Date of Award


Document Type


Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ded)


Educational and School Psychology

First Advisor

Joseph F. Kovaleski, D.Ed.

Second Advisor

William Barker, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Becky Knickelbein, Ph.D.

Fourth Advisor

Lynanne Black, Ph.D.


The purpose of the current study was to compare students’ oral reading fluency (ORF) skills before and after summer break. This study examined whether students whose ORF regressed would regain those skills within a month of returning to school. In particular, the study examined differences between students with and without specific learning disabilities (SLDs) in reading. Additionally, the study analyzed the effects of age, sex, summer program attendance, and initial low achievement had on regression and recoupment. Examiners administered curriculum-based measurement (CBM) probes measuring ORF to 137 students in May and September 2008. Students whose scores dropped ten percent or more received a follow-up administration in October 2008. Several repeated measured analyses of variance (ANOVA-RM) were conducted to determine whether students’ age, sex, SLD status, achievement level, and summer program attendance impacted ORF regression and recoupment. Given that only four students with SLDs participated, inferential statistics were inappropriate in analyzing the impact SLD status on regression. Overall, the analysis yielded insignificant results when comparing relative ORF among different groups of students. Analyses also indicated that students did not regress as a whole group. However, significant recoupment occurred among those students whose ORF regressed from pre-test to post-test. The use of a convenience sample limited the generalizability of the current study’s results to that of other samples. In particular, many groups were too small to have adequate statistical power to meet the assumptions of the analysis used. Including more students with SLDs would have led to a stronger analysis to determine whether this group differs significantly from the general population. Additionally, the current sample lacked students eligible for free or reduced lunch. Having a more economically diverse sample would help to determine whether this factor impacted regression and recoupment. Finally, parent survey information describing students’ access to summer reading practice and activities was inaccessible. Thus, it is recommended that further studies collect parent information regarding summer reading practice.