Volume 3 Number 1
October 1963

Irving D. Townsend

This is the abstract of a dissertation written by Dr. Townsend at the University of New Mexico in 1961.

The purposes of the study were: (1) to determine the grade-level achievement in reading of Indian students in grades eleven and twelve in selected public high schools of New Mexico; (2) to compare grade-level achievement in reading of these Indian students with national norms and with the achievement of Anglo and Spanish American ethnic groups in the same schools; (3) to obtain a description of practices used by teachers in the teaching of reading to Indian students; and (4) to collect teacher and school administrator suggestions for curricular changes needed to improve the teaching of reading.

The procedure of this study included: (1) the administration of 558 test forms of the Diagnostic Reading Tests: Survey Section, and 212 test forms of the Gates Reading Survey Test; (2) the comparison of the relative performances of the members of test groups with each other and with the national norms as established by the standardized tests; (3) the administration of an investigator-prepared questionnaire; and (4) the holding of 24 personal interviews.

Approximately 73 per cent of the eleventh grade, and 65 per cent of the twelfth grade Indian students scored below the twentieth percentile on the Diagnostic Reading Tests: Survey Section in reading achievement when compared to the expected grade-level achievement of the national norms. Approximately 54 per cent of the eleventh, and 51 per cent of the twelfth grade Indian students scored below the tenth percentile.

Forty-seven per cent of the total Indian students in this study achieved in reading comprehension at a level below grade 6.8, with the average grade level at 3.9 when compared with national performance at the fifth percentile. Performance in reading vocabulary indicated achievement at grade level below 7.8, with an average grade level at 3.8. The performance in speed and accuracy in reading was at a grade level below 7.8, with an average grade level at 0.2.

Ninety-eight per cent of the total 1,554 questionnaire responses indicated a need of remedial reading action in current teaching methods. This indication was substantiated by the personal interviews. Eighty per cent of the respondents had had no professional training in the teaching of reading.

Indian students generally achieve at least five years below grade level. This implies that: (1) public schools fail to function equally well for all students in the area of reading; (2) teachers and principals may not be aware of the many causes of retardation in reading among ethnic groups; or (3) school administrators and board of education failed to implement programs of remedial reading.

The study revealed that: (1) changes were needed in the present methods of teaching reading; (2) there were methods and materials for strengthening relationships between school and home; and (3) adjustments in local school and administrative procedures for teaching of reading seemed advisable.

The following recommendations were offered: (1) additional audio-visual aids are needed for the teaching of reading in each classroom; (2) students should be grouped according to levels of competence without regard to ethnic background; (3) interesting reading materials should be made available to fit the reading levels of Indian students; (4) a definite schedule of testing procedure in reading should be maintained; (5) close, harmonious cooperation should be carried on between teachers and parents; (6) administrators and teachers should plan with parents cooperative programs involving goals of the school; (7) schools should aid in the placement of reading materials into Indian homes; (8) school principals should institute remedial-reading programs headed by reading specialists; (9) teachers should be professionally prepared to teach reading; and (10) teachers of Indian students should be carefully selected for abilities to understand and adjust to the very different classroom environments existing in the multi-cultural schools of New Mexico.