To insure academic success for students with learning disabilities, it is critical that educators are able to make timely and effective instructional decisions. The focus of this study was to evaluate the relationship and effectiveness of two different progress monitoring tools, a measure of oral reading fluency and the Wilson Reading System's level documentation against measures of reading achievement. Reading achievement was specifically, examined using cluster scores from the Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement - Third Edition (WJ-III) Broad and Brief Reading domains. The current study investigated archival data of 51 students, grades four through eight, enrolled in a small, private school for students with learning disabilities during the 2008-2009 school year. Oral reading fluency benchmark and regular progress monitoring scores were collected from students and the progress monitoring scores were converted into an overall rate of improvement. Data from students receiving instruction in the Wilson Reading System were also collected as levels mastered throughout the school year. All students received pre- and post-testing on the WJ-III Reading domain. No significant relationships were found between oral reading fluency rate of improvement and Wilson level. Additionally, only the oral reading fluency spring benchmark significantly predicted end of year WJ-III performance after pre-test scores were taken into account. Supplemental analyses did find that students who completed levels seven and eight in the 2008 - 2009 school year consistently performed better than peers who completed levels two through six at all oral reading fluency benchmark periods. Limitations to the study and implications for future research and practice are discussed. / School Psychology

Organized as a set of three manuscripts, this research draws attention to the academic learning experiences for adolescents with particular attention to adolescents with limited reading proficiency and the use of single case design research as a viable option for discovering solutions to a persisting research-to-practice gap in education. Data analyses included a systematic literature review with findings synthesized into themes using qualitative methods, a multiple probe single case design, a non-parametric statistical analysis, and effect size calculations. The first article is a systematic literature review on the relationship between oral reading fluency and reading comprehension for adolescent with limited reading proficiency (ALRP) in grades 6-12. The results of 22 studies were synthesized into five themes and results suggest that knowledge of an adolescent's ORF provides helpful information about his or her reading profile, but is not sufficient to evaluate instructional needs nor measure progress. The article concludes with a discussion on the envelopment of ORF within the Simple View of Reading specifically for adolescent readers as well as implications for practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and assessment developers. The second article presents the findings from a study on the influence of a word level intervention on multiple reading component skills. Six students in two different intervention classes in Virginia participated. The primary analysis was based on a single case design, specifically a multiple probe across participants and settings design. Visual analyses of baseline and intervention phase data indicated a functional relationship between the word level intervention and multiple reading component skills. Statistical analysis (Tau-U) supported this finding with aggregated small effect sizes (0.14 to 0.54) for word identification, accuracy, and automaticity, and one moderate effect size (.70) for prosody. Secondary analysis showed a significant effect for improved strategy knowledge and skill with a 0.90 effect size, but no statistically significant group effects for silent reading fluency and sentence comprehension. The third manuscript is a broad overview of adolescent literacy instructional recommendations and presents a vision for how all teachers contribute to the development of strategic learners when they support content learning through literacy-rich classroom environments. / Doctor of Philosophy / This research draws attention to the academic learning experiences for adolescents, with particular attention to adolescents with limited reading proficiency. The first article examines the relationship between oral reading fluency and reading comprehension for adolescent with limited reading proficiency (ALRP) in grades 6-12. Results suggest that knowledge of an adolescent's oral reading fluency (ORF) provides helpful information but is not sufficient to evaluate instructional needs nor measure progress. Discussion includes where ORF fits within the Simple View of Reading theory specifically for adolescent readers as well as implications for practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and assessment developers. The second article presents findings from a study on the influence of a reading intervention on multiple reading component skills of adolescents with limited reading proficiency. Six students in two different intervention classes in Virginia participated. Visual analyses of individual baseline and intervention phase data indicated a functional relationship between the reading intervention and multiple reading component skills. Additionally, there was a significant group effect for improved strategy knowledge and skill, but no statistically significant group effects for silent reading fluency nor sentence comprehension. Discussion includes limitations and implications for future research, intervention teacher practice and school improvement leaders. The third article gives a broad overview of adolescent literacy instructional recommendations and presents a vision for how all teachers contribute to the development of strategic learners when they support content learning through literacy-rich classroom environments.

