Current Research @ - Full Citation and Abstract


	Illinois State University

AAT 8705736

AN EVALUATION OF SELECTED TRANSITION FIRST GRADES

ARKLEY, HARRIET HARVEY

ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY

EducatD

1986

DAI-A 47/11, p. 3958, May 1987

143

EDUCATION, CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION (0727)

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate one year (1985-86) in the life of a transition first grade program. This program, located in a mid-western urban school district, constituted a new effort on behalf of six-year-old at-risk children. The sample of 180 students were selected for the nine transition classrooms at the end of their kindergarten year, spring 1985. The age, sex, race, I.Q., free lunch status, Metropolitan Readiness score and Screening and Selection score were determined for each student. The students in this sample were given pre and post achievement tests and attitude questionnaires. Selected staff and randomly-selected parents were surveyed regarding their opinions of how the transition program affected the students. The statistical procedures employed in this study included a stepwise regression analysis, a one-way ANOVA and a Newman-Keuls. A post hoc multiple comparison test. A SPSS-X Statistical Program was used to complete these analyses. Four major findings were derived from this study. First, it was found that the black students, the youngest students and those with the lower Metropolitan Readiness scores made the greatest gain or growth in reading. Second, the study determined that there were significant differences between the nine classrooms in terms of reading and math gain. Third, the attitudes of the students towards school and themselves as learners did not change significantly. Finally, the staff and parents of the students thought the program had a positive affect on the children.