Learning to Read at Hillcrest
Presented to NHC Human Relations Commission
January 26, 2009
John S. Rice & Jessica L. MacDonald
Why We’re Doing This
 New Hanover County End-of-Grade Composite Reading &
Math Scores, 2007-2008
 By Race
NHC EOG Composite Scores, 2007-2008
71.4% White
Females
22.2% Black
Males
30.3% Black
Females
67% White
Males
Black M
Black F
White M
White F
Measuring Progress
 September: three pre-test measures of the kids' reading skills
(timed, one minute each)
 Oral Reading Fluency (ORF: Older children: how many words
read correctly in one minute)
 Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF: tests kids' ability to decode
unfamiliar words
 Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF): tests their ability to link
sounds with signs (this letter makes this sound).
 December: we tested their progress. Results as follows:
Measuring Progress
 The results must be viewed in context of actual
instructional (i.e. tutoring) time.
 The average number of times kids were available for instruction
was 27 days
 The actual time tutoring per day was 20 minutes
 27 x 20 = 540 minutes/60 = 9 hours
 So their gains, as readers, are based on 9 actual hours of
tutoring.
Oral Reading Fluency
Number of Words Correct
and Net Gain in ORF
Correct – T1
Correct –T2
Net Gain
700
622
600
500
410
400
300
212
200
100
0
105
53
52
128
101
53
34
19
89
12
C.F. (3rd) M.W. (3rd) Z.W. (3rd)
39
23
16
J.P. (2nd)
107
21
120
76
78
42
48
28
A.S. (2nd) T.W. (2nd) M.W. (2nd)
Total
Number of Errors & Net Gain in ORF,
After 13.5 Hours
Errors – T1
Net Gain
Errors – T2
50
45
44
40
35
35
30
25
20
20
15
10
5
0
-5
14
19
11
3
3
2
3 3
3
1
0
0
3
03
0
1
0
0
-1
C.F. (3rd) M.W. (3rd) Z.W. (3rd) J.P. (2nd) A.S. (2nd) T.W. (2nd)M.W. (2nd)
9
Total
Phoneme Segmentation Fluency
Phoneme Segmentation Fluency
Net Gains, Kindergarteners
S.C. (K)
T.W. (K)
O.N. (K)
39
22
16
1
00
PSF T1
PSF T2
Nonsense Word Fluency
NWF – Correct Letter Sounds
Net Gains, Kindergarteners
S.C. (K)
T.W. (K)
O.N. (K)
45
40
40
35
30
25
20
16
15
10
6
5
0
0 0 0
CLS-- T1
CLS -- T2
NWF – Correct Letter Sounds
Net Gains, First Graders
F.S. (1st)
I.M. (1st
A.P. (1st)
53
52
35
29
23
0
CLS-- T1
CLS -- T2