Date of Award

4-1990

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Charles C. Warfield

Second Advisor

Dr. Donald L. Carr

Third Advisor

Dr. Patrick M. Jenlink

Abstract

Among the circumstances that plague migrant students are mobility, poverty, low expectations, educational fragmentation, and cultural alienation. A typical migrant student might attend as many as three or more schools per year. More than 50% of all migrant students drop out of school, a figure nearly twice the national average for all other U.S. students. Ninety percent or more of all migrant students follow their parents into a lifetime of employment as field workers. The cost to the migrant student of not being academically successful is a life of limited opportunity.

In this study a structured tutoring program in reading was incorporated into a summer migrant school program. Data from this study were compared with normative data provided by a standardized test (WRMT) (Woodcock, 1973). All data were collected from a single migrant school program.

Data from the following two age groups were used: (1) 7 years 6 months to 7 years 11 months, and (2) 8 years to 8 years 5 months.

Tutored students showed greater reading achievement growth than did nontutored students. The age group 7 years 6 months to 7 years 11 months showed an increase of 292%. The 8 years to 8 years five months age group increased by 860%.

Structured tutoring is a relatively easy teaching method to establish, implement, and administer. Structured tutoring is designed as a one-on-one teaching method and can be taught by trained professionals, paraprofessionals, teachers or students. Although this study was limited to a single location, and some weaknesses were present in the study design, the findings are similar to other studies on the effectiveness of structured tutoring. Based on the findings of this study, educators should consider structured tutoring as a reading remediation method for general usage.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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