Summary

Acknowledgements

The Ministry of Education would like to thank all the Reading Recovery tutors, teachers, and principals who completed their annual returns. We greatly appreciate the time and effort that went into providing the information. We would also like to thank National Reading Recovery for their feedback on the annual data analysis.

Introduction

Reading Recovery is an early literacy intervention that aims to accelerate reading and writing progress by providing intensive, daily one-to-one literacy instruction to children who are falling behind their peers in reading and writing after one year at school.

Reading Recovery was developed by the late Dame Marie Clay, previously Professor of Education at the University of Auckland.

Reading Recovery was designed to achieve two outcomes:

1. To accelerate the reading and writing achievement of six-year-old children who are identified as having made less-than-expected progress after one year of classroom-based literacy teaching.
2. To identify the small number of students who will need continued additional specialist literacy support.

All state and state-integrated schools can apply for funding from the Ministry of Education to help with the costs associated with the implementation of Reading Recovery.

Reading Recovery data has been monitored and reported on annually by the Ministry of Education since 1984. The purpose of the Annual Monitoring of Reading Recovery report is to provide information about access to the intervention (i.e. schools that offered Reading Recovery) and to report on student outcomes and progress as a result of Reading Recovery.

For further information about Reading Recovery, contact The Ministry of Education.

Data Collection

Throughout the year, Reading Recovery teachers record student-level information on an electronic data collection system as students enter and exit the intervention. At the end of the year, when all individual student reports have been entered by the teacher(s), the principal of each Reading Recovery school is asked to confirm this information, as well as complete the end-of-year school report. These reports are submitted by state and state-integrated schools to the Ministry of Education.

School reports provide school-level information such as the number of students involved in Reading Recovery and the number of hours and teachers allocated to Reading Recovery for the year.

Individual student reports provide student-level information such as the ethnicity, gender and age of the student, the amount of time spent in Reading Recovery, outcome from Reading Recovery, and entry and exit scores on three assessment tools.

Please note that percentages reported in the analysis may not add to 100% due to rounding error. Further, counts may vary between tables when broken down by demographic variables, due to missing data for some students (e.g. the number of successfully discontinued students is slightly lower when broken down by gender), or some tables only reporting a subset of responses.

Key Findings

Reading Recovery Outcomes

Reading Recovery outcomes for students who exited the intervention in 2018 follow a similar pattern to previous years. Reading Recovery classifies students who are able to work effectively with their cohort without additional support, as successfully discontinued from the intervention. In 2018, 56% of students (n= 4,993) who entered the programme for the first time, were classed as successfully discontinued. Approximately three-quarters (74%) of students who exited Reading Recovery in 2018 (which includes 2017 students who were carried over to 2018) were successfully discontinued; the carried-over students completed their lesson series the following year. A further 17% of students were referred on for specialist support, 6% left their school before completing their series of lessons and 4% were unable to continue their lessons.

The majority of successfully discontinued students (92%) were reading texts at, or above, the Turquoise level of Ready to Read (the New Zealand Curriculum reading expectation for 'After two years at school') when they exited Reading Recovery. Sixty-five percent of these students had not yet completed two years of schooling when they finished their lesson series. These results should be interpreted with care, as classroom teachers will use a range of evidence (not just the text levels) when making judgements about student achievement in relation to New Zealand Curriculum reading expectations.

Data collected from the Burt Word Reading Test and the Writing Vocabulary Task provided additional evidence that successfully discontinued students were reading and writing within the average band of performance expected for their age group when they exited the intervention.

A greater proportion of girls, NZ European and Asian students, and students in higher decile schools successfully discontinued their series of lessons than boys, Māori and Pacific students, and students from lower decile schools. However, at least 67% of Māori and Pacific students, and 60% students from low decile schools were successfully discontinued their Reading Recovery lessons.

Consistent with long term trends, students who entered Reading Recovery for the first time in 2018 (74%) or were carried over from 2017 (73%), were more likely to be successfully discontinued compared with students who transferred from another school (42%).

