A Study of the Instruction Of the 12 “Powerful Words” and Its Effect On Constructed Response Items
Paya M. Rhodes♦
Dr. Wendy Miner, Faculty Mentor
The African American achievement gap is an area of focus to which many educators are currently committed. This issue has plagued education practitioners for years with little success in alleviating the problem. Although the gap narrowed between 1970 and 1988, it slowly has begun to widen again. This research focuses on the achievement gap in the Communication Arts area. This study centered on the instruction of the 12 powerful words, as defined by Larry Bell, and how learning these words influenced the quality of students’ responses on constructed response items. Data was collected from nine 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students who performed below proficiency. Fourth and fifth graders were identified from their third grade Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) scores. Third graders were assessed as below proficiency by criteria provided by the district reading specialists. Results are pending.
Keywords: education, african, achievment, words, communication, writing, MAP, teach
Topic(s):Education
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 1-3
Location: OP 2113
Time: 8:45