I’m doing an e-delphi study on Best Practices and Strategies to improve Summer Reading Loss. This assignment requires writing 2-3 paragraphs for the Concept Model along with creating a model that interconnects the Social Learning Theory and the Faucet Theory together.

STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES TO INCREASE SUMMER READING GROWTH: A QUALITATIVE E-DELPHI STUDY by Gretchen Flores- Carter Copyright 2021 A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Educational Leadership University of Phoenix The Dissertation Committee for Gretchen Flores-Carter certifies approval of the following dissertation: STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES TO INCREASE SUMMER READING GROWTH: A QUALITATIVE E-DELPHI STUDY Committee: Tiffani Bateman, EdD, Chair Shawishi Haynes, EdD, University Research Methodologist James Smith, EdD, Panel Validator _________________________ Gretchen Flores-Carter _________________________ Julie Jones _________________________ James Smith _________________________ Hinrich Eylers, PhD Vice Provost, College of Doctoral Studies University of Phoenix Date Approved: ____________ ABSTRACT Start text here; do not indent. Abstracts must be between 150 and 250 words and must be presented as a single paragraph. The abstract should not include any citations. Describe the problem and purpose being addressed and indicate why and to whom the findings are important. Summarize the research question(s). Briefly describe the research method, design, population, sample size, and data analysis procedures. Identify the results and any key conclusions or recommendations that capture the heart of the research. Conclude with a statement of implications for practitioners and leaders in the study field. DEDICATION [To be indented and completed upon full dissertation completion] ACKNOWLEDGMENTS [To be indented and completed upon full dissertation completion] TABLE OF CONTENTS (Note: Include all level headings, up to and including Level IV (Independent Variables). Delete this statement at Dissertation.) ContentsPage List of Tablesx List of Figuresx Preface (optional)x Chapter 1: Introductionx Background of the Problemx Problem Statementx Purpose of the Studyx Population and Samplex Significance of the Studyx Nature of the Studyx Research Questions/Hypothesesx Theoretical or Conceptual Frameworkx Definition of Termsx Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitationsx Chapter Summaryx Chapter 2: Literature Review x Title Searches and Documentationx Historical Contentx Current Contentx Theoretical or Conceptual Framework Literaturex Methodology Literaturex Research Design Literaturex Conclusionsx Chapter Summaryx Chapter 3: Research Methodologyx Research Method and Design Appropriatenessx Research Questions/Hypothesesx Population and Samplex Informed Consent and Confidentialityx Instrumentationx Field Test or Pilot Testx Credibility and Transferability or Validity and Reliabilityx Data Collectionx Data Analysisx Chapter Summaryx Chapter 4: Analysis and Resultsx Research Questions/Hypothesesx Data Collectionx Demographicsx Pilot Studyx Data Analysisx Resultsx Chapter Summaryx Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendationsx Research Questions/Hypothesesx Discussion of Findingsx Limitationsx Recommendations to Leaders and Practitionersx Recommendations for Future Researchx Chapter Summaryx Referencesx Appendix A: Titlex Appendix B: Titlex Appendix C: Titlex LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Title x Table 2: Titlex [Only include a list of tables if there are two or more tables. Use title case, defined as capitalizing key words, for table titles.] LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Titlex Figure 2: Title x [Only include a List of Figures if there are two or more figures. Use title case, defined as capitalizing key words, for figure titles.] UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX January 2010 xi Chapter 1 Introduction Summer reading growth is essential for students to sustain skills and knowledge acquired during the previous academic season. Students experience a loss in mathematics, but economically disadvantaged students face a more considerable loss in reading (Bowers and Schwarz, 2017). In a meta-analysis of thirty-nine studies, Cooper et al. (1996) reported that students lost approximately one month of skill over the summer. The academic achievement gap is a significant problem in the United States.   Summer learning loss adds to the academic achievement gap (Seawright, 2017). Summer learning loss occurs at a traditional middle school in the southwestern United States (Beach et al., 2018). The 2020 MAAP report showed 32% of fourth and 21% of eighth graders scored below Basic in reading, having demonstrated partial proficiency in reading skills (MAAP, 2020). In 2020, the MAAP report stated that the fourth grade NAEP reading average score for students who were eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) was 209 compared to those students who were not eligible for NSLP, who averaged 237 on the reading scores. The eighth grade MAAP reading average score for students eligible for NSLP was 253 compared to those not eligible for NSLP and who averaged 277. On average, disadvantaged students lost approximately two months of grade-level skills compared to one month of loss for economically advantaged students over an 11-week summer break (Garst and Ozier, 2015; Pitcock and Seidel, 2015). Reading programs promote reading comprehension in children, which in turn enhances their academic performance (Bowers and Schwarz, 2017).   