A Tale of Two WIRC Classrooms: A comparative

case study by Diane R. Phelps

Paper presented as Research Component at the annual GSE Symposium April 10, 2008State University of New York at Buffalo, Graduate School of Education

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Background: The Writing Intensive Reading Comprehension (WIRC) Study

• Three-year investigation of the efficacy of using writing to improve reading comprehension in low-performing urban schools

• Purpose: to determine if assisted reading and writing supported by thinksheets guides to writing about reading which teachers use interactively with students will improve the reading comprehension of fourth- and fifth-graders

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Hypothesis of WIRC study:

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*Consistent use of instruction that integrates reading and writing in a socially mediated way would result in larger gains than typical classroom instruction which does not integrate reading and writing.

*That is, it was hypothesized that the experimental condition would outperform the control condition and the longer and more intensive intervention would produce greater gains.

Sample Thinksheet Early Year 3

Research Questions1. From a controlled experiment perspective,

the study asked: “Does the intervention work better to improve reading comprehension than conventional instruction?” [YES ]

2. From a formative experiment perspective, I asked: “What factors enhance or inhibit the

intervention’s effectiveness?” and “How might the intervention or its implementation be modified, in light of these factors, to be more effective?”

Methodology 1. Selected two 4th grade EXP classrooms2. Compared total gain scores (TGS)and

constructed response gain scores (CS) (Tables 1A & 1B)

3. Evaluated Pretest and Posttest planning page usage and extended write completedness (Tables 2.A& 2.B)

4.a.Copying Study/Appropriation b.Categorization (Tables 3. A & 3. B/Tables 4.A & 4.B)

5. Analyzed video data (specifically ‘teacher talk’)

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1. 4th EXP Classroom Teacher Selection

TRAIT MRS. LESSWING MRS. CARPENTER

Trained in thinksheet implementation Values thinksheet intervention

Excellent classroom management

High fidelity: implementation

High efficacy:implementation

Above average posttest teacher gain score 7

2. Class Gain Score Comparison(Tables 1.A & 1.B) average GS of 25 4th grade experimental classrooms: 7.99

Carpenter's Classroom: TGS-3.44 CS-1.16

Lesswing's Classroom:TGS-9.43 CS-2.13

“A quick inspection of Tables 1.A and 1.B indicates that while two thirds of Mrs. Lesswing’s class demonstrate measurable gain in writing skills (total class constructed write gain score of 2.12), two thirds of Mrs. Carpenter’s class show no gain whatsoever in writing skills ( total class constructed write gain score of 1.16).”

A Tale of Two WIRC Classrooms: A comparative case study (page 9)

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Demographic Data/Socio-Economic StatusDemographic features : 4th Grade Experimental Classrooms

Variable Experimental

Gender

Male 51.1%

Female 48.9%

Race/ethnicity

White 39.1%

Black 32.5%

Hispanic 24%

Asian 2.8%

American Indian 1.6%

Poverty status

Poor 83.6% Non-poor 16.4%

3.Pretest/Posttest Comparison (Tables 2.A & 2.B)

A. Planning page usage Sharp contrast in posttest data: Lesswing’s class no

use, Carpenter’s class uniform attempted use (listing)—generally ineffective

B. Extended writing analysis 1. Generally the same degree of writing completedness in both

classes 2. 1/3 of Lesswing’s class and ½ of Carpenter’s class

demonstrated a marked increase in posttest writing length—writing length more than doubled.

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4.a. Copying Study

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General observations (Tables 3.A & 3.B):

WHOLE CLASSVARIABLE

MRS. LESSWING(“less is more!”)

