SPRING 2010 - Edinboro University

measures intersected were Student Learning by School Processes by Demographics. The current
5 th graders at Parker Middle School have been taught using Balanced Literacy, while the current
8 th graders have not. The effectiveness of the Balanced Literacy program at the school was
questioned. A study will be conducted to take a first look at the current results of each class on
their PSSA scores. An initial determination will be derived to indicate whether or not the
students at Parker Middle School exhibit higher Reading and Writing scores on the PSSA tests
after they have used Balanced Literacy.
Intern: Matthew Siembida Onsite Supervisor: Dr. James Ruby
School District: Franklin Area School District
Superintendent: Ron Paranick
The focus project studied the following question, does differentiated reading instruction have a
positive effect on the comprehension and level of fluency as assessed by the 4site, PSSA tests,
and DIBELS assessments. The third and forth grade students have received or are receiving
differentiated reading instruction while the fifth and sixth graders have not. The effectiveness of
this program has been questioned year after year by different administrators within the district.
A study will be conducted to inspect the current results on the 4site and DIBELS results for each
grade, as well as random grades from around the district with a comparable demographic.
Intern: Michelle Verga Onsite Supervisor: Darla Posney
School District: Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School
Superintendent: Dr. Joanne Barnett
The focus project studied the following question, “Do 5 th grade students who participate in the
small group, online novel discussions show a higher level of achievement on the 5 th grade PSSA
Reading than students who read the novels asynchronously?” Multiple measures intersected
were Student Learning by School Processes by Demographics. 2009 student assessment data
from eMetric and Study Island were analyzed and compared to Study Island data from 2010 to
predict 2010 PSSA results. The results suggest that students who participate in the online novel
discussions show a higher level of achievement on the 5 th grade PSSA Reading. School
processes will be further studied to develop a plan to require all 5 th grade students to engage in
small group, online novel discussions.