School of Education - School Counseling

Critical reading is the apex of tertiary education and the chief focus in higher education courses as they prepare adults for the workforce. Without significant improvements in academic preparation and support, many linguistically diverse [LD] students will have higher drop out rates in their first year of college. Developmental reading instruction practices are designed to emphasize moving the first-year LD students from sub-par reading levels towards the application and development of critical reading skills, as demanded by their college courses. Many community colleges across the United States prepare assessments tests in reading and mathematics for most, if not all, newly admitted students. These tests are used as placement guides, especially when the newly admitted applicant's high school transcript or SAT scores do not demonstrate that the student possesses the critical reading or mathematical ability needed to pass the 70-percentage threshold, an indication of being college ready. This paper argues that teaching critical reading requires embracing students' cultural capital and implementing scaffolds that will support the Adult Linguistic Diverse learner/students (ALDl/s). Results from this study indicated that both intrinsic values and instructor's disposition influence the ALD learner attitudes related to developed critical reading performance. These findings indicate that using multiple instructional mediums [MiMs] had a positive impact on students' critical reading skills and contributed to the ALD learners' comprehension, motivation, and critical reading skills.

This paper reports the results of a quasi-experiment investigating the efficacy of using critical literacy as an instructional method. Using a quantitative comparison method, critical literacy is the study’s treatment. The treatment measures the final exam scores of linguistically diverse urban community college students enrolled in college developmental reading courses against 13 other statistically similar classes. The primary data are the results of a standardized final exam. This quasi-experimental study demonstrates the effectiveness of a critical literacy model when employed in a community college setting. Further, this study introduces a quantitative rationale for using critical literacy and establishes the practice as a highly effective method of instruction for postsecondary developmental reading courses. Unfortunately, traditional developmental reading curriculum and instruction have not addressed issues of race and social class and the impact they have on the educational ...

Mastery of developmental reading courses offers both an opportunity for academic enrichment and a barrier to college completion. We examine what it means to use multiple texts in college developmental reading courses, the benefits of using them, and considerations that instructors may employ in their instructions. A review of the literature indicates Linguistically Diverse students (LDs) often lack the required critical thinking skills needed to tackle the rigor and demand of their college level courses. We conducted a study to tests whether using multiple texts improved LDs critical reading skills.� Participants of 30 undergraduate students taking RDL 500 course were analyzed using pre and posttest results. Findings indicated that integrated use of multiple texts is a practical teaching approach for LDs improved their critical reading skills and their navigation of unfamiliar texts. This implies the use of the one size-fits-all approach may not be an effective pedagogical practice ...

This mixed-methods study examined the effectiveness of the Upward Bound
TRIO program in preparing a low-income and first-generation population for the successful completion of high school and acceptance into postsecondary institutions of higher learning. Data collection methods for this study were comprised of teacher and student surveys and program director interviews. A comparison of two Upward Bound programs was conducted in the southern regions of Virginia and Georgia. The results were analyzed and queried as to whether the current program objectives were effective in meeting the needs of low-income, first-generation students and whether the program provided the necessary academic and technological skillsets and support needed to gain
employment in knowledge capital economy.