974). Toward a theory of automatic information processing

in reading. Cognitive Psychology, 6(2), 293–323. 10.1016/0010-
0285(74)90015-2

Mangrum, M. (2022, June 15). Tennessee student reading scores 'largely back to pre-
pandemic levels,' state data shows. The Tennessean. Retrieved November 18, 2022, from
https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/education/2022/06/14/state-data-tennessee-
student-reading-scores-improving-after-covid/7621835001/

Manset-Williamson G, & Nelson JM (2005). Balanced, strategic reading

instruction for upper-elementary and middle school students with
reading disabilities: A comparative study of two approaches. Learning
Disability Quarterly, 28(1), 59–74. 10.2307/4126973

Paige, D. D. Reading Fluency: A Brief History, the Importance of

Supporting ... - ed. (2020).
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED607625.pdf. Retrieved November 13,
2022, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED607625.pdf

Schwin, Penny 2019 Tennessee Public Schools - National Center for Education ... (n.d.).
Retrieved November 18, 2022, from
https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/stt2019/pdf/2020014TN4.pdf
 19

Steinle, P. K., Stevens, E., & Vaughn, S. (2021). Fluency interventions for struggling readers
in grades 6 to 12: A research synthesis. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 55(1), 3–21.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219421991249

Yildirim, K., & Rasinski, T. (2014, September 30). Reading fluency beyond English:
Investigations into reading fluency in Turkish elementary students. International
Electronic Journal of Elementary Education. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1053598
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Appendix A

Research Product

I am using a quantitative data method. I am using quantitative data in the

form of standardized testing for pre and post testing through the Basic
Reading Inventory (BRI).

Product Alignment and Impact

The research will be based on an intensive instructional intervention.

Using all of the pieces available, which are MAP, Fast Bridge, BRI and small
group instruction starting at their basic level, will address the issue of low
reading fluency beyond elementary school and how it effects students’
future academia. It will allow teachers to focus in short time period the
specific gaps for a select small group of students

Product Components

The components of the product are Basic Reading Inventory ( BRI)

Measuring Academic Performance ( MAP), Fast Bridge online instructional
program and assessment piece. The combined instructional hours will be 18-
19 hours. The students will meet for intensive instruction for 40-45 minutes a
day, five days a week for 5 weeks.
In the first 2 hours, the participants will complete the BRI assessment to get
a baseline on on their reading fluency and comprehension ability.
In the next 1-2 hours the participant will then be given the direct instruction
at their level using the Measure Academic Progress (MAP) program.
Starting in week two, the next 3 hours will consist of continuation of the
Fast Bridge online lessons. An hour will be allotted to a teacher made
assessment to check for reading growth as a benchmark.
At the start of week three, the students will continue to utilize their
online MAP program for a total of 3 hours and complete a 30-minute fast
bridge test checking for fluency improvements and the final 30 minutes are
allotted to the teacher lead BRI which will check for fluency and
comprehension.
Week four will be a continuation of the online MAP program used for 30
minutes 5 days a week with the teacher checking for online level growth
within the program.
Week five will consist of an hour to utilize their final online MAP program
lesson. An hour is allotted for the teacher to assess check for growth of
levels within the program byt proctoring a fast bridge test, and finally the
teacher gives the final BRI which will check for fluency and comprehension
growth.
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Appendix B

Appendix A

A 3717 ( Grade 7) Say: “I’d like you to read out loud. Think about what
You are reading because I’ll ask you some questions about it when you are
Done. Please begin here.” (Point to the title)
Lexile 1030

Miscues

Meaning Change
Self-Correction
Substitution

Omission
Insertion

Reversal
BLACKOUT
The soft buzzing of the computer relaxed
Anthony as he worked on the quarterly report
for his demanding employer. He typed the final
sentence, sighed in relief, and saved the file.
Suddenly, the office lights flickered, the
computer screen went black and Salt Lake
City was eerily silent until sirens began blaring
Emergency personnel guided employees from
several departments downthe stairwells.
An hour later, the police chief announced
through his loud speaker, "All if clear." The
workers filled into the elevators like clockwork,
returning to their projects. One observer
commented, "All in a days work in Salt Lake
City."
Total
Total Miscues
Significant Miscues

Word Recognition Scoring Guide

Total Miscues Level Significant Miscues

0-1 Independent 0-1

2-4 Independent/ 2
Instructional
5 Instructional 3
6-9 Instructional/Frustration 4
10+ Frustration 5
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Appendix C

Child Assent Form

My name is Helen Wilson-Marquardt, and the purpose of my Capstone Research Project is to

find out if, after four weeks of intensive instruction, based on specific needs of individual
students if there is a marked positive impact of students becoming more fluent readers.

If you agree to join my research project, you will be asked to take a Basic Reading Inventory
assessment pre-test, participate daily in an online reading program and then complete a
Basic Reading Inventory assessment post-test. As a result of participation in this research
project, you will be directed to focus on skills that the Basic Reading Assessment deems
necessary. You do not have to give any personal or private information in order to
participate.