Access to Reading Recovery

Based on reports submitted by schools, in 2018, Reading Recovery was delivered in 1,015 state and state-integrated schools, by 1,254 Reading Recovery teachers. Schools reported they had 425,664 Reading Recovery hours available to support 8,936 students, giving an average of 48 hours available per student. Note, these data are derived from reports submitted by schools.

In 2018, 55% of state and state-integrated schools with six-year-old students offered Reading Recovery. Sixty-three percent of the total 6-year-old population in state and state-integrated schools attended schools where Reading Recovery was offered. Eleven percent of all students attending state and state-integrated schools entered Reading Recovery in 2018.

From 2005 to 2012, the percentage of students with access to Reading Recovery (around 76%) and the percentage entering Reading Recovery (around 14%) were reasonably consistent. From 2013 to 2018, students' access to Reading Recovery has decreased by 13%, and the proportion of students entering Reading Recovery has decreased by 3%. Note that access to Reading Recovery is estimated using the information provided in end of year school reports from principals of schools that have offered Reading Recovery in the year concerned and student enrolment data from the Ministry of Education.

1. Schools and students involved in Reading Recovery in 2018
2. Students involved in Reading Recovery 2018
3. Student outcomes from Reading Recovery in 2016
4. Students' Learning Gains Reading Recovery, 2017

1. Reading Recovery resources 2005 to 2018
2. Schools with Reading Recovery in 2018 by region
3. Schools with Reading Recovery in 2018 by region - Māori students
4. Schools with Reading Recovery in 2018 by region - Pacific students
5. Students who entered Reading Recovery in 2018 by region
6. Implementation of and access to Reading Recovery 2005-2018
7. Students' and schools' involvement in Reading Recovery by grouped decile 2016 to 2018
8. Involvement in Reading Recovery by school decile 2018
9. Students' entry into Reading Recovery in 2018
10. Number and proportion of New Zealand 6-year-olds in Reading Recovery by ethnicity and gender, 2018
11. Proportion of New Zealand 6-year-olds in Reading Recovery by ethnicity and gender 2014 to 2018
12. Students' Reading Recovery outcomes 2016 to 2018
13. Exiting students' Reading Recovery outcomes in 2018
14. Outcomes for students exiting Reading Recovery 2005 to 2018
15. Reading Recovery outcome by entry status, 2018
16. Reading Recovery outcome by gender, 2018
17. Reading Recovery outcome by ethnicity, 2018
18. Exiting students' Reading Recovery outcome by school decile, 2018
19. Further support for students referred on, as reported by schools, 2018
20. Reasons why students were unable to continue, 2018
21. Proportion of exited students successfully discontinued and referred on by region 2018
22. Average (mean) number of lessons and weeks in Reading Recovery for successfully discontinued and referred on students by entry status, 2018
23. Average (mean) number of lessons and weeks in Reading Recovery by ethnicity and gender, 2018
24. Average (mean) number of sessions and calendar weeks in Reading Recovery by school decile, 2018
25. Average age of students, average Burt Word score and equivalent age bands, 2018
26. Average age of students, average Writing Vocabulary Task score and equivalent age bands, 2018
27. Shifts in reading and writing gains for successfully discontinued and referred on students by decile
28. Shifts in reading and writing for successfully discontinued and referred on students by ethnicity, 2017
29. Reading achievement for exiting students in relation to the New Zealand Curriculum expectations

Section 1: Schools and students involved in Reading Recovery in 2018

The number of Reading Recovery teachers, students in Reading Recovery, and the total number of available Reading Recovery hours, all peaked in 2012/2013, and have steadily decreased over time to the lowest point in 2018; all of which decreased by 19% from peak to 2018.

The teacher to student ratio has been stable (around 1:7) from 2005 to 2018. Yet, reading recovery hours per student and reading recovery hours per teacher have both been increasing over the years. Reading recovery hours per teacher have been increasing at a much higher rate.

From 2017 to 2018, the proportion of 6-year-old students who had access to Reading Recovery decreased by 2%, though the proportion of schools with 6-year-olds offering Reading Recovery held constant at 55%. Note that caution is required when looking at percentage changes between years in the regions with a low number of schools (ie, less than 35) with 6-year-old students.

