Concepcion National High School

Hilongos, Leyte

An Action Research on

Project Reading Empowerment for Academic Development (READ)

Effects on Students’ Proficiency Level

“Read, Learn, and Empower”

2018

BY: RAMIL S. ALCANTARA

I . Context and Rationale:

Based on RA 9155 Section 2, paragraph 2 states that the school shall be the heart of the
formal education system. It is where children learn, hence, schools shall have a single aim of
providing the best possible basic education for all learners. However, as observed from the NAT
results of Concepcion National High School from S.Y 2011-2012 to S.Y 2014-2015, the MPS level
went from 52.70% to 56.64%. Although the school’s over-all MPS is increasing; however, it has not
reached the national standard level of 75%. Thus, there is a need for an intervention.

Based on a study, reading for pleasure was linked to greater intellectual progress, both in
vocabulary, spelling and mathematics. In fact, the impact was around four times greater than that of
having a parent with a post-secondary degree. (Sullivan, 2013). According to that study, of the 17,000
members, 6,000 took a range of cognitive tests at age 16. They then compared children from the same
social backgrounds who achieved similar tested abilities at ages five and 10, and discovered that those
who frequently read books at age 10 and more than once a week when they were 16 had higher test
results than those who read less.

From these basis, Project READ is conceptualized, where Grade 7 students will be chosen as
participants to become critical samples, to which, if the implementation of the intervention to them
will be successful, there would be high probability that it will also be effective to all other higher grade
levels.

The whole purpose of implementing this project is to improve the MPS level of the school and
at the same time develop the proficiency level of students holistically. The success of the project will
be beneficial specifically to the school, the teachers, the students and their parents. Which in effect
will contribute to a much morally and intellectually developed society.

II. Action Research Questions

The study aims to determine the effect of the Project READ implementation in relation to
students’ MPS level which specifically, will seek to answer the following questions:

1. What are the reading profiles of students based on the Phil. IRI pretest?
2. Is there a significant difference between the means in Phil. IRI pretest and posttest
scores?
3. Is there a significant difference between the means of pretest and posttest based from
the scores using periodical assessment tool?
4. Is there a significant correlation between the Phil. IRI posttest scores and the students’
posttest scores in the test using periodical assessment tool?
5. What are the observed behaviors of students while conducting the reading circle?

III. Proposed Innovation, Intervention, and Strategy

Innovation

This project is not a typical method to increase students’ academic skills since this will not be
dealing on improving students’ academic skills through conducting a rigid review approach per
subject areas, but instead will develop students’ critical thinking through exposing them to a series
of reading activity.

Basically, a reading circle will be implemented, which is a classroom instructional strategy

that groups small, heterogeneous groups of students together and connects all aspects of literacy
(Anderson & Corbett, 2008). But, as an innovation, the said intervention will now be composed of
homogeneous participants.

Intervention

Project READ is a proposed solution to increase NAT-MPS level of students in Concepcion

National High School and will make use of the Reading Circle as a means of developing not only the
reading skills but as well as the whole intellectual level of students.

Strategy

A pretest-posttest method will be used to analyze data which will include the principal to
validate first the quality of the assessment tools, namely the Phil IRI Assessment Sheets and the NAT
Reviewers. Two pretest will be given to measure students’ reading and NAT-MPS level. Then, the
Project READ will be conducted by the students twice a week for 3 months, with the guidance and
assistance of teachers; and will be facilitated by identified high performing students. After the given
duration, the researchers will conduct the posttests to all the participants.

IV. Action Research Methods

Researchers will seek permission to all people and authorities included in the conduct of the
research. Additionally, participants and other sources of data are given the rights to withhold
information with respect to their rights to privacy.

a. Participants and/or other Sources of Data and Information

The study will involve 25 Grade 7 students (as critical samples) of Concepcion National High
School which will be selected through purposive sampling. Other sources of data and information
will include the principal, PHIL. IRI coordinator and the rest of the teachers (as confirming sample).

b. Data Gathering Methods

Quantitative Data Gathering Method

To gather data of students’ development with regards to their reading level for both pretest
and posttest, the researchers will make use of the tool based on D.O. 14 , s. 2018 known as the Revised
Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) which was created to provide classroom teachers- a
tool for measuring and describing reading performance. It is an assessment tool composed of graded
passages designed to determine a student’s reading level. It is important to note that the Phil-IRI only
provides an approximation of the learner’s abilities and may be used in combination with other
reliable tools of assessment.
 On the other hand, to measure the development of students’ MPS level, the researchers will
use periodic assessment tool. Where the students’ scores in the 1st test will be treated as pre-test
scores (given that the intervention is not yet applied), and the 2nd will be treated as posttest scores.

