Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-67).

Thesis (M.A)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2008. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the change in oral reading fluency among a sample of students (N = 44) who were randomly assigned a summer school placement. A second goal was to identify relationships between student background characteristics, student learning engagement, and reading fluency outcomes among those students who participated in summer school. Results indicated that students who were assigned to or participated in summer school did not achieve statistically greater summer learning outcomes than students who did not participate. However, summer school participants showed substantial growth in fluency outcomes during the summer intervention period. Implications for summer programs are discussed.

The United States is experiencing an increase in young students developing literacy in English and Spanish. Schools providing dual-language English/Spanish instruction need technically adequate tools to assess reading skills in the languages of instruction, and interpretation of results needs to acknowledge the complexity of cross-linguistic learning. Although passage reading fluency in English strongly predicts overall reading proficiency in English in the primary grades and there is some indication that passage reading fluency in Spanish provides equivalent information regarding Spanish reading skills, rarely have the two been examined simultaneously and within a dual-language instructional context. The current study examined predictive and concurrent validity of passage reading fluency in English and Spanish within third grade within a dual-language instructional environment. Using a state assessment of reading as the criterion measure, a correlational design was used to investigate the relation between passage reading fluency in English and Spanish and performance on the statewide assessment of reading in English. Findings indicate that within a dual-language context, passage reading fluency in English is the stronger predictor of performance on the state assessment in English, regardless of the student's home language. Spanish reading fluency is also strongly related to English reading fluency but did not explain additional variance in predicting performance on the statewide large-scale assessment of reading in English beyond what English fluency explained. Results are consistent with the idea that same language assessments are more predictive of reading performance than cross-language assessments are, but the benefits of formative assessment in the language of instruction remain.

Over 3 million Americans are disfluent due to developmental stuttering. Current evidence-based treatments typically consist of a rigorous schedule of intensive therapy, followed by the need for maintenance of skills, placing high demands on self-monitoring of one’s speech at all times. Relapse after treatment is very common, at 84%. The demand for further research into treatment possibilities for stuttering is on the forefront. Previous research has connected neural activations in people who stutter (PWS) and people with chronic nonfluent aphasia. The aim of this study was to determine if a novel intervention, based on a treatment for anomia, would change the frequency of stuttering during two speech tasks. A focal point of the treatment was the inclusion of a complex left-handed movement throughout tasks, targeting a proposed lateralization of neural activation into the right hemisphere of PWS, in order to promote fluent speech. Based on the results from the aphasia treatment study, a decrease in the frequency of stutter events was expected as a result of the adapted treatment for fluency. Two participants received treatment over the course of three weeks. Measurements of fluency during two speech tasks were obtained for pre-treatment, post-treatment, and follow-up analysis. Results from treatment indicated a general decrease in the frequency of stutter events in both participants. Further research is warranted in order to determine if this type of treatment could help to initiate a shift in focus to intervention approaches that deliver fluency gains with much less intensive treatment.

This study investigated the effects of a precision teaching package on response rates of children with autism. Prior to both experiments a preference assessment was conducted to identify high preference activities for each participant. Experiment 1 investigated whether response rates would shift as a function of rate-contingent consequences during an academic task. Different activities were associated with different rates of responding. The experimental package of 1 minute timings, rate contingent consequences, and charting was successful in increasing the rates of responding when the most highly preferred activity was associated with high rates of responding. When the contingencies were switched and the most highly preferred activity was contingent on lower rates of responding, the participant's responding did not decrease. Experiment 2 was an attempt to replicate the results of Experiment 1 using a multiple baseline across tasks. The experimental package was not successful in increasing the rate of responding.

This mixed methods study of an in-school Focused Reading Program employed a quasi experimental pre-posttest design to examine program effectiveness and Vygotsky's sociocultural theory as the theoretical framework. The quantitative research question inquired whether the program resulted in a significant difference in reading performance for participants receiving the instruction based on pre and post measures. Data analysis for this component involved descriptive and inferential statistics. Pre- and posttest scores for the combined groups of seventh and eighth graders were analyzed for significant differences through an independent t- test. The results revealed there was a statistically significant difference between the pre-posttest scores for seventh graders and the scores for eighth graders. Two qualitative questions inquired of the extent to which the Focused Reading Program was implemented with fidelity and teachers’ and intervention tutors' perceptions of the program’s strengths and challenges. Data analysis for the qualitative component followed procedures for content analysis which included identifying themes based on the frequency of similar words and expressions from interviews and open-ended survey questions. The emerging themes of Program Flexibility, Peer-Learner Focused, and Learning and Behavior revealed the program was implemented with fidelity. Leading program strengths were attendance, program schedule, methods for improving performance of struggling readers, and student engagement. Leading challenges included support services, resources, time for extended activities, and professional development. The study is intended to have a social impact in demonstrating ways to promote reading performance. The results will contribute to literacy research illustrating the effectiveness of an intervention that may remedy reading deficiencies among middle school students

Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of bullying interventions targeted at bystanders; however, a fluency component has not been used in any studies to teach these skills. The present study investigated the inclusion of fluency training to teach and enhance skills that can be used when responding and defending the victim in fourth- and fifth-grade students (N=55 and N=53, respectively). All students participated in a modified version of the Bully Prevention in Positive Behavior Support for Elementary School program and filled out pre- and postrating scales to determine participant roles related to bullying. An experimental group also participated in fluency training sessions to teach bystander skills. Results showed that there was a significant interaction between group and time showing more growth on correct responses per minute (CRPM) for the experimental fluency group than the control group on bystander skills fluency task. Additionally, results showed that defender role scores significantly increased for the fluency group at post but not for the control group. There were no significant differences for the reinforcer or outsider role scores. Implications of these findings for school-based practice and research are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to determine if an individualized reading program, Accelerated Reader combined with the core reading program, Reading Mastery would produce a greater increase in oral reading fluency and grade level performance, than relying solely on the core reading program to accomplish this. Furthermore, this study sought to determine whether students with learning disabilities who were provided reading instruction through the Reading Mastery program and the Accelerated Reader program would demonstrate comparable growth in oral reading fluency and grade level performance on selected reading assessments (DIBELS and STAR Reading). This study looked at the differences in student performance between those who had been using Accelerated Reader since August 2014 versus those who began in January 2015. In this longitudinal study, 85 first grade students in a rural, southeastern state were assessed with the DIBELS (oral reading fluency) and STAR Reading (grade level equivalency) assessment during the fall, winter, and spring screenings. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance determined if there was a statistically significant difference between the fall and spring screenings of the STAR Reading assessment and the winter and spring screenings of the DIBELS assessment. Additionally, it determined if the oral reading fluency and grade level performance was statistically significantly different for students depending on whether they received special education services. The findings of this study revealed that when the Accelerated Reader program, is used with the Reading Mastery program, students statistically increase their oral reading fluency and grade level performance scores when instructed for 17 weeks and 34 weeks. However, the scores of the students who received 34 weeks improved more than the scores of students who only received it for 17 weeks. Additionally, scores of the students who did not receive special education services improved more than the scores of students who received special education services. Although the students who received special education services did not make the same increase in reading fluency and grade level performance, statistically significant within-person gains were still made for this student population, which increased their reading fluency and grade level performance.

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