In 2018, 61% of Māori 6-year-old students had access to reading recovery, 2% higher than in 2017. The proportion of schools with 6-year-old Māori students did not change between 2017 and 2018. Māori 6-year-old students have slightly lower levels of access to Reading Recovery (2% less), compared to the overall rate of access, at 63%. Note that caution is required when looking at percentage changes between years in the regions with a low number of schools (ie, less than 35) with 6-year-old Māori students.

Most regions have a low number of schools (i.e. less than 35) with 6-year-old Pacific students, requiring caution when looking at percentage changes between years. Pacific students had a lower rate of access to Reading Recovery in 2018, 4% lower than in 2017, but equal to the overall rate of access to Reading Recovery.

Eleven percent of 6-year-old students enrolled in state and state-integrated schools entered Reading Recovery in 2018, identical to 2017. In 2018, Southland had the highest rate of student entry into Reading Recovery (20%); Auckland, Waikato and Manawatu-Whanganui all had the lowest entry rates (8-9%).

Access to, and uptake of, Reading Recovery was relatively constant from 2005 to 2012. During this period, an average of 76% of 6-year-olds had access to Reading Recovery, and an average of 66% of schools offered Reading Recovery. From 2013 to 2018, access to Reading Recovery has been steadily decreasing. Students’ access decreased by 13% over this period, and the proportion of schools offering Reading Recovery decreased by 10%. The proportion of students entering Reading Recovery has shown a similar trend since 2013, but with a smaller 3% decrease, from 14% to 11%.

Figure 1: 6-Year-Olds access to Reading Recovery 2005-2018

Consistent with trends in previous years, students in higher deciles (8 to 10) have greater access to Reading Recovery than students in lower deciles (1 to 3). However, a higher proportion of students enter Reading Recovery in lower deciles (13%) than in higher deciles (9%).

Comparable to previous years, in 2018 lower decile schools had a greater average number of Reading Recovery teachers allocated per student.

Section 2: Students involved in Reading Recovery 2018

Table 9 shows the proportion of students who entered Reading Recovery for the first time, were carried over from 2017, or arrived from another school, at the beginning of 2018.  While some students transferred to another school at some point during 2018, only the type of entry into Reading Recovery at the beginning of the year is included, to avoid double counting. The proportions are similar to those reported over the past several years.

Fifty-nine percent of students in Reading Recovery were boys (n=5,306). As a proportion of the total 6-year-old population, 17% of boys, and 12% girls took part in Reading Recovery in 2018. Consistent with previous years, in 2018 a greater proportion of Māori and Pacific students were involved in Reading Recovery than NZ European and Asian students.

Overall, the proportions of both boys and girls from all ethnic groups entering Reading Recovery has declined over the past five years. The largest decline was for Pacific boys, a decrease of 9%, from 2014 to 2018.

Section 3: Student outcomes from Reading Recovery in 2016

At the end of the year, students involved in Reading Recovery are categorised under one of five outcomes: Successfully discontinued - the student is able to work effectively with their cohort without additional support; Carried over - the student is unable to complete their series of lessons in the current year and has had their lesson series continued into the following year; Referred on - the student has not reached the expected level and further specialist or long-term literacy support is required; Left the school - the student leaves the school before completing their series of lessons (and may or may not have continued at their new school); or, Unable to continue - the student leaves the intervention before completing their support for various reasons.

Consistent with previous years, 56% of students are successfully discontinued from Reading Recovery, while 24% of students are carried over into the following year and 13% are referred for specialist help or long-term literacy support.

For students exiting Reading Recovery in 2018, 74% are successfully discontinued, with 17% referred for specialist help or long-term literacy support.

Table 14 and Figure 2 show that the percentage of students whose series of lessons are successfully discontinued demonstrate a downward trend from since the peak of 82% in 2011, decreasing by 8%, to 74% in 2018. The decrease appears to be partially offset by an increase in referrals to specialist services of 5% over the same period.

