MERC Publications
Document Type
Research Report
Original Publication Date
1995
Date of Submission
January 2017
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine instructional strategies teachers and other school personnel have employed to successfully remediate students who have failed the reading and writing parts of the Virginia Literacy Passport Test (LPT), or the LPT Predictor Test. The intent was to determine if specific approaches seem to work best for different types of students, and if particular materials, teaching strategies, scheduling, and other factors are associated with successful remediation.
A qualitative research design was employed to gather and analyze information related to successful remediation. Classroom and resource teachers who had experience in remediating students who had failed either the reading or writing parts of the LPT were interviewed in a series of five focus groups. There were two elementary level focus groups (16 participants) and three middle school level focus groups (18 participants).
The findings from this study suggest that the key to successful remediation is student engagement in learning and applying needed skills. There are some general principles and approaches that appear to facilitate student engagement. Several of these are school-wide, including an organizational commitment to successful remediation, cohesiveness of effort, and a systematic plan that includes identification of students, diagnosis, and feedback to teachers.
Individually, teachers need training, commitment, and a sense of shared responsibility to help students succeed. Specific strategies that appear to be helpful include teaming, teaching, test-taking skills, practice, small groups, individualized attention, modeling, close supervision, peer instruction, and activities and materials that hold student interest and motivate them to succeed.
Is Part Of
VCU MERC Publications