Technology integration to improve reading proficiency in ESE middle school students

¶ … Technology to Improve Reading in ESE Middle School Students

Students that require Exceptional Student Education (ESE) often lack the technological assistance they need to help them excel at reading. Therefore, this dissertation proposal will explore the factors contributing to the lack of use of effective and appropriate reading-related technology for special-needs students. The focus of the study will be ESE students at the middle school level, as this is a critical transition period that requires special attention. A reading proficiency test (TBD), along with an extensive literature review, will be employed in order to determine the best practices for enhancing literacy achievement through the integration of technology in a special-needs learning environment.

Significance of the Study

This study is significant because it will help to fill a gap in the current scholarly literature regarding the use of technology to improve reading for special needs middle school students. While there are currently numerous studies available on technology and its usefulness in helping traditional students read better, there is a need for more information on the unique population of middle school ESE students.

Research Questions

RQ1. Do ESE middle school students who receive advanced reading technology training score better on a reading proficiency test than comparable students who do not receive technological aid.

RQ2. What technologies are appropriate to use to improve special-needs students' academic skills at the middle school level?

RQ3. How closely do the technologies used at the site school to serve special-needs students align with those that are identified through the literature review as being successful in improving academic skills of special-needs, under performing students; and are the technologies appropriately being used in terms of grade level?

RQ4. What types of equipment, support, training, and resources are currently available to teachers of special-needs students at the site school to assist them in effectively using technology to help their students increase their academic skills; especially in reading and writing?

RQ5. What components (equipment, curriculum, resources, etc.) should be included in a technology plan to be recommended for implementation at the site school to increase the reading skills of the special-needs students?

RQ6. What impact does the implementation of the plan have on the reading skills of the special-needs students at the site school?

Procedures, Practices and Expectations

In addition to an extensive literature review using academic databases, the researcher will conduct a pre-test/post-test quantitative methodology to measure improvement levels in reading of an ESE class of middle school students at the selected site. This will be an experimental design in which one half of the class, selected randomly, will receive advanced technology training in reading, while the other half of the class will not. The two groups of students' progress in reading can then be compared to help determine the level to which the technology has enhanced (or not enhanced) their reading skills. The pre-test will occur at the beginning of the semester before any advanced reading technologies have been used. The post-test will occur at the end of the semester after the non-control-group students have become familiar with the technology.

It is expected that the results of this study will provide the information necessary to create a technology plan that has the potential of improving the reading proficiency of special needs, middle school students.. The results of this study can be a basis for policies aimed at optimizing the use of available resources for improving the reading skills of students with special needs.