A comparison of first grade achievement test scores for two school years without a midyear break and two years of a prolonged midyear break

The purpose of this study was to compare the year-end achievement test scores of two school years without a midyear break and two school years of a prolonged midyear break. This study included students over a five-year period. Students from three first grade classrooms at Oneida Elementary School were used in this study. The first group of students were in the first grade during the school years of 1973-1974 and 1975-1976. These students experience formal reading instruction during a regular school year schedule without a midyear break. The second group of students were in the first grade during the school years of 1976-1977 and 1977-1978. The formal reading instruction of these students was interrupted for six weeks at midyear.

The data used were the year-end reading achievement test scores. The scores for the school years 1973-1974 and 1975-1976, which were the years without interruption.of the regular school year schedule, were compared with the scores of 1976-1977 and 1977-1978, which were the years when the regular school year schedule was interrupted by snow. The achievement test used was the Metropolitan Achievement Test, PRl-Form F. No additional tests were used.

The major findings of the study were that the midyear break had no effect on the year-end reading achievement test scores. The data were divided into three achievement groups; above average, average, and below average. In all three achievement groups, there was no apparent difference in the scores of the years when there was iv

scores. break. The findings were based on three comparisons; achievement no prolonged midyear break and the years of the prolonged midyear