This paper describes a curriculum designed to examine relationships between artistic fluency in middle school art classrooms, and a robust year-long paper curriculum. A sustained focus with one material, such as paper, combined with relevant artists and investigative skills activities was designed to increase artistic fluency during a time when students often experience a decline in identity and confidence. Concerns with the U-curve theory suggest that many factors affect the continuity of art during these crucial years of school. Educational standards of the Reggio Emilia Approach can be applied to secondary education, encouraging both students and educator to create dynamic compositions and innovative mark making.

This study investigates the interplay between temporal fluency measures, self-assessment, and language proficiency scores in novice- to intermediate- level language learners of Spanish and French. Analyzing data from 163 participants, the research employs both traditional linear regression and advanced XGBoost machine learning models. Findings demonstrate a moderate positive correlation between self-assessment and Oral Proficiency Interview by Computer (OPIc) scores, underscoring the dependable self-awareness of learners. Notably, XGBoost performs as well as linear regression in predicting OPIc scores and has more potential, underlining the efficacy of advanced methodologies. The study identifies Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) as a crucial predictor, highlighting specific temporal fluency measures' significance in determining proficiency. These findings contribute to language assessment practices, advocating for the integration of machine learning for enhanced precision in predicting language proficiency and informing tailored instructional approaches.

The focus on this study was on improving the oral reading fluency of third grade students who struggle in reading. One third grade teacher and six of her students participated in this 4 week study that examined the effect on fluency of newspaper reading and various constructive reading and engagement activites. These six students were assigned to an Optimal Learning Model pull-out fluency instruction using the newspaper as text. Results from the Developmental Reading Assessment instrument reveal significantly improved effects in the number if miscues, correct words per minute, and prosody for the six students. From the results, it is evident that struggling readers benefit from high-quality fluency instruction.

Ett fåtal tidigare studier har visat att barn med cochleaimplantat (CI) har sämre förmåga till såväl ordflöde som verbalt analogiskt resonerande jämfört med normalhörande barn. Det finns ett förhållande mellan språk och analogiskt resonerande, men förhållandet mellan ordflödesförmåga och förmågan till analogiskt resonerande har inte undersökts tidigare för varken barn med CI eller normalhörande barn, vilket motiverar föreliggande studie. Syftet var att undersöka huruvida det finns skillnader mellan barn med CI och normalhörande barn vad gäller ordflöde och analogiskt resonerande. Studien syftade även till att undersöka förhållandet mellan ordflöde och analogiskt resonerande hos barn med CI respektive normalhörande barn. Nio barn med CI i åldrarna 6;4–8;2 år och en kontrollgrupp av trettio normalhörande barn i åldrarna 6;1–7;1 år medverkade. Ordflödesförmågan undersöktes med det fonologiska ordflödestestet FAS och det semantiska ordflödestestet Djur. Visuellt analogiskt resonerande undersöktes med AnimaLogica och verbalt analogiskt resonerande undersöktes med deltestet Auditiv analogi från Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities-3 (ITPA-3). I föreliggande studie har barnen med CI sämre ordflödesförmåga och analogiskt resonerande än de normalhörande barnen. Det finns ett samband mellan semantiskt ordflöde och verbalt analogiskt resonerande hos normalhörande barn, med ett liknande mönster hos barn med CI. Förmågan till ordflöde och analogiskt resonerande samt sambandet mellan dessa förmågor har klinisk relevans för logopeden i och med att detta blir ännu en aspekt att ta hänsyn till vid språkliga utredningar och behandlingar hos såväl normalhörande som barn med CI. / Previous studies have shown that children with cochlear implant (CI) have worse word fluency abilities and analogical reasoning abilities compared to normal-hearing children. There is a relationship between language and analogical reasoning. However, a possible relationship between word fluency and analogical reasoning has not been studied before among children with CI or among normal-hearing children. This warrants the present study, which aimed to examine if there are differences between children with CI and normal-hearing children regarding word fluency and analogical reasoning. The study also aimed to examine the relationship between word fluency and analogical reasoning in children with CI and normal-hearing children. The present study involved nine children with CI aged 6;4–8;2 years and thirty normal-hearing children aged 6;1–7;1 years. Word fluency was examined using the phonological word fluency test FAS and the semantic word fluency test Animal. Visual analogical reasoning was examined using AnimaLogica and verbal analogical reasoning using Spoken Analogies from Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities-3 (ITPA-3). The results of the present study show that the children with CI had poorer word fluency ability and analogical reasoning compared to the normal-hearing children. A relationship between semantic word fluency and verbal analogical reasoning in normal-hearing children was found, with the children with CI showing the same trend. Word fluency ability and analogical reasoning and their relationship has a clinical relevance for speech-language pathologists since this must be considered when investigating and treating language difficulties in children with CI as well as normal-hearing children.

