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A study evaluated the Title 1 Reading Program that served 3,944 underachieving pupils in grades 1 through 8 in the Columbus, Ohio, public schools. The program provided service to 62 public elementary schools, 22 public middle schools, and 10 nonpublic schools. Program teachers provided small group instruction to strengthen reading skills in grades 1-8. A major part of the evaluation effort was accomplished through the administration of the Metropolitan Achievement Tests. Results indicated that: (1) of the treatment group of 2,782 pupils, 2,452 (88.1%) displayed over time each of 3 strategic processing behaviors (constructing meaning, monitoring reading, and integrating sources of information; (2) 2,329 (83.7%) of 2,782 pupils in a treatment group read the requisite number of books for their grade; (3) reading comprehension scores for grades 2, 3, 5, 7, and 8 gained an average of 0.1 NCE for the 1,029 pupils in the evaluation sample; and (4) 7,591 parent contacts were made across activities. Findings support continuation of the program with consideration given to five areas of concern. (Contains 14 figures of data.) (RS)

This report describes the All Day Kindergarten (ADK) Program undertaken at 18 elementary schools in Columbus, Ohio, and presents an evaluation of the language development component of the program. ADK provides an extra half day of instruction, using a language-based curriculum to reinforce the skills, concepts, and educational experiences taught in the regular kindergarten classroom. It was a desired outcome of ADK that at least 50 percent of the pupils in the program would demonstrate an awareness of early concepts about print such that they would successfully complete at least 12 of 17 items on a concept about print test, "Balloons." An evaluation of the program found that, of the 247 pupils who attended at least 80 percent of the ADK sessions during the 1992-93 school year, 195 (78.9 percent) successfully completed at least 12 of 17 items on the "Balloons" test. Forty-seven pupils completed all 17 items correctly. The report recommends that ADK be continued in the 1993-94 school year, that program teachers be provided more inservice meetings, and that the program evaluator increase the number of classroom visits. An appendix provides copies of program evaluation forms. (MDM)

The All Day Kindergarten (ADK) Program was implemented in the Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools in January 1972 to provide full-day instruction to prepare underachieving kindergarten pupils for first grade. The ADK is an individualized language-based program that reinforces skills, concepts, and educational experiences taught in regular kindergarten classrooms. Starting in September 1991, the ADK was evaluated in terms of: (1) children's successful completion of 12 of 17 items on a test of early concepts about print; and (2) participation of parents in their children's education. The evaluation was based on data from standardized achievement tests, pupil census logs, pupil data sheets and rosters, and parent involvement logs. The program served 582 pupils for an average of 13.6 hours of instruction a week. The evaluation sample comprised those students (n=353) who attended 80% or more of the instructional periods. Of those, over 88% successfully completed 12 or more of the items on the concepts about print test. Parents of 99.1% of the pupils participated in at least one program-related activity during the year. Teachers had a positive response to their inservice training. Increased parent involvement, increased teacher inservice training, continued use of current recordkeeping documents, and continued school visitations were recommended. An appendix contains forms used for the evaluation. (MM)

The Instructional Assistant Program, funded by the Ohio Disadvantaged Pupil Program Fund, provides educational support for underachieving pupils by training instructional assistants to provide direct instructional service to selected pupils in the classroom setting. Emphasis was placed on activities which would increase oral and written language and reading skills needed to be successful in school. Teachers involved with the program are assigned an assistant for one-half day and provide direct supervision for the assistant. The assistants attend inservice training sessions and are provided with supplementary materials and instructional activities. Pupil census information indicated that the program served 2,260 kindergartners during the 1992-93 school year for an average of 2.7 hours of instruction per week. The average number of pupils served per teacher was 18.8, and the average number of days pupils were served was 80.4 days. Program objectives, which concerned student awareness of early concepts about print, teachers' perception that the instructional assistants' services improved pupils' reading and language arts, and meaningful training sessions for instructional assistants, were met. Appendices include: early development checklist scoring sheet; classroom teacher survey; general inservice evaluation form; instructional assistant assessment instrument; and a calendar worksheet for computing days of pupil service. (JDD)

A study examined the effectiveness of the All Day Kindergarten-PIC Program instituted in the Columbus, Ohio Public Schools that provided full day instruction for underachieving kindergarten pupils. Implementation of the program was accomplished through daily instructional activities to strengthen and extend regular classroom instruction without pursuing the basic reading readiness textbooks. Emphasis was placed on activities which would increase language development and enhance those skills needed to be successful in first grade. Each of two program teachers provided daily instruction for two groups of pupils limited to 12 pupils each. Subjects were administered two locally constructed evaluation instruments. Results indicated that: (1) the program served 58 pupils for an average of 13.5 hours of instruction per week; (2) 31 of the 33 pupils who met attendance criteria had valid scores; (3) 80.6% of those subjects in the evaluation sample successfully completed 12 of the 17 items on a concepts about print test; (4) 83.9% of the pupils had parents who participated in at least one program related activity; and (5) inservice meetings received a very positive rating of 4.7 on a five-point scale by program teachers. Findings suggest that the All Day Kindergarten Program be continued and that consideration be given to the following recommendations: encourage greater parent involvement, provide more teacher inservice, and continue school visitations by the program evaluator. (Four tables of data are included; the Concepts about Print scoring sheet, the form for recording pupil attendance, a parent involvement log, a pupil data sheet, an orientation inservice evaluation form, and a general inservice evaluation form are attached.) (Author/RS)

