Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Morgan, Johnny W.
Author's Email Address	jmorgan@agcenter.lsu.edu
URN	etd-07012011-113432
Title	The Influence of Selected Demographic Characteristics on the Reading Ability of Fourth Grade Students in Louisiana
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Department	Human Resource Education Workforce Development
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Burnett, Michael F. Committee Chair Johnson, Earl C. Committee Member Johnson, Geraldine H. Committee Member Verma, Satish Committee Member Bickmore, Steven T. Dean's Representative
Keywords	Louisiana fourth-grade literacy achievement reading
Date of Defense	2011-05-11
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence of selected demographic characteristics on the reading ability of fourth grade students in Louisiana. The dependent variable for this study was reading ability of fourth grade students. Independent variables were demographic characteristics as measured by reading achievement (overall reading score and subscale reading score on the LEAP assessment). The Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) exam is a high-stakes test that is administered to fourth grade students in Louisiana. Students must pass specific portions of the test to be promoted to fifth grade. Academic achievement data on the LEAP test were obtained from the Louisiana Department of Education. The sample for the study was all fourth grade students enrolled in public elementary schools in Louisiana during the 2008-2009 school year who were not classified as special education, 504, or Limited English Proficiency. Academic achievement, as measured by Reading, Math and English Language Arts scores on the LEAP, was described and correlated with selected demographic characteristics. Demographic findings of the study showed that the largest groups of subjects were of the Caucasian race and female gender. Findings of the study indicated that African American students scored lower than all other students on all Reading, Math and English Language Arts measures examined. The researcher concluded that the interaction factor between Socioeconomic Status and African American racial status was highly significant in the achievement of fourth grade students. Another conclusion of the study was that the Caucasian race is no longer the majority of fourth grade students in public schools in Louisiana. The researcher recommended that state-level administrators of educational programs in Louisiana develop new courses that would provide more remedial help for low socioeconomic African American students to help them to close the gap that is currently apparent with the other racial groups.
Files	Filename       Size       Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)     28.8 Modem   56K Modem   ISDN (64 Kb)   ISDN (128 Kb)   Higher-speed Access    MorganDissertation.pdf 857.68 Kb 00:03:58 00:02:02 00:01:47 00:00:53 00:00:04

If you have questions or technical problems, please Contact LSU-ETD Support.