xiii, 137 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / Research suggests that development of the alphabetic principle is a critical factor in learning to recognize words and becoming a successful reader. The alphabetic principle encompasses both the understanding that relationships exist between letters and sounds and the application of these relationships to reading words. This study investigated the degree to which different measures of the alphabetic principle were predictive of later reading development. These measures were examined in the context of Ehri's phase theory of sight word development to investigate how different behaviors associated with the alphabetic principle fit within a developmental framework. Two cohorts of students (109 kindergarteners, 212 first graders) participated in this study from spring of 2007 until late fall of 2008 (58 second graders, 121 third graders). The predictive powers of single and combined measures of the alphabetic principle were analyzed using sequential regression. Results indicated that each measure explained significant between-student variation in performance on measures of word reading fluency, oral reading fluency (ORF), vocabulary, and reading comprehension. A measure of letter-sounds embedded in nonsense words appeared to have more utility for the prediction of reading outcomes than a measure of letter-sounds presented in isolation. Additionally, including a measure of nonsense words with a measure of letter-sounds embedded in nonsense words increased the predictive power of the model over and above the predictive power of letter sounds alone. Growth on ORF served as an additional criterion for the purpose of investigating the methodology of measuring growth. Two conceptualizations of growth were explored: raw score change over time and individual rates of growth over time (slope). Correlations and sequential regression were used to evaluate the relationship between raw score change and measures of the alphabetic principle. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was used to model individual slopes on Lexile measures of ORF (LORF). In general, raw score change appeared largely unrelated to measures of the alphabetic principle. HLM analyses revealed that individual differences in slope on LORF were minimal and not very reliable, making the prediction of these differences difficult. Recommendations for future research and implications for practice are discussed. / Committee in charge: Roland Good, Chairperson, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Kenneth Merrell, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Leanne Ketterlin Geller, Member, Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership; Jean Stockard, Outside Member, Planning Public Policy and Management

Researchers have shown a correlation between students’ math fact fluency and their achievement in higher-level math. The problem investigated by this study was that 59% of students in intermediate elementary grades at the local school were not proficient in math. Guided by Miller’s information processing theory, the purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to examine the influence of the Reflex Math Fact Fluency Program on 2nd graders’ math achievement scores (as a whole group and by gender) after 1 school year of program use. Archival data was purposefully sampled for 98 2nd grade students (n = 50 boys; n = 48 girls) who were continuously enrolled for the entire 2018-19 school year and completed both the Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 Star Math Assessments prior to and following exposure to the Reflex Math Fact Fluency Program. Results of a repeated measures t test showed students’ scores after using the program for 1 school year were significantly higher than the same students’ scores before the program. Additionally, a mixed-design ANOVA revealed a significant interaction effect such that girls’ scores before the program were higher than the boys’ scores but were lower than the boys’ scores after the program. Findings suggest that the Reflex Math Fact Fluency Program can be a valuable tool for elementary level students, especially boys, who are learning basic math skills. Implications for positive social change include providing the school’s stakeholders with a policy recommendation that may influence students’ access to additional instructional opportunities in math which could, in turn, lead to improved student achievement in math over time.

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