Using Universal Reading Achievement Data to Study the Effects of a Summer School Reading Program with Elementary Students in a Northern Wisconsin School District

Abstract

Summer slide in reading creates a substantial, cumulative gap over the school years. Attendance at summer school is an intervention that can help prevent students from summer slide in reading. It was hypothesized that students who attended summer school reading classes would prevent summer slide in reading. In this study students with summer slide in reading were identified from the STAR Renaissance Reading Achievement Test (Spring-Fall score comparisons) over the summer of 2013. Out of 43 students identified from a northern Wisconsin rural school district with summer slide during 2013, 7 of these students self selected to participate in a summer school program during 2014 (intervention group); 36 were part of the self-selected control group that did not participate in summer school during 2014. The STAR Renaissance Reading Achievement test was administered to all 43 students in the spring and fall of 2014. A matched pair statistical analysis was done with the data for the two groups of students. The data did not show statistical significance between students in the intervention group and the control group. In a further study an intervention group of at least 30 students would be needed in the sample size to conduct a statistically valid study.