​Percentage Increases for Students Using Easy Grammar & Daily Grams Texts
GRADES 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 at a Private School in Utah (2006-2007)
Note: A pretest was given during the first week of school; a posttest was given during the last week of school. These charts show the percentage increase by grade and class.
INCREASES IN PERCENTAGE SCORES FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 3 – 8 (282 Students)
0% - 10% 14 (Fourteen students increased scores by 0% and 10%.)
11% - 20% 41 (Forty-one students increased scores by 11% and 20%.)
21% - 30% 110 (One hundred ten students increased scores by 21% and 30%.)
31% - 40% 78 (Seventy-eight students increased scores by 31% and 40%.)
41% - 50% 27 (Twenty-seven students increased scores by 41% and 50%.)
51% - 60% 11 (Eleven students increased scores by 51% and 60%.)
61% - 70% 1 (One student increased score by 61%.)
Two hundred twenty-seven (227) students or 81% of 282 students increased their scores by 21% to 61%!
BY GRADE LEVEL
GRADE 3: Class 1 Class 2 TOTAL
0% - 10% 4 1 5
11% - 20% 2 2
21% - 30% 4 4 8
31% - 40% 6 12 18
(18 students) (25 students) (43 students)
GRADE 4: Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 TOTAL
21% - 30% 1 6 7 14
31% - 40% 6 10 6 22
(25 students) (20 students) (23 students) (68 students)
0% - 10% 2 2
21% - 30% 16 8 24
21% - 30% 10 8 6 24
GRADE 8: Class 1 TOTAL
21% - 30% 14 14
(25 students) (25 students)
Compiled July 20, 2007-January 20, 2008 Data checked by HIG Consulting, Phoenix, AZ
Rounding decimals was done in accordance with the standard rule of rounding to the next level for decimals 5 and above, e.g., 84.51 was rounded to 85%; 84.41 was rounded to 84%.
Information Regarding This Easy Grammar-Daily Grams Independent Study
Setting The setting for the study was a K-8 private school in Utah. Third grade had two classes, 18 and 25, or 43 students. Fourth grade had three classes, 25, 20, and 43, or 68 students. Fifth grade had two classes, 22 and 19, or 41 students. Sixth grade had three classes, 22, 21, and 19, or 62 students. Seventh grade had two classes, 15 and 28 students, or 43 students. Eighth grade had one class of 25 students.Only students who took a pretest in August 2006, were instructed in the Easy Grammar - Daily Grams curriculum throughout the 2006-2007 school year, and took a posttest in May 2007 were included in the final totals used in the study.
Grades 3-8 were chosen because the curriculum is in a similar format for these grade levels.
Measurement The instrument used to gather data consisted of an identical pretest and posttest for each grade. Each teacher administered the instrument to each classroom in a one-period, fifty-minute setting. The pre-post test design was taken from Easy Grammar texts. These tests were established to include important items in grammar usage, capitalization, and punctuation.
Each teacher administered the test following test instructions. Teachers were present to make clarifications for students. Teachers graded their own students' tests. Although a possible point system was provided, teachers were given the latitude of assigning points with the agreement that the pre- and post- tests would be graded identically.
All participants received approximately 50 minutes of language arts instruction five days a week. In this study, the Easy Grammar - Daily Grams curriculum was the intervention. This Grade 2 – Jr. High curriculum's goal was to improve the quality of proper expression.
Teachers attended a four-hour workshop to learn strategies and ideas for implementation.
Procedure Teachers administered a pretest during the first weeks of school in 2006 and scored them.
Teachers administered an identical posttest in May 2007 and scored them. Identical numerical scoring for each test was used. Students were assigned a numerical identification. Results were submitted to Easy Grammar Systems. Data were recorded both in SSPS and manually, and analyzed by Wanda C. Phillips, Ed.D.
Grading: In that each teacher established his or her own percentage scoring for each class, the researcher established the highest point available for each class and established a percentage scale for that classroom. The percentages listed denote an increase in percentages between the pretest and posttest score for each student.
An independent accounting firm analyzed data to determine that findings reflected numerical results provided.
Timeline of Procedures
Pretests were given to students during a language arts class.
Post tests were given to students during a language arts class.
June –November 2008
Data were organized, recorded, and analyzed.
October–December 2008
Data of results were checked by an independent accounting firm.
Findings were made available to the public.
Important Note: This study was completed independent of a university and not peer-reviewed. This study followed the above guidelines and results were analyzed by Wanda C. Phillips, Ed.D., president of Easy Grammar Systems Inc. These were submitted to an independent accounting firm for confirmation.