During the checking of test papers in the pretest stage, the correct answers for each item will
not be revealed to the students, so that participants will not have the chance to familiarize correct
choices. This strategy will be done to assure that the results after the posttest will be directly related
to students’ intellectual progress because of the intervention done through Project READ, and not
because of familiarity of the answers.

Qualitative Data Gathering Method

Data source triangulation will be used as a qualitative data gathering method.

c. Data Analysis Plan

To analyze data quantitatively, a t-test will be used as the statistical data treatment which in
particular will use independent sample t-test to determine if there is a significant difference between
means of pretests and posttests from Phil. IRI. While, to determine if there is a correlation between
the Phil. IRI posttest scores and the students’ posttest scores in the test using periodic assessment
tool, the researchers will use Pearson’s Correlation formula.

However, to analyze data qualitatively, the researchers will generalize data making use of
the information from the data source triangulation.

V. Work Plan and Cost Estimates

 ITEM QUAN-
ACTIVITIES TIME FRAME UNIT UNIT COST AMOUNT
DESCRIPTION TITY

FIRST TRANCHE
Crafting of Work Bond paper
1 Ream P 200
Plan ( A4 ) P 200

Crafting of data
collection August –
instrument October 2018
Ink Black
Printing of Work 1 Pc P 280 P 280
EPSON 120
Plan and data
collection
instrument
Sending request
letter of
permission to the
schools division
superintendent
on the conduct of
the study Bond paper 3 P 10.00
Ballpen 1 P 60.00 P 77.00
August –
October 2018
White envelope 2 Pcs P 7.00
Sending request Travel Order to
letter of D.O.
permission to
EPS and school
principal on the
conduct of the
study

Validation of July to Bond paper 50 Pcs P 1.00 P 50.00

Project READ August 2018 Printer ink 1 Bottle P 300.00 P 300.00
Travel Order to
D. O.
Orientation for 1st week of Bond paper 45 Pcs P 1.00 P 45.00
the principal, August 2018 Ballpen 45 pcs P 5.00 P 225.00
Phil. IRI Snacks 45 pax P 20.00 P 900.00
coordinators and Tarpaulin 1 pc P 360.00 P 360.00
teachers,
involved
Orientation of August 2018 Bond paper 30 Pcs P 1.00 P 30.00
Grade 7 students Ballpen 30 pcs P 5.00 P 150.00
involved in the Snacks 30 pax P 30.00 P 900.00
research
Application of September Log book 1 Pc P 55.00 P 55.00
Project READ 10, 2018 Ballpens and 60 pc P 10.00 P 600.00
pencils P350.00
Brown
P 6.00 P 18.00
Envelopes 3
ream P 350.00 P3,000.00
Special papers 1 P 500.00
School Supplies 30
Travel 1 pack P 100.00
pax P 500.00 P 12,960.00

Snacks (24 720 pax P 18.00

days within the
3-month period)
LAST TRANCHE

Presentation of October 2018 Bond paper 50 Pcs P 1.00 P 50.00

Results

Printing the October 2018 Bond paper 1 Ream P 200 P 480

research report ( A4 )

Ink Black
P 280
EPSON 120 1 pc

Output October 2018 Bond paper 1 Ream P 200.00 P 200.00

Dissemination /
Action Plan
crafting
Presentation to October 2018 Travel 1 pax P 600.00 P 600.00
Division Office of Meal 1 pc P 100.00 P 100.00
the paper results Snacks 1 pc P 50.00 P 50.00
and research
outputs

Miscellaneous October- P 7,520

Expenses September
2018

Liquidation:
Last Tranche 9,000
First Tranche 21,000
Total: 30,000
VI. Plans for Dissemination and Utilization

PERSONS TIME EXPECTED EXPECTED

TARGET ACTIVITY
INVOLVED FRAME OUTPUT COST

To discuss  Send letters Researcher 1st week P 50.00

the results to School of
of the stakeholders Head November
action  Preparation of GPTA 2018
research minutes and
to documentatio
stakehold n
ers
To  Conceptualiza Researcher 2nd week Strategic
prepare tion of the of intervention
project approach. November
READ  Testing for 2018
validation
To do  Preparation of Researcher, 3rd week Attendance P 500.00
interventio schedule Parents, of sheet/F2/
n using  Conduct of Students November Counseling
project intervention 2018 to records
READ February
2019
To  Close Researcher, 1st week P 100.00
evaluate monitoring Parents, of March
the project and Students 2019
READ evaluation

VII.

References
Anderson, P., & Corbett, L. (2008). Literature Circles for Students With Learning Disabilities.

Sullivan, A. (2013, September 16). Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com