The American College Testing Service, in its influential
study “Reading Between the Lines”,
determined a proficiency level on their reading assessment. 51% of students taking
the assessment in 2006 scored above this benchmark. These students were more
likely to:
- · Enroll in college.
- · Earn a grade of B or higher in first‐year U.S. history and psychology classes.
- · Earn a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- · Return for a second year at the same institution.
In addition, it was also found that 47% of students who met
the reading test benchmark met the science test benchmark as well. However, only 5% of students who did not meet
the reading benchmark met the science test benchmark.
Student responses were analyzed with the goal of determining
what patterns might distinguish students scoring above the benchmark from those
below. The major findings follow:
·
Literal vs. inferential question type failed to
differentiate students scoring above the benchmark from those scoring below.
·
Questions focusing on textual elements—main
idea/author’s purpose, supporting details, meaning of words, and
generalizations and conclusions—also failed to differentiate students scoring
above from those scoring below.
·
The clearest difference of performance between
the two groups was degree of text complexity, in the passages that acted
as “sorters” within the assessment. This finding held true for males and
females, all racial groups, and all socio-economic levels.
How did we arrive at
a situation where so many of our students fail to understand complex text?
1.
School textbooks and reading demands K¬12 have
become easier.
a.
Every year since 1962 the difficulty of text
(vocabulary, word count, sentence length, sentence type) has declined.
2.
College books and college reading have NOT
gotten easier.
a.
Reading levels of college texts have increased
since 1962
3.
Curriculum and pedagogy has exacerbated the
problem of declining K-12 text complexity.
a.
Texts are more heavily scaffolded in K-12, while
not scaffolded in college or career text.
b.
Predominance of literature versus informational
text in K-12.
What are the
consequences of many students not being able to read complex text?
1.
Students entering college require remediation in
reading.
2.
Those students that required remediation are 41%
more likely to drop out of college.
3.
Adult literacy rates have dropped significantly
over the last decade.
4.
Percentage of adults reading any book dropped by
7% in the last decade.
Being able to read complex text critically with understanding
and insight is essential for achievement in college and/or career. Moreover, if students cannot read challenging
texts, they will read less in general, extending the societal effects on
reading and literacy. The problem of
lack of reading and literacy is not only getting worse, it is doing so at an
accelerated rate. Although numerous
factors likely contribute to the decline in reading, it is reasonable to
conclude that the deterioration in overall reading ability, abetted by a
decline in K-12 text complexity, is a contributing factor.
References:
Achieve, 2007 Closing the Expectations Gap. Washington, DC:
Achieve, Inc.
Between Reading Skills and Reading Strategies. The Reading
Teacher, American College Testing (2006)“Reading Between the Lines: What the
ACT Reveals about College Readiness in Reading” American College Testing, Iowa
City: Iowa.
Best Practices National Governors Association (2005) Reading
to Achieve: A Governor’s Guide of Adolescent Literacy. Wasington, DC: National Governor’s
Association.
Bradshaw, T., (2004)“Reading at Risk” Washington, DC:
National Endowment for the Arts
Gioia, D., (2007)”To Read or Not to Read: A Question of
National Consequence” Washington, DC: National Endowment for the Arts.
Hiebert , E. (Ed.),Reading more, reading better: Are
American students reading enough of the right stuff? New York: Guilford
Publications, 2009.
Hoffman, J. et al., (2004) Building a Culture of Trust.
Journal of School Leadership
