The effectiveness of a school-wide differentiated home room academic extension re-teaching initiative on the achievement and proficiency categories of 8th-grade students with varying levels of cognitive skills

The purpose of the study was to measure the effectiveness of a school-wide differentiated home room academic extension re-teaching initiative on the academic achievement and criterion-referenced assessment proficiency categories of 8th-grade students with varying levels of measured cognitive skills. Achievement measures were reading and math criterion-referenced assessment scores, core subject grades, and the reading and math Terra Nova Normal Curve Equivalent Norm Referenced Achievement Test subtest scores. At the conclusion of the research year 20 students moved into the highest measured criterion referenced reading test proficiency group (beyond proficient) and 33 students moved into the highest measured criterion referenced math test proficiency group (beyond proficient). Of equal importance for this study is that three students moved out of the lowest measured criterion referenced reading and math group (below proficient). Overall, after implementation of the school-wide differentiated home room academic extension re-teaching initiative, students gained the minimum level of proficiency needed for AYP in addition to growth in the highest proficiency category. Student grades and achievement test scores are discussed for students with Test of Cognitive Skills scores in deciles 1 through 3 (group 1, n = 8), decile 4 (group 2, n = 7), decile 5 (group 3, n = 15), decile 6 (group 4, n = 11), decile 7 (group 5, n = 19), decile 8 (group 6, n = 29), decile 9 (group 7, n = 35), and decile 10 (group 8, n = 62).