According to Katzir et al. (2013), studies show that families of lower socioeconomic status lose more reading skills over the summer. Blanton (2015) states reading ability correlates with future academic success. Poor early literacy skills often lead to school failure for the most vulnerable learners (Blanton, 2015). For struggling students, summer learning loss is more significant (Blanton, 2015).  Chapter one presents the following: the background of the problem, the problem statement, the study purpose statement and research questions, the rationale and significance of the study, followed by the assumptions, limitations, and delimitations of the study, and the operational definitions related to the study. The author provides the background and implications of academic summer school reading programs for elementary school students. The subject of summer reading programs and the impact on tutorial performance in reading is mentioned as relevant to the planned study. Finally, the chapter concludes with a summary. Background of the Problem Educators have noticed that children from low socioeconomic backgrounds experience significant gaps in learning during the summer months compared to their peers. Campbell et al. (2019) further point out that the gaps will only worsen over time. The summer reading setback accounts for about 80% of the reading achievement difference, contributing to this disparity (Campbell et al., 2019).   According to Seawright (2017), students from economically disadvantaged homes are more likely to suffer the effects of summer learning loss. As a group, the reading achievement of low-socioeconomic students typically declines during the summer vacation period, while the reading achievement of children from more economically advantaged families holds steady or increases modestly. Extended vacations from formal education take students away from the classroom's regular learning blueprint and into a period when they are less likely to participate in official literacy programs (Chin et al., 2020).  Parents reading with their children, plus the availability and use of educational resources, are all part of a healthy home literacy environment. Different degrees of parental participation in a home learning environment and a child's lack of participation in texts during a prolonged vacation might help evaluate probable variables leading to summer learning setbacks (Chin et al., 2020). Reading declines in early elementary grades show that, despite significant reading gains established in kindergarten and first grade, the summer session between first and second grade is particularly problematic for students who do not have opportunities to engage with reading during summer recess (Seawright, 2017).   The implications of summer learning loss are significant (Beach et al., 2018). The overall findings of the literature indicated a continued concern for the learning gap that occurs during summer break and the consequences for struggling learners (Garst and Ozier, 2015; Katzir et al., 2013; Pitcock and Seidel, 2015; Whittingham and Rickman, 2015; Zvoch and Stevens, 2015). Several studies have noted that the cumulative effect of summer learning loss has contributed to widening the achievement gap (Blanton, 2015; Garst and Ozier, 2015; Zvoch and Stevens, 2015). A larger proportion of students from economically disadvantaged homes suffer from summer learning loss, as compared to students from economically privileged homes (Zvoch and Stevens, 2015). The lasting impact of low reading abilities in early grades is associated with low, middle, and high school achievement. Approximately 78 percent of children do not reach the reading milestone by age five (Beach et al., 2018). Economically disadvantaged children have thirteen times lower chance of graduating from high school than children who are more affluent and proficient readers (Beach et. Al., 2018). Children in high-poverty neighborhoods are more likely to experience family poverty and poor reading skills. More than one-third of these students fail to graduate from high school (Campbell et al., 2019). Summer reading loss is well documented and is more persistent among students from low socioeconomic backgrounds who are already at risk of academic failure (de Groot, 2021). Half of American students with low socioeconomic backgrounds between grades one and six have experienced summer learning loss for five consecutive years, according to Meckler and Natanson (2020). The study reviewed two hundred million student test scores and found that the average student loses between 17 and 28 percent of school-year gains in English language arts the following summer, depending on grade. In math, the average student loses between 25 and 34 percent of each school-year gain during the following summer. Declines in academic achievement during summer break are more prevalent and consistent for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds than students from middle and higher social classes (Campbell et al., 2019). Over time, the breach amplifies and leads to an achievement gap among students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. The summer reading loss issue has caused policymakers, school districts, and other stakeholders throughout the United States to debate formal year-round education for elementary and middle school students (Seawright, 2017).  