Mrs. Wilson-Marquardt will have access to all information collected. Parents/guardians and
students will have access to all information collected if requested. Names and any other
identifiers will be changed to protect your scores if/when it is shared with classroom faculty
member, Mr. Johnson.

You do not have to participate in this research project unless you choose to do so. Even if
you begin the project, you may stop at any time. If you choose to remove yourself from the
research you will still participate in the class as normal, but your data and scores will not be
collected and evaluated for the research.

You may ask questions about the project at any time, and I can answer any questions you
have before you sign this form. If you would like to discuss anything about the research you
may email me, text me or schedule an appointment with me through Outlook. All meetings
will be in person and confidential.

__________YES. I want to join this project. I understand the project will be done during regular
Personalized Learning Time (PLT) class and will not disrupt my learning. I understand that even if I
check “yes” now, I can change my mind later and stop participating.

Type or spell
Child’s Name [Date]

Child’s Signature
[Date]

X
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Signature of Helen Wilson- Marquardt

Student December 27,
Investigator 2022

Parent/Guardian Permission Form

I am, Mrs. Helen Wilson, your child’s ELA teacher and a Student Investigator who seeks your permission
for your child to participant in a Capstone Research Project entitled “Reading Fluency Remedies Past
Elementary School.” The purpose of this Capstone Research Project is to the purpose of my Capstone
Research Project is to find out if, after four weeks of intensive instruction, based on specific needs of
individual students if there is a marked positive impact of students becoming more fluent readers. The
Capstone Research Project will involve approximately 20 participants. Your child can participate in this
project if they:
 Return the documents signed (Parent and student)
 Attend school regularly from January 3-27th
 Complete the pre-assessment and the post-assessment

If you give permission for your child to participate in this project, your child will be asked to asked to take
a Basic Reading Inventory assessment pre-test, participate daily in an online reading program and then
complete a Basic Reading Inventory assessment post-test Your child’s participation in this project is
strictly voluntary.

Your decision whether or not to give permission for them to participate will not affect their current or future
relations with West End Middle School or MNPS. If you initially decide to give permission to participate,
you are free to withdraw permission at any time later without affecting those relationships.

There is no more than minimal risk associated with participating in this research project, which means
participation in this project does not involve risks for your child beyond those associated with normal day-
to-day living. While there is no individual benefit to your child for participation in the project, findings may
provide the overall benefit of The benefits for the students is academic growth based on specific
strategies and tailored curriculum based on their pre-test scores to “close gaps” in learning.

In the event your child experiences stress or anxiety during their participation in the project, they may
terminate participation at any time. They may also refuse to answer any questions you consider invasive
or stressful. All work and testing will be done one on one with your child’s teacher or independently online.
At any time the student may request a private meeting with the teacher to discuss any questions or
concerns.

Your child’s participation does not involve any audio or video recording or classroom observations.

Any data or records gathered from your child’s participation will be kept private and confidential. Any
identifiable data gathered will be coded to protect your child’s identity.The student data will be changed to
a psudenom and they will be given a number similar to their MNPS 190 number that is specific to them
but has no identifying information attached. The data will be stored on a separate encrypted hard rive in a
safety vault cabinet located at West End middle during the research and then transported to my private
residence. The safety vault has a combination code that only the instructor is privy to. Research records
will be securely stored and only accessible to the researcher.
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Please ask any questions related to this permission for your child’s participation. If you or your child have
questions later, you may contact me via email at [email protected] or the WGU IRB at
[email protected]

Parent/Guardian Permission

I, ____________________________, a parent/guardian of ___________________, a minor-aged child,

have read the above information, have been given adequate time to consider the information, and
understand my child may stop participation at any point. I have asked questions and received answers. I
give permission for my child to participate in this research project. I understand I will be offered a copy of
this signed form.

Typed Name of
Parent/Guardian [Date]

Parent/Guardian
[Date]
Signature

Signature of
Student Investigator [Date]

Parent/Guardian Permission

I have read the above information, been given adequate time to consider the information, and understand
my child’s participation is voluntary so they may stop participation at any point. I have asked questions
and received answers. I give permission for my child to take part in this project and understand I will be
offered a copy of the completed form.
Yes
No
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Site Authorization Form

Re: Capstone approval

From: Stephens III, James A

To: Wilson,
Thu 12/29/2022 4:11 PM

Dear Mrs. Wilson

We have reviewed your request regarding your study and I am pleased to support your Capstone Research Project
entitled “Reading Fluency Remedies Past Elementary School” at West End Middle School agrees to collaborate with
you for data collection. The study involves pre and post-testing for reading fluency while utilizing an online
program specific to their academic level.

This permission covers the time period of January 3, 2023, to January 27, 2023. We look forward to
supporting your capstone research. We understand your study requires the determination of the Western
Governors Institutional Review Board as exempt research and data collection will not begin until this
determination is received.
Sincerely,

James Stephens

James (Trey) Stephens III

(He/Him/His)
Principal
West End Middle School
(629) 910-6193

If you’d like to schedule a Virtual Meeting with any West End Staff, use our
Bookings App to find availabilities and automatically book today!
Reply
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