THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FOURTH-GRADE LITERACY LEVELS AND EIGHTH-GRADE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictive usefulness of theGates-MacGinitie Reading Test (GMRT) measure of fourth-grade literacy on theMissouri Assessment Program (MAP) test of student achievement for eighth graders.This research was a quantitative, correlational study. It was non-experimental in designand utilized purposive sampling. The independent variable for this study was fourthgrade literacy level as measured by the GMRT. The GMRT scores were examined usinga grade equivalent score as a benchmark. Those subjects that scored below thebenchmark were labeled as the At-Risk Literacy group. Those that scored at or above thebenchmark were placed in the Proficient Literacy group. Correlation coefficients werecalculated to determine the strength of the relationship between fourth-grade literacylevel and eighth-grade student achievement in communication arts, mathematics, andscience for the At-Risk group, the Proficient group and a combined total sample. Alinear regression and scatter plot was used to visually demonstrate if GMRT scores canpredict success on the MAP test. The research results demonstrated a strong positivecorrelation between fourth grade GMRT scores and the eighth grade MAP assessments incommunication arts. The correlation between GMRT scores and MAP mathematicsscores was also positive but resulted in a moderate relationship. Likewise, there was amoderate positive relationship between GMRT scores and MAP science scores.