Differences in reading as a function of the economic status, ethnicity/race, and English Language Learner status of Texas Grade 4 boys and girls in special education: A multiyear statewide investigation

The purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to examine the extent to which economic status, ethnicity/race, and English Language Learner status differences were present in the reading performance of Texas Grade 4 boys and girls in special education. In the first article, the degree to which economic status (i.e., Not Poor, and Poor) was related to the reading achievement of Texas Grade 4 boys and girls in special education was examined. In the second article, the extent to which ethnicity/race (i.e., Black, Hispanic, and White) differences were present in the reading achievement of Texas Grade 4 boys and girls in special education was determined. In the third article, the extent to which English Language Learner status (i.e., English Language Learner and Not English Language Learner) existed related to the reading achievement of Texas Grade 4 boys and girls in special education was addressed.

For this quantitative study, a causal-comparative research design was present. Archival data from the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test for Grade 4 students were obtained from the Texas Education Agency Public Education Information Management System for the 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 school years. Participants were Grade 4 students who had been enrolled in special education in the four school years.

With respect to economic status, Grade 4 boys and girls who were Poor had statistically significantly lower reading test scores than boys and girls who were Not Poor. Regarding ethnicity/race, a clear stair-step effect was present for the majority of the analyses, with White boys and girls having the highest reading scores, followed by Hispanic boys and girls. Black boys and girls consistently had the lowest reading scores. English Language Learner boys and girls in special education had statistically significant lower reading scores than girls and boys who were Not English Language Learners. Results in all four school years and for all three articles was consistent with the existing research literature. Implications for policy and for practice, as well as recommendations for future research, were provided.