OATdb Archive

2013 - 2014

Reading Center

Goal
Reading Center Presentation Effectiveness
Increase student awareness and understanding that good time management strategies are essential for successful textbook reading.

Objective
Time Management Strategy Knowledge
After Reading Center presentation, students will successfully identify two time management strategies.

Indicator
Reading Strategy Presentation Evaluation A
Students will complete reading strategy presentation evaluation.


Criterion
Time Management Strategy Awareness
After presentation, 90% of students will name two time management strategies.

Finding
Time Management Strategy Awareness
A little over 88% of students could name two time management strategies that would be useful to them.


Action
Time Management Strategy Awareness
Given that the Reading, Writing, and Math Centers have merged into the Academic Success Center, goals and objectives for time management strategy awareness may be revised.

If the time management strategy awareness goal and objective remain the same, our goal for time management strategy awareness for 2014-2015 will remain the same--90%.

Objective
Textbook Reading Strategy Knowledge
After Reading Center presentation, students will successfully name reading strategy acronym and for what each letter stands.

Indicator
Reading Strategy Presentation Evaluation B
Students will complete reading strategy presentation evaluation.


Criterion
Reading Strategy Awareness
After presentation, 95% of students will name reading strategy acronym and for what each letter stands.

Finding
Textbook Reading Strategy Knowledge
After the reading strategy presentation, 94% of students could recall the PARR acronym and state the word for which each letter stands.


Action
Textbook Reading Strategy Knowledge
Given that the Reading, Writing, and Math Centers have merged into the Academic Success Center, goals and objectives for textbook reading strategy knowledge may be revised.

If goal and objective remain the same, our goal for textbook reading strategy knowledge for 2014-2015 will be 95%.

Goal
Reading Center Tutoring Effectiveness
To assist students and community members with criticsl reading and thinking strategies.

Objective
Increase Client Knowledge Of Textbook Reading Strategies
The Reading Center will provide tutoring services that facilitate the growth and confidence of all students and community members by promoting research-based best practice reading strategies for expository texts.

Indicator
Tutoring Session Satisfaction Survey
After each tutoring session, clients will complete Tutoring Session Satisfaction Survey to indicate quality and effectiveness of tutoring session.  

Criterion
Mean Score On Tutoring Session Satisfaction Survey
The mean satisfaction score for all clients completing Tutoring Session Satisfaction Survey will be at least "4.0" on a Likert scale ranging from 1-5, with "1" indicating the least effectiveness and "5" indicating the most effectiveness.

Finding
Reading Center Tutor Effectiveness
We met our projected criterion score; the mean score for Reading Center tutor effectiveness was at 4.0. 

Action
Hours In The Reading Center
Although the Reading, Writing, and Math Centers have merged into the Academic Success Center, this goal and objective may remain in place for 2014-2015.

 

Goal
Reading Center Developmental Reading Effectiveness
To assist developmental reading students develop reading strategies through computerized tutorials and face-to-face tutoring, and mentoring.


Objective
Increase Developmental Student Reading Proficiency
Through visits to the Reading Center, developmental reading students have the opportunity complete computerized tutorials, spend time studying in a safe environment, and have access to tutoring, enrichment, and mentoring to improve reading effectiveness.

Indicator
Reading Center Transaction Report
Students logs into the Reading Center database when entering and departing the Reading Center.  Individual student reports are printed and given to developmental reading students every other week throughout the semester.


Criterion
Hours In Reading Center
To be successful in developmental reading, students are required to spend 15 hours in the Reading Center working on homework or computerized tutorials. 

Finding
Hours In Reading Center
Of the students who finished the course, 100% of students completed the 15 required hours in the Reading Center.

Indicator
Nelson/Denny Vocabulary And Reading Comprehension Test
Developmental reading students are administered a pre- and post- Nelson/Denny Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension test.

Criterion
Nelson/Denny Vocabulary And Reading Comprehension Test Scores
Developmental reading students are administered the Nelson/Denny test at the beginning of the semester to inform instructor and student of vocabulary and reading comprehension proficiency with no required attainment level.  At the end of each semester students are administered the Nelson/Denny post-test on which they are required to attain a 11th grade vocabulary and reading comprehension level. We expect that 85% will meet the 11th-grade criterion.

