Texas School Accountability: A Blueprint for Literacy?
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Background: The literacy skills acquired by children by the third grade is a predictor of their ability to successfully navigate school and achieve success in their careers. Consequently, scholars, policymakers, and educators have become concerned about the number of high school dropouts and the link to early literacy. Falling behind in school has serious consequences later in life as adults with lower levels of literacy and education are more likely to be unemployed or earn less than those adults with higher levels of literacy or education. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between third grade student reading performance on the state assessment in one urban school district in Texas during a five-year period and the early implementation of the district’s literacy initiative, Literacy By 3. The primary objective was to highlight to stakeholders, such as legislators, educators, parents and the business community the importance of focusing on literacy before students enter third grade as students will be better positioned to succeed in subsequent school years. Methods: The study utilized a longitudinal, quantitative research design and state reading scores for third-grade students enrolled in a large urban Texas district during a five-year period. Two of these years were before the implementation of the literacy initiative, and three were after the implementation. Multiple regression analysis was used to answer the research questions about differences in reading scores over time, and across students’ subgroup reading scores during the five-year period under investigation. Findings: The results of the linear regression suggest that a significant proportion of the total variation in third grade reading STAAR scores during the five-year period around the implementation of Literacy By 3 was predicted by the year of the examination. Specifically, students taking the STAAR examination after the implementation of Literacy By 3 scored significantly higher than students who took the STAAR exam prior to the implementation of Literacy By 3. Also, the results of multiple regression by race suggest that a significant proportion of the variation in third grade reading STAAR scores during the five-year period around the implementation of Literacy By 3 was predicted by the socioeconomic status of the student for all racial/ethnic groups. Specifically, students who were of higher socioeconomic status scored significantly higher than students who were of lower socioeconomic status for all racial/ethnic groups. Conclusion: The results point to the continued existence of the achievement gap in reading despite the implementation of Literacy By 3. Although STAAR Reading scores generally increased during the five-year period around the implementation of Literacy By 3, the impact of Literacy By 3 on STAAR Reading scores was different for different racial/ethnic groups. These results lead one to speculate about the fidelity of the implementation of Literacy By 3 at the school level. Future research should explore why significant achievement gaps continue to exist with regard to childhood literacy, whether the gaps are a result of program implementation, and the impact of the interaction between race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status on third grade STAAR Reading scores.