Identifying profiles of reading strengths and weaknesses at the secondary level.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and potential utility of reading profiles to identify common patterns of reading strengths and weaknesses among students in high school with deficit reading skills. A total of 55 students from three Midwestern high schools were administered a battery of assessments that targeted specific reading skills, as well as a self-report survey that assessed motivation. A cluster analysis revealed that four distinct profiles were present within the sample and that instruction may be differentiated among a subset of the profiles on some subskills. Profile characteristics accurately and adequately represented individual student characteristics, which may indicate that small group interventions could be devised based on the collective group deficits, which places this study within the problem analysis context. The current study extended the link between assessment and intervention for reading at the secondary level and illuminated the need for further research. Implications for the research and practice of school psychologists are discussed.