Figure 2: Outcomes for students exiting Reading Recovery, 2005 to 2018

Consistent with previous years, a greater proportion of students who entered Reading Recovery for the first time in 2018 were successfully discontinued (74%) than students who were carried over from 2017 (73%). Students who transferred were about 30% less likely to successfully discontinue Reading Recovery (42%) than students entering the intervention in the calendar year.

A higher proportion of girls (78%) had their lesson series discontinued in 2018 than boys (71%), consistent with previous years. A higher proportion of boys were referred on, compared with girls.

A higher proportion of NZ European (78%) and Asian students (81%) successfully discontinued their series of lessons in 2018 than Māori (67%) and Pacific students (71%), consistent with previous years.

Consistent with previous years, in 2018 a higher proportion of students from decile 8 to 10 schools (80%) were successfully discontinued from Reading Recovery, compared with decile 1 to 3 schools (68%).

In 2018, 1,121 students were referred on from Reading Recovery for specialist help or long-term literacy support; this group representing 17% of students in Reading Recovery. Students were most commonly referred to Resource Teachers of Literacy (60%). A further 22% of students were referred to Resource Teachers Learning and Behaviour (RTLB). These trends are consistent with previous years.

Two-hundred and sixty-nine students were unable to continue with Reading Recovery for a variety of reasons. The two most common, were schools not offering Reading Recovery in 2019 (33%), and teacher-related reasons (31%).

Regional rates of students successfully discontinued ranged from 85% in Otago to 63% in Manawatu-Whanganui. Rates of referral for further support ranged from 23% in Tasman, to 10% in Taranaki.

On average, students who were referred on, attended more half-hour lessons (83.9 sessions) than students who were successfully discontinued from Reading Recovery (78.9 sessions).

Overall, boys completed a slightly greater number of 30-minute sessions than girls. On average, successfully discontinued boys completed an additional 2.5 sessions than girls, and referred on boys completed 1.7 more sessions than girls.

Overall, Decile 1 to 3 schools completed a greater mean number of 30-minute Reading Recovery sessions (81 sessions) than Decile 8 to 10 schools (78 sessions).

Section 4: Students' Learning Gains Reading Recovery, 2017

Shift in instructional text Levels over the course of Reading Recovery

Successfully discontinued students typically start Reading Recovery with higher average (mean) levels across the range of measures used and make more progress during the intervention than students who are referred on (Figures 3 to 8). For students who moved schools during the year, instructional text levels at entry are based on those from their initial school, and exit levels taken from the school they moved to.

Figures 3 and 4 present instructional text levels at entry to and exit from Reading Recovery for successfully discontinued and referred on students. The equivalent colours of the Ready to Read colour wheel are noted underneath the horizontal axes.

Figure 3 shows that the majority of successfully discontinued students (94%) entered the intervention reading texts ranging from level 1 (Magenta 1) to level 11 (Blue 3). On exit, almost all successfully discontinued students were reading texts at or above level 15 (Orange 1) - most of these students (99.7% of those exiting) were reading texts at or above the Turquoise level of Ready to Read.

Figure 3: Instructional text levels at entry and exit for successfully discontinued students, 2018

Note: Magenta: 1-2, Red: 3:5, Yellow: 6:8, Blue: 9-11, Green: 12:14 | Year 1 expectation (Age 6) | Orange: 15:16, Turquoise: 17:18, Purple: 19:20, Gold: 21:22, Above Gold: 23:30

In comparison, Figure 4 shows that 98% of referred on students entered Reading Recovery reading texts at or below level 8 (Yellow 3), with the majority (89%) entering the intervention reading texts between level 1 (Magenta 1) and level 5 (Red 3). Referred on students were reading texts from a wider range of levels when they exited Reading Recovery compared to successfully discontinued students exiting. Eighty-seven per cent of referred on students were reading texts between level 6 (Yellow 1) and level 16 (Orange 2) when they ended their Reading Recovery lessons. These figures were almost identical to the previous year.

