Executive Summary

Resource Teachers of Literacy (RTLit) are specialist literacy teachers who support and assist staff in schools to meet the needs of years 1 to 8 students experiencing difficulties with literacy learning. The purpose of the Resource Teachers of Literacy Annual Report 2012 is to identify the nature of the support RTLit provided to students and to report on the outcomes of students receiving RTLit support. This report presents data on the students who received RTLit support during 2012.

RTLit were asked to complete an individual form for each student they worked with and an overview form. The overview form provides a summary of all students receiving RTLit support in a cluster and the individual form provides intervention details for each student.

Key findings for 2012

RTLit support in 2012

• A total of 4,530 students were on the RTLit roll in 2012 (compared with 3,777 in 2011). RTLit provided intervention details for 99% (n=4,504) of students.
• Half (50%) of the students were New Zealand Pākehā/European, 36% were Māori, nine per cent were Pasifika and five per cent were Asian or Other ethnicities. The ethnic composition of students receiving RTLit support was similar to previous years.
• Consistent with previous years, more boys (67%, n=3,033) than girls (33%, n=1,469) received RTLit support in 2012.
• The proportion of students supported indirectly increased in 2012 (83%, up from 64% in 2011). This increase reflects the increase in the proportion of students receiving a combination of both direct and indirect support in 2012 (39%, up from 20% in 2011).
• On average, directly supported students received 23 half-hour units of support over 13 weeks (a decrease from 37 half-hour units over 16 weeks in 2011). Indirectly supported students received on average 14 half-hour units over 16 weeks, much the same as in 2011.
• The majority of students on the RTLit roll received support for reading literacy (82%). Of these students, three-quarters (75%) received support for reading processing and 62% received support for reading comprehension. Thirty-nine per cent of students received support for written literacy and two per cent received support for oral language.

Student outcomes following RTLit support

• Nearly half of the students (45%) supported by RTLit during 2012 were successfully discontinued by the end of the year. A further 17% of students were referred on for extended specialist assistance, 13% received an incomplete intervention either because they had moved out of the area serviced by the RTLit or were unable to continue receiving support for another reason. One-quarter (25%) were expected to continue RTLit support in 2013.
• All students on the RTLit roll in 2012 were assessed on whether the texts they were reading matched current year level expectations when their support ended. Twenty-eight per cent of students were reading texts at a level that matched their current year level expectations. One-quarter (25%) of students were reading texts that were between six to 12 months below their current year level expectations. Another quarter (25%) of the students were reading texts at levels more than 12 months below their current year level expectations and 22% were reading texts more than 24 months below their current year level expectations.
• Of those students who were reading texts at a level that was more than 12 months below current year level expectations, close to half (46%) were rolled over with the intention that they would continue to receive support in the following year.
• Nearly half the students (45%) who were reading texts more than 24 months below their current year level expectations were referred on for specialist support.
• As noted earlier, 45% of students on the 2012 roll were successfully discontinued in 2012. Of these students 60% were reading texts at a level that matched their current year level expectations, a further 30% were reading texts that were six to 12 months below current year level expectations, the remaining 10% were reading texts that were more than 12 months below current year level expectations.
• A comparison of reading assessment data at entry to and exit from RTLit support indicates a positive shift in reading attainment overall ie, proportionately more students were reading texts at a higher level when their period of support ended.

Student outcomes and ethnicity

• At the end of RTLit support for 2012, the proportion of Māori students (24%) reading texts that matched their current year level expectations was lower than Pasifika (29%) and NZ Pākehā/European (29%) students.
• In 2012, 36% (n=1,664) of students supported by RTLit were Māori. At the end of 2012 or when their support ended, 24% of Māori students were reading texts at a level that matched their current year level expectations. Twenty-two per cent of Māori students were reading texts that were between six to 12 months below their current year level expectations. Over half (54%) of Māori students were reading texts at a level more than 12 months below their current year level expectations
• Over half (56%) of the Māori students who were successfully discontinued (and assessment data was available for), were reading texts at a level that matched their current year level expectations, a further 30% were reading texts that were six to 12 months below current year level expectations, the remaining 14% were reading texts that were more than 12 months below current year level expectations.
• In 2012, nine per cent (n=416) of students supported by RTLit were Pasifika. At the end of 2012 or when their support ended, 29% of Pasifika students were reading texts at a level that matched their current year level expectations. Twenty-six per cent of Pasifika students were reading texts that were between six to 12 months below their current year level expectations. Under half (45%) of Pasifika students were reading texts at a level more than 12 months below their current year level expectations
• Nearly two-thirds (63%) of the Pasifika students who were successfully discontinued (and assessment data was available for, n=165), were reading texts at a level that matched their current year level expectations, a further 28% were reading texts that were six to 12 months below current year level expectations, the remaining nine per cent were reading texts that were more than 12 months below current year level expectations.