This document provides the final evaluation report of the language development component of the Columbus, Ohio, Public Schools' Chapter 1 All-Day Kindergarten Program for 1989-1990. The overall goal of the program was to prepare underachieving kindergarten children for first grade. A total of 17 teachers in 17 elementary schools participated in the program. Each teacher taught two groups, and each group was limited in size to 15 pupils. Information collected on the Pupil Census Forms indicated that the program served 565 pupils for an average of 13.8 hours of instruction per week. The average daily membership in the program was 481.9 pupils. The data indicated that 265 of the pupils tested gained 3 normal curve equivalent (NCE) points or more in total reading for the instructional period, while 279 gained 3 NCE points or more in oral comprehension. The average NCE gain on the total reading test was 24.7. The average gain on the oral comprehension test was 18.4. These numbers represented a gain of more than one and a half times the expected rate of progress for the areas assessed. An objective concerning the documentation of parent involvement in reading activities in the home was not met. It is strongly recommended that an improved program be continued in the 1990-1991 school year. Related forms and materials are appended. (RH)

The Instructional Aide Program of the Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools trained instructional aides to provide direct instruction to selected underachieving pupils in the classroom setting. The aides attended in-service training sessions and were provided with supplementary materials and numerous instructional activities in the areas of oral language, written language, and reading skills. Teachers involved in the program were assigned an aide to supervise for half a day every day during the 1986-1987 school year. The program, which involved 2,224 kindergartners and first graders, 158 aides, and 224 teachers, was implemented through the practice of daily instructional activities to strengthen and extend regular classroom work. Emphasis was placed on activities to enhance language arts skills needed to be successful in school. Components of the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS 1981) were administered as pre- and posttests to 39 kindergarten and 1,378 first grade students who met attendance requirements. Results indicated that all the program objectives for kindergarten students were achieved, and that all objectives but one were achieved for the first grade students. The Normal Curve Equivalent (NCE) objective called for an average gain of 1.0 for each month, but the total average gain was 2.3 NCEs for the seven-month period. However, teacher ratings indicated that the reading skills of target pupils were substantially enhanced through direct interaction with the instructional aides. Findings suggest that the program was effective and should be continued. (A pupil census form, classroom teacher and instructional aide program survey forms, and an instructional aide assessment instrument form are appended.) (NKA)

The All Day Kindergarten (ADK) Program of the Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools was established to provide a full day of instruction for underachieving kindergarten pupils. The program concentrated on preparing pupils for successful learning experiences in first grade by providing them with an extra half day of instruction. The program served 571 children, with 18 teachers providing daily instruction for two groups of students in 18 Chapter 1 eligible elementary schools. Groups were limited to 15 pupils, and instruction time was 13.3 hours weekly. The All Day Kindergarten Program functioned during the 1986-1987 school year for 130 hours of instruction, with emphasis on activities that would increase language and reading development and enhance those skills needed; for success in first grade. For program evaluation purposes, pretests and posttests were administered to 396 students (who met the 80% attendance requirement; 379 students were present for both tests. The Normal Curve Equivalent (NCE) gain for these students was 3.0 points for each month of treatment--greatly exceeding the criterion of 1.0 NCE point that was the original program goal. Results suggest the efficacy of the All Day Kindergarten Program. Based on the evaluation results, a continuation of the program was recommended for the following school year. (A teacher census form, an inservice evaluation form, and a Chapter 1 parent involvement survey form are appended.) (NKA)

The goal of the Columbus Public Schools' instructional aide program is to provide an educational support program for underachieving pupils in kindergarten and first grade. The evaluation was based on objectives addressing gains in reading achievement and staff development for the aides. The evaluation design provided for the collection of data in four areas: pupil census, standardized achievement test, classroom teacher survey, and inservice evaluation. The kindergarten component was conducted in 40 schools with 49 aides serving 785 pupils and 6l teachers. The aides attended 14 half-day inservice training sessions. The first grade component was conducted in 43 schools with 103 aides serving 1,640 pupils and 206 teachers. The aides attended 16 half-day inservice training sessions. In both components, all of the objectives were achieved for the 1982-83 school year. (BW)

