Examining the effects of READ 180 with sixth grade students in a Southwest United States school district based on a formative assessment---Measures of Academic Progress---and its impact on leadership decisions

An achievement gap in reading existed in a Southwest United States school district with Hispanic, economically disadvantaged, English Language Learners (ELLs), and special education sixth grade students based on Measures of Academic Progress data. This study investigated the effectiveness of the READ 180 reading intervention program for sixth grade students in five middle schools to determine whether READ 180 is helping to close the achievement gap with students in these groups. The study examined student data to see if the financial investment in READ 180 was beneficial and to assist middle school principals in making decisions about the future use of the program.;This study was significant for three reasons. First, the community stakeholders in the district wanted to know if READ 180 was an effective intervention to help close the achievement gap in reading for students in underperforming groups. Second, READ 180 may have been an effective intervention for other districts serving student populations with similar demographics. Third, it informed the district leadership and middle school principals in how to initiate change in instructional programs, provide direction and guidance for teachers and staff and to work towards closing the achievement gap between students.;The design of this quantitative study included five middle schools using the fall 2011 and spring 2012 6th grade MAP assessment scores of an intervention group and a comparison group in each school. A t-test was conducted to examine the difference between all five intervention groups and all five comparison groups. An ANOVA was conducted to examine the differences among and within the intervention and comparison groups in the five schools. Demographic data were collected to describe the composition of the students in each group.;The results of the t-test indicated no significance between the intervention and comparison groups in the five middle schools. The ANOVA also indicated no significance among the intervention and comparison groups in the five middle schools. Since no significance was found in the ANOVA, no post hoc test was required.;The study concluded that the READ 180 program, as implemented in the district, showed no significant growth between the fall 2011 and spring 2012 MAP assessment scores of READ 180 intervention groups when matched against comparison groups of students with similar reading scores. Since other research studies identified in the literature review indicated the READ 180 program had been an effective intervention, the implications in this study led to questions of implementation in the district. Implications drawn apply to district administration, school administration, and teachers. In order to ensure fidelity of implementation of the READ 180 program in the district, the following were recommended: 1) provide professional development to implement READ 180 as prescribed in the program design and theory, 2) evaluate the structures and systems needed to implement READ 180 as prescribed in the program design and theory, 3) school leadership monitor for fidelity of implementation, and 4) utilize an evaluator from READ 180 to assist in monitoring the fidelity of implementation and advise school and district administration. Ten suggested future studies were included in the study, seven quantitative and three qualitative.