Arts Program Gets Three Times as Many Students Reading at Grade Level
December 3, 2008 (Berkeley, CA) - Arts Program Gets Three Times as Many Students Reading at Grade Level - Today Dr. Dale S. Rose, President of 3D Group will present the results of a four year study on the effects of an arts-based reading program on student test scores. The study was conducted by researchers at 3D Group, a consulting firm specializing in program evaluation, leadership development, employee surveys and 360-degree feedback. The reading program and the research study were sponsored by Chicago’s Reading in Motion a non-profit organization that provides arts-based reading programs to students in inner-city Chicago.
During the four year study, an arts based reading program was implemented with students from Kindergarten through the 3rd grade. 3D Group's help in designing and conducting a rigorous evaluation, and is now benefiting from its results. Reading In Motion, a music- and drama-based reading program, worked with the same set of students over four years, from Kindergarten through third grade.
3D Group researchers found that students in the RIM group were able to read 110 words per minute fluently as compared to only 80 words per minute for the demographically matched control students. The gains RIM achieved began in the first year of the program and continued to grow over time. The study also found that by the end of the third grade only 19% of control students were reading at grade level. In contrast, more than triple the number of RIM students (60%) were reading at grade level.
The evaluation is significant because the study followed students longitudinally over 4 years. According to Micheline Magnotta, Senior Consultant at 3D Group and a co-author of the study, “these findings are notable because the students started to read using the RIM methods from day one. The results clearly indicated that by RIM’s arts-based instruction in reading gave students a huge leg up on those who used more traditional methods.” A National Public Radio affiliate is scheduled to air radio broadcast about the evaluation results.
About 3D Group
3D Group specializes in 360-degree feedback and other employee assessment tools. They use their expertise in psychometrics — the specialized discipline of psychological testing and measurement — to deliver a wealth of objective, reliable, and easy to understand data that can be utilized in a variety of ways to improve manager and company performance. 3D Group is dedicated to helping businesses and nonprofit organizations of all sizes increase the effectiveness of their people and programs. 3D Group researchers have authored numerous publications related to employee assessment, including the “Benchmark Study of North American 360-Degree Feedback Practices, 2002 Study” and “Current Trends in 360-Degree Feedback”. More information can be found at: http://www.3dgroup.net.
More information can be found at: http://www.3dgroup.net
Available for interviews: Dale Rose, Ph.D., President and Co-Founder of 3D Group.