There is no consensus in the research literature regarding the most useful strategies and techniques to increase summer reading growth (Capotosto, 2019). There are no available research studies regarding effective practices to increase summer reading growth. This study addresses the gap in literature and aims to determine effective practices for closing the academic achievement gap during the summer in a rural, low-socioeconomic-status southwest school district Problem Statement The problem is that students in rural districts with a low socioeconomic status continuously demonstrate low levels of reading proficiency from year to year, resulting in summer reading loss (McDaniel et al., 2017). The literature on mitigating summer loss is comprehensive in a programmatic approach but needs to be more specific or descriptive (Cooper et al., 1996). To mitigate summer learning loss, research is needed to identify best practices and strategies. Critical data related to this specific study area will be provided as part of this dissertation study.   During the summer break, students, on average, lose between a month and three months of school-year learning and about 25 to 30 percent of school-year learning (Alexander et al., 2016; Atteberry and McEachin, 2016). Despite continued efforts to close the achievement gap over the past decades, considerable disparities remain. On average, summer vacations produce an annual achievement gap of approximately three months between wealthy and poor students, biasing students from more economically advantaged families (Alexander et al., 2001). Conversely, higher-income students have the advantage of continued learning through vacation experiences and summer programming (Morgan et al., 2019).  Over the summer, the loss of reading skills has been documented and is more prevalent among students from poor socioeconomic backgrounds who are already at risk of academic failure (Laurie et al., 2019). An academic analyst examined thirteen epidemiological studies involving approximately 40,000 schoolchildren and found that, on average, the reading competency status of pupils from lower-income households declined significantly during the summer. In contrast, the reading competency levels of schoolchildren from middle-income households were enhanced (Capotosto, 2019).   Low-income students often do not have a home library, so they lack the study material needed for differential reading development. Primary school reading slides reveal that despite massive reading improvements in preschool and kindergarten, summer activity between first and second grade is incredibly stressful for children, especially for children who do not have ways to be involved in reading throughout summer break (Nicholson and Tiru, 2019). Because poor reading in early elementary is related to lower high school attainment, the long-term consequences of literacy decline must be acknowledged (McDaniel et al., 2017). The e-Delphi project is being conducted due to the lack of effective practices and strategies that can prevent summer learning loss from occurring completely. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this qualitative e-Delphi study is to gain consensus from a panel of education professionals about strategies and techniques to improve summer reading growth in a rural, low-socioeconomic-status southwest school district. The school district is a small, high-poverty school district in the southwest. The study aims to determine what steps to take to minimize summer learning loss and make recommendations.Comment by Tiffani Bateman: You have to find a way to say this without using quantitative language that is comparing, or increasing, or effect…..Comment by Gretchen Stampley: Revised to say: The purpose of this qualitative e-Delphi study is to gain consensus from a panel of education professionals about strategies and techniques to improve summer reading growth in a rural, low-socioeconomic-status southwest school district. Understanding the research on summer reading loss is imperative when identifying ways to close the achievement gap (Volley, 2020). Later, through thorough analysis, suitable parameters to close this issue of summer study loss will be established along with strategies for effective implementation.  Students' academic achievement can also be improved by identifying the predictors of effective reading (Seawright, 2017). Population and Sample The population for this e-Delphi study included expert educators within a southwest school district. A Delphi study's sample size varies in the literature, but it ranges between 10 and 100 participants (Avella, 2016). An ideal panel size should also be large enough to allow for attrition between rounds, but small enough to ensure all participants are experts (Volley, 2020). Due to the researcher's proximity to a small rural school district in the southwest, 12 educators were purposefully selected for this study. The sample participants need to fit three inclusion criteria to participate in this e-Delphi study, including (a) a minimum of ten years of