Reading instruction in a high-stakes world: a comparative case study of three fifth-grade teachers

Date

2008-12

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Texas Tech University

Abstract

Teachers in the United States are faced with the challenges of educating students to the best of their abilities while being held accountable for the test results that these students produce. Therefore, teachers are balancing their beliefs of how to teach reading and the demands of high-stakes testing in order to successfully educate their students as well as accommodate the needs of state high-stakes testing requirements. Previous studies of high-stakes testing and instruction have explored that high-stakes testing has an impact on instruction. While they have explored that high-stakes testing impacts instruction they have not focused on the why or how. The purpose of this qualitative, comparative, case study investigation was to better understand how three fifth grade reading/language arts teachers’ plan for instruction in a high-stakes testing situation. Participants in this case study included three fifth grade reading/language arts teachers. The twelve week data collection consisted of formal interviews, classroom observations, reflective journals, and lesson plans. The data was complied and placed into predetermined categories, open coded, and themes were identified.

The findings of this study disclosed that teachers under large amounts of pressure due to high-stakes testing alter their instruction to prepare for the high-stakes test and teach in ways that contradict their educational philosophy. In conclusion, the results of this study revealed that high-stakes testing has a negative impact on teachers, students, and instruction.

Description

Keywords

Reading instruction, Fifth-grade, High-stakes testing

Citation