Finding
Nelson/Denny Vocabulary And Reading Comprehension Test
If students met the eventual criterion on the first administration, the score for the first test was used as criteria for success.  On the second administration of the test, 100% of students attained a 10th grade level score, 90% of students attained an 11th grade score, and many students attained a significantly higher score. Typically, all scores incrreased on the second administration of the Nelson/Denny Test. If students did not attain a passing score on their first attempt of the post-test, they were administered a different form of the Nelson/Denny Test. 

Although passing the Nelson/Denny was a criterion for passing the course, student attendance, participation and grades in developmental reading, along with grades in other courses were taken into consideration as measures of  learning and success. 

Indicator
MyReadingLab Computerized Module Diagnostic Reports
Developmental reading students are required to complete 15 MyReadingLab computerized tutorials that complement homework assignments and guided practice and discussion in the classroom. 

Criterion
MyReadingLab Computerized Tutorials
Developmental reading students are required to complete 15 Reading Road Trip lessons attaining at least 80% on one practice exercise and one mastery test.

Finding
MyReadingLab Computerized Tutorials
The MyReadingLab computerized program administers a diagnostic test intially and then provides a learning path of particular modules showing weakness.  Based on their learning path, all students were successful. If students did not pass the module at criterion on the first attempt, they were required to repeat the module with questions listed in a different sequence.

Action
Developmental Student Reading Proficiency
Although the Reading, Writing, and Math Centers have merged into the Academic Success Center, the criteria for the three areas (transaction report, Nelson/Denny Reading Test, and MyReadingLab may remain the same for 2014-2015 academic year.


Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement

For the 2013-2014 cycle, we implemented all but one of the elements stated in the “Plan for Continuous Improvement.”  We did not implement Reading Center Tutor Effectiveness Survey. We planned to implement the survey, but prior to Fall 2013, a decision was made to revise the survey. Shortly after the beginning of Fall 2013, we learned that sweeping changes would be made in the academic resource areas, reading, writing, and math, and we put the revisions on hold, knowing that reporting would be revised in all academic resource areas.  With regard to time management using two of the time management strategies to ensure understanding, we exceeded our goal of 90% by 1%, attaining a 91% success rate.  With regard to our goal of 95% student recognition of the textbook reading strategy acronym, PARR, we missed our goal by 1%.  From reviewing the survey, a logical inference could be that students may not have taken the time to complete the survey correctly.  In a few cases, the response area was left blank, on some surveys the explanation of the “PARR” acronym was started but not completed, and in other cases, nonsense words were written.  With respect to our Reading Center Developmental Reading Effectiveness, two of the three target objectives were met according to goals, objectives, and findings. Of the developmental reading students who completed the semester, 100% completed 15 required hours in the Reading Center. Regarding computerized learning module completion, 100% of developmental reading students who completed the course were successful in completing 15 computerized learning modules with a score of 80% or better on one practice exercise and the module post-test. Some developmental reading students had some difficulty with modules on the first attempt, but all were successful after subsequent attempts.  The third goal for success in developmental reading, was that students must attain an 11th grade score on the Nelson/Denny Vocabulary and Comprehension Test (Nelson/Denny). However, the goal was never put into place because we used differentiated and holistic methods for student success as they related to the Nelson/Denny.  Variables that were taken into account were attendance, homework assignments completed successfully, class participation, scores on quizzes and exams, and grades in other courses.  Those students who did not attain a 10th grade level on the first attempt of the Nelson/Denny post-test, with all testing parameters in place, were given another form of the test with extended time.  In all cases over a three year period, all but one student who took the Nelson/Denny retest attained a 10th grade level, and most attained  11th grade or higher.  The young man who did not attain a 10th grade level was from Taiwan, and his problem was a language barrier.  That young man graduated from SHSU with a BBA degree, and he is now in a prestigious graduate school in London.  With all academic resource centers, reading, writing, and math, consolidated into the Academic Success Center, new areas for program evaluation will be developed for coming years.   


Plan for continuous improvement For the 2014-2015 academic year, the Reading Center, the Writing Center and the Math/Statistics tutoring program, along with Supplemental Instruction and the coordination of Developmental Education classes, will be merged into the newly-formed Academic Success Center, which will include tutoring and mentoring activities at the Academic Success Center at The Woodlands Center.  Formation of the new Academic Success Center may necesitate revising, or redefining, goals based on data collection within our unit and the data available from the Student Success Collaborative.