MRS. CARPENTER(hard at work)

Thinksheet completion 78% 100%

Thinksheet completedness

80% 98%

Direct copying from teacher

1/12 themes 12/12 themes

Scaffolded knowledge appropriation from text

12/12 themes No evidence

Copying Study Comparative Writing Sample #1:Writing task: Include supporting evidence from the reading to explain why

(or why not) you would like to babysit an orangutan. 1. I would not like to babysit an orangatan. I would not babysit an orangtan

because it bites when it plays, They make a lot of noises. The orangutans eat soap. When you are about to wash them, orangutans go wild! The orangutans eat bugs The orangtans will attack you. That is why I don’t want to babysit orangatans.

2. orangautans seem to be intnteresting animals. baby orangatnums are cute and cudly i would watch bby orangatans sleep. nanang have his own way how to play hiden go seek. orangatuans love soap mananay slurped on soap he didnt know it was a punishment babysitters better be ready for food to be spit on them. the mother will have to sleep with the baby orangtain because if they don’t the snakes will get them. the baby orangutans will get attacked by the snake thats why they mother have to sleep with them

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4.b. Categorization of Appropriation

TYPE L CCopying—stating exactly the same words on all thinksheets (Teacher is dictating)

1 1,2,3,45,7 X

Teacher does the writing for the student 0 6, 9, 10 X

Evidence of teacher editing on student writing (rough drafts)

5,6,9,10,11 X X

Copying of teacher writing from graphic organizer (teacher ‘list’) 0 2,7,8,9,1011 X X X

Retelling—teacher provides prompt and guides students to retell by listing

1,6,10 2,3,4,6,7,8,9,11 X X

Opening sentence—teacher provides starting place for constructing meaning

1,2 1,2,6,9,11,12 X

Inserting key vocabulary words from the story into essay ? 2Overlapping—strategically appropriating words from the source text ALL 12 4,5,7,8,9,1

0,11,12 X X X

Transforming—appropriating words or ideas from different sections of source text and combining them into a new interpretation

Most ½ class13

5. Video Data: Teacher Talk Mrs. Lesswing • Mrs. Carpenter1. Wait time up to 10 minutes (‘Terrain’ discussion)

2. Teacher uses a strategic questioning technique to elicit student responses

3. Knowledge socially co-constructed (‘Writing Factory’ model: peer-editing and writing conferences)

4. Class interested and engaged: a ‘treasure hunt’ for making meaning

5. Voice of the student comes through in writing

1. Wait time averages 3-5 seconds

2. Teacher frequently answers her own questions

3. Teacher-centered classroom--disguised (Presentation model—Hillocks, 1984)

4. Students observed to copy teacher in writing conferences and during discussion time

5. ‘One size fits all’ approach: writing outcome complex and uniform

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Findings to Improve 4th Grade Achievement

1. The importance for the researcher to focus on efficacy of implementation as well as fidelity

2. ‘Good copying’ (strategic text appropriation) vs. ‘bad copying’ (bulk appropriation of the words of the teacher)

Lesswing ex: “I know____because_____” (provides structure, but not the meaning)3. The importance of strategically scaffolding for knowledge

appropriation (vs. knowledge-telling)4. The importance of teacher focus on both the process &

product of writing strategy .5. The serious inadequacies of Standardized Assessments:

a.) Taught but not measured (length of writing, types of writing with NYS rating of 1)

b.) Modifications for improvement: more sensitive rating scale, organizer for emergent writers, disconnect—social instruction v. independent assessment

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Implications Professional Development of the future: Strategically

reflective and socially constructed assistance with efficacy that incorporates multi-modalities to foreground good practice and overcome deficits (show, tell, involve)

Teacher Practice: In order to facilitate the emergence of higher processes for independent appropriation, the teacher must be trained in effectively scaffolding from knowledge-telling to knowledge-transforming.

Textbook Development: thinksheets recommended to accompany anthologies—especially for emergent writers

Assessment Reform: Recommendation for increasing the sensitivity of the NYS standardized assessment scale (1-4)

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Special Thanks to…

• Dr. James Collins for his guidance, support, advice, and for allowing me to access the wealth of WIRC data for this report

• Dr. Mary McVee and Dr. Janina Brutt-Griffler for their guidance and encouragement

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