An evaluation was made of the language development component of Columbus, Ohio's All Day Kindergarten Program (ADKP). The ADKP was instituted in Columbus' public schools in January, 1972, to provide a full day of instruction for underachieving kindergarten pupils. The overall goal of the program was to prepare pupils for first grade by providing an extra half day of instruction to pupils needing additional help and attention. In the 1987-1988 school year, 18 teachers served in 18 Chapter 1 eligible elementary schools. Each provided daily instruction for two groups of 15 pupils. For evaluation purposes, the ADKP provided 123 days of instruction. Pupils included in the final pretest-posttest analysis attended at least 98 of those days. Data were collected in five areas: (1) pupil census; (2) standardized achievement test scores; (3) teacher census; (4) parent involvement data; and (5) inservice evaluation. The overall normal curve equivalent (NCE) gain for the program averaged 20.3 NCE points for the 6-month treatment or 3.4 NCE points for each month of treatment. Based on the evaluation results, it was strongly recommended that the ADKP be continued in the 1988-1989 school year. Results are discussed and specific steps for improving program effectiveness are described. Pupil and teacher census forms, parent involvement survey forms, and general and orientation inservice evaluation forms are appended. (RH)

Funded through the Ohio Disadvantaged Pupil Program Fund, the Columbus Public Schools' Instructional Aide (IA) Program served 276 kindergarten children and 1,780 first-grade students during the 1987-88 school year. The goal of the IA program was to provide an educational support program for underachieving pupils. Instructional aides were trained to provide direct instructional service to selected pupils in the classroom. The program, which was implemented in 57 buildings and involved the equivalent of 137 aides serving 197 teachers, emphasized activities which would increase oral language, written language, and reading skills. Program evaluation efforts involved the administration of sub-tests of the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills to kindergarten children and first-grade students, and the use of locally constructed surveys of staff and reading assessments of students. The attendance criterion of 97 days was met by 156 kindergarten children and 1,118 first-graders; of these, 991 pupils received pre- and posttest administrations of the achievement test. Most program objectives were attained, and even when they were not, evidence of program success was found. The continuation of the IA program was recommended. Survey forms and assessment instruments are appended. (RH)

During the 1985-1986 school year the Instructional Aide Program served 2,370 pupils in kindergarten and first grade in the Columbus Public Schools. The program provided educational support for underachieving pupils by training and placing 124 aides in the classrooms of 227 teachers. The aides provided direct instruction to pupils under the supervision of the teachers. Emphasis was placed on oral language, written language, and reading skills. These three targeted areas were the focus of inservice training sessions for the aides. Pretest and posttest scores were analyzed for pupils who attended at least 118 days (80%) of the program. The results showed that the objective of raising each child's score one point for every month of instruction was met in the kindergarten component where the average gain per month was 2.1 points. The first grade component did not meet the growth objective since the average gain per month was 0.2 points. However, teacher ratings showed that the skills of targeted pupils were substantially enhanced by the instructional aides. Thirteen tables present graphic displays of the data in this report. The survey instruments used in the study are included in the appendix. (VM)

The language development component of Columbus, Ohio's All Day Kindergarten Program (ADKP) was evaluated. The ADKP was instituted in Columbus' public schools in January, 1972, to provide a full day of instruction for underachieving kindergarten pupils. In the 1988-89 school year, 18 teachers served in 18 elementary schools that were eligible for Chapter 1. Each provided daily instruction for two groups of 15 pupils each for about 13 hours a week. For evaluation purposes, the ADKP provided 114 days of instruction. Pupils included in the final pretest-posttest analysis attended at least 91.2 of the 114 days. Data were collected in five areas: (1) pupil census; (2) standardized achievement test scores; (3) teacher census; (4) parent involvement; and (5) inservice evaluation. The overall Normal Curve Equivalent (NCE) gain for the program averaged 17.6 NCE points for the 5.7 month treatment, or 3.1 NCE points for each month of treatment. Based on evaluation results, it was strongly recommended that the ADKP be continued in the 1989-90 school year. Results are discussed and steps for improving program effectiveness are specified. Pupil and teacher census forms, parent involvement survey forms, and general and orientation inservice evaluation forms are appended. (RH)

Funded through the Ohio Disadvantaged Pupil Program Fund, the Columbus Public Schools' Instructional Aide (IA) Program served 309 kindergarten children and 1,793 first-grade students during the 1988-89 school year. The goal of the IA program was to provide an educational support program for underachieving pupils. Instructional aides were trained to provide direct instructional service to selected pupils in the classroom. The program, which was implemented in 58 buildings and involved the equivalent of 135 aides assisting 199 teachers, emphasized activities which would increase oral language, written language, and reading skills. Program evaluation efforts involved the administration of sub-tests of the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills to kindergarten children and first-grade students, and the use of locally constructed surveys of staff and reading assessments of students. The attendance criterion of 90 days was met by 154 kindergarten children and 1,136 first-graders; of these, 903 pupils received pre- and posttest administrations of the achievement test. Results for kindergarten students indicated an average Normal Curve Equivalent (NCE) gain of 2.2 per month for the 5.6 month project period, but less than 80% of the teachers perceived pupil progress was directly attributable to the instructional aide. Results for first grade students indicated that students did not meet the goal of one NCE gain for each month of the program, although teacher ratings indicated that reading skills were substantially enhanced through direct instruction. (Twenty tables of data are included; survey forms and assessment instruments are appended.) (RS)