THE EFFECTS OF PULL-OUT AND PUSH-IN READING INTERVENTION MODELS ON FIRST AND SECOND GRADE STUDENTS

Abstract

Public school accountability for developing proficient readers has risen to an alltime high as sanctions and consequences threaten schools who fall short of AYPbenchmarks (Langdon, 2006). Schools are adopting various practices to fuel their questfor reading proficiency including employing reading specialists to provide push-in orpull-out remedial reading services. The purpose of this study was to determine the mosteffective reading intervention model for first and second grade students at ScottElementary School, a low-socioeconomic school in Belton, Missouri, a midsize suburbanpublic school district. This study sought to determine if there was a statisticallysignificant difference in the change in reading level for qualifying students receivingintervention via a push-in model and those receiving pull-out services as measured by theDevelopmental Reading Assessment (DRA). The study also sought to determine if therewas a statistically significant difference in DRA level changes for non-qualifyingstudents in push-in classrooms and those in classrooms without the push-in model.A quantitative research design was selected and independent sample t-tests wereused for hypotheses testing. Remedial reading students had a statistically significanthigher mean change in reading levels when served through a push-in model rather than apull-out model. However, there was not a statistically significant difference in readinglevel gains for non-remedial readers placed in push-in classes when compared to those inclassrooms without push-in services. Additional research could compare readingintervention models for differentiated student needs or subgroups. This study supports apush-in model for remedial readers. Further research would assist in finding the mosteffective way to implement push-in programming and maximize the benefits.