- Year 2022
- NSF Award #1660746
- Registration Current Noyce Scholar
- First Name Ashley
- Last Name Mezzano
- Discipline Biological Sciences
- Institution University of North Florida
- School Name and District Currently Teaching Duval County Public Schools
Abstract
This project aimed to address the lack of choice which is commonly incorporated in reading and science improvement programs through the creation of a student library in a Title 1 setting. Students completed an initial survey which assessed their current perceived reading level, achievement, and interest in books. The survey also included prompts meant to discern students’ socio-emotional state and perceptions of how the school addresses (or ignores) their academic needs. Extra credit was offered for students who complete a feedback survey, which is designed to check for any improvements on the student’s interest in reading and note connections students found with the book and the scientific curriculum. At the middle and end of the year, the interest inventory was offered again to gauge more subtle changes the bookshelf may have caused as the year progressed. For students who consistently used the bookshelf, a semi-structured interview was implemented to better understand how the classroom library impacted student perceptions on reading and their academic achievement. At the end of the year, gains in Lexile scores and growth from Baseline to End of Course Exams were used to monitor growth numerically. Preliminary findings suggest that students who either completed multiple book log reports after reading their books or read greater than five books from the classroom library experienced the greatest amount of Lexile growth and curricular understanding.
