A comparison of the effectiveness of direct reading instruction on students of Caucasian and Hispanic backgrounds

According to U.S. census data Hispanics made up only 7% of the population of Dalton, Georgia in 1990. The 2000 census reveals the Hispanic population approaching 30%. Demographic change of this magnitude in a relatively short period of time has had a major impact on the community and the schools serving that community. One area of concern was reading instruction Beginning in 1997, the commercially available Direct Instruction Reading Program was fully implemented by Dalton Public Schools. The focus of this research was to compare the Iowa Test of Basic Skills reading scores of Caucasians and Hispanics in second, third, and fourth grades taught using this method. A comparison was made of. (1) the average total gain over the three-year period for Caucasians and Hispanics, (2) the average gain each year for Caucasians and Hispanics, and (3) the percentage of Caucasians and Hispanics at or above grade level in reading comprehension at the end of the three years. Independent t-tests were utilized to determine if significant differences existed between Caucasians and Hispanics in each of these areas. The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of the Direct Instruction Reading program for Hispanic and Caucasian students as measured by the Iowa Test of Basic Skills Reading Comprehension Test.