Figure 4: Instructional text levels at entry and exit for referred on students, 2018

Note: Magenta: 1-2, Red: 3:5, Yellow: 6:8, Blue: 9-11, Green: 12:14, Orange: 15:16, Turquoise: 17:18, Purple: 19:20, Gold: 21:22, Above Gold: 23:30

Shift in Burt Word scores over the course of Reading Recovery, 2018

Figure 5 shows that most successfully discontinued students (86%) entered Reading Recovery with a Burt Word reading score of 20 or below, and almost all (98%) students exited the intervention with a Burt score of 21 or higher.

Figure 5: Burt Word Reading scores at entry and exit for successfully discontinued students, 2018

Figure 6 shows that the majority (91%) of referred on students entered Reading Recovery with a Burt Word score of 10 or less (below the 5.10–6.04 age band). At exit, the majority of referred on students (90%) exited Reading Recovery with a Burt Word score between 7 (below the 5.10–6.04 age band) and 28 (equivalent age band 6.06–7.00 years). These scores are nearly identical to the previous year.

Figure 6: Burt Word Reading scores at entry and exit for referred on students, 2018

Successfully discontinued students had an average Burt Word score of 29.1 when they exited the intervention. The equivalent age band for a level of 29 is 6.07-7.01 years/months. The average age for successfully discontinued students at exit was 7 years, showing that on average, these students obtained Burt Word Reading Test scores close to the expected level for their age group.

Referred on students exited Reading Recovery with an average Burt Word score of 16.3. The equivalent age band for a score of 16 is less than 5 years 10 months. The average age of referred on students at the time of exit from Reading Recovery was 7 years. While referred on students, on average, improved on the Burt Word test scores over the course of the Reading Recovery intervention, students obtained scores below the expected level for their age group.

Writing Vocabulary Task levels at entry and exit

The majority (87%) of students who were successfully discontinued had Writing Vocabulary Task levels between 5 and 39 when they started their lessons; when they exited Reading Recovery, most (88%) had levels between 45 and 74 (Figure 7).

Figure 7: Writing Vocabulary Task levels at entry and exit for successfully discontinued students, 2018

Most referred on students (89%) had Writing Vocabulary Task levels between 0 and 19 when they started their lessons; when they exited most (81%) had levels between 10 and 49 (Figure 8).

Figure 8: Writing Vocabulary Task levels at entry and exit for referred on students, 2018

Successfully discontinued students exited Reading Recovery with an average Writing Vocabulary Task score of 59.3. This level falls into the 6th stanine, which is above the mean for the 6.51–7.00 years age group. These data show that on average, successfully discontinued students tended to exit the intervention with Writing Vocabulary Task at levels that were above, or close to, the average level for their age group.

Referred on students exited Reading Recovery with an average Writing Vocabulary Task (Clay) level of 29.6. This level falls into the 3rd stanine, which is below the mean for the 6.51–7.00 years age group. This result shows that on average, referred on students exited the intervention with Writing Vocabulary Task (Clay) levels that were below the average level for their age group.

Table 27 shows that successfully discontinued students from lower decile schools tend to enter Reading Recovery with slightly lower reading and writing levels than students from higher decile schools. Yet, these students tend to exit Reading Recovery at a similar level regardless of school decile, there are relatively larger gains for students in lower decile schools. Students referred on show more variable gains across decile.

Entry and exit levels in the three assessments were similar amongst successfully discontinued students of all ethnicities. Gains for referred on students showed greater variability.

Table 29 shows the proportion of students who were reading at the level specified by the New Zealand Curriculum reading expectation for 'After two years at school' (Turquoise level of Ready to Read), across Reading Recovery outcome. After the Reading Recovery intervention, 92%, or 4,569 students, were reading at or above the Turquoise level of Ready to Read. Approximately two-thirds of successfully discontinued students (65%), had not yet completed 2 years of schooling when they exited Reading Recovery. Forty-three percent of referred on students (n=485) were reading at or above the Green level, but not yet at the Turquoise level.

References

• Clay, M.M. (2013). An Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement (3rd Edition). Auckland: Pearson.
• Gilmore, A., Croft, C., & Reid, N. (1981). Burt Word Reading Text: New Zealand Revision. New Zealand Council for Educational Research, Wellington