Action Research Project Report

Action Research Project Title: Determining the Effectiveness of an In School Tutoring Program for Reading Intervention. Number of AR Project Documented Hours: 20 hours AR Project Summary (at least 250 words): The goal of my action research project is to determine the effectiveness of an in school tutoring program for reading intervention. The first action step was to meet with the director of the Austin Learning Center to discuss the possibilities of an in school tutoring program that focuses on reading improvement for secondary students reading significantly below grade level. We met in December 2012, and started the planning process. We looked at the current data that we had and determined a tentative schedule for the tutoring. We discussed the budget and what this meant as far as the number of tutors and hours that could be provided. We met again after the holiday break, and had to make some changes to our tentative schedule because the school had gone through a schedule redesign. The first step was to assess identified students to determine which students would be utilizing the tutoring. The tutors and I administered the STAR Reading Assessment, analyzed the data, and chose a group of 8 high school students who were all reading below the 3rd grade level to participate in the program. The tutors began their sessions, meeting with each student twice a week. Unfortunately, we had several students released from the court ordered program, so they were not able to finish the tutoring program. The good news is that the tutors were able to see progress in the short amount of time that they did receive the tutoring. We have had some issues come up in the program, such as the tutors not being able to meet with students due to the students’ behavior problems. I am hoping that this doesn’t impact the results in the end. The tutoring is still in the process of being implemented and will end on May 15, 2013. The tutors are using the Challenger Reading Program and are monitoring student progress regularly. After each tutoring session, the tutors’ record notes for each student which gives the time spent, a summary of the session, and needs that the student will continue to work on. I have been in constant communication with the tutors to work through any issues and to discuss student progress. The tutors have provided me with their tutoring notes so that I can monitor the progress and program. My action research project is coming along as expected and I look forward to the results.