Action Research Update (EDLD 5326)

My action research project is titled Increasing Fluency in Grades K-3.  The purpose of my project is to monitor and evaluate benchmark data in grades K-3 in the area of fluency to determine if the use of fluency folders increases the percentage of students who are developed in fluency as reported by benchmark data compared to last year’s data. The project is based on the implementation of a daily fluency folder program in grades K-3.  One week before school started the fluency folders had not been printed.  The printing process did not occur in a timely fashion for grades K, 2nd, and 3rd.  The scheduled calendar of assignments in the folders for these grades had to be modified.  The first grade group was the only group that started the implementation as scheduled during the first week of school.  The first benchmarks have taken place and I am in the process of starting to analyze the beginning of the year data.  My initial plan was to use TPRI (Texas Primary Reading Inventory) benchmark data, and then I learned that the third grade group does not use this instrument. The third grade group uses STAR Reading as their benchmark.  I will need to familiarize myself with this instrument.  I am not certain that STAR Reading targets the area of fluency, but rather gives information about the proficiency or reading levels of the students. As of now, there are changes that I will make to my research project based on the benchmark instruments used and fluency information I am able to obtain for the third grade group.