| This study investigated the effects of the Help One Student to Succeed (HOSTS) tutoring program on the reading achievement of at-risk 4th and 5th grade elementary students, as measured by the Texas Assessment of Academic Skill (TAAS). Seventy-eight 4th and 5th grade at-risk students from four Title I elementary schools in the Plano Independent School District participated in the study. Thirty-nine of these students were enrolled in the HOSTS program and were matched to a comparison group of students according to ethnicity, age, gender, grade, free or reduced lunch, bilingual and English as a Second language status.; The results of the present investigation were as follows: (a) of the thirty-nine at-risk 4th and 5th grade students enrolled in the HOSTS program, 28 students (72%) met or exceeded the minimum requirements on the TAAS exam, (b) data on the difference in reading achievement between the two groups of 4th grade students were not statistically significant, and (c) data on the difference in reading achievement between the two groups of 5th Trade HOSTS students were statistically significant. Together, these findings underscore the many factors that must considered when using tutoring programs to supplement general education environments for at-risk students. Finally, the mixed results support the need for further research. |
