Suppose a researcher wants to study the effectiveness of a new reading program for students who have not acquired the necessary reading skills by the time they reach the 8th grade. A randomly selected group of 50 students from a local junior high with poor reading skills will undergo a special reading program. Another group of 50 randomly selected students with poor reading skills will undergo regular reading classes. A month later, the reading skills of all 100 students are assessed to determine whether the program was successful.

And your question....

It bothers me that 100 randomly selected poor readers in the 8th grade. Goodness, what was the total population of poor readers in the 8th grade? 1000?

To determine whether the reading program was successful in improving the reading skills of students, the researcher will need to compare the reading skills of the two groups - the group that underwent the special reading program and the group that underwent regular reading classes.

Here's a step-by-step explanation of how the researcher can analyze the data and determine the effectiveness of the new reading program:

1. Define the research objectives: The researcher's main objective is to determine whether the special reading program is more effective than regular reading classes in improving the reading skills of students who have not acquired the necessary skills by the 8th grade.

2. Select the sample: The researcher needs to randomly select two groups of students with poor reading skills. One group of 50 students will undergo the special reading program, while the other group of 50 students will undergo regular reading classes. Random selection helps ensure that the groups are representative of the larger population.

3. Implement the programs: The selected students will undergo their respective reading programs for a month. The special reading program should be designed to address the specific needs of students who have struggled with reading skills.

4. Assess the reading skills: After the month-long programs, the reading skills of all 100 students need to be assessed. The assessment should evaluate key elements of reading skills like fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, and decoding ability. This assessment could include standardized reading tests or individualized assessments.

5. Analyze the data: The researcher will need to compare the reading skills of the two groups. Various statistical techniques can be used, depending on the nature of the data and the research question. For example, a t-test or an analysis of variance (ANOVA) can be used to compare the mean scores between the two groups.

6. Interpret the findings: Based on the statistical analysis, the researcher can determine whether there is a significant difference between the reading skills of the group that underwent the special reading program and the group that underwent regular reading classes. If the special reading program resulted in significantly higher reading scores compared to regular reading classes, it can be concluded that the program was effective.

7. Report the results: The researcher should summarize the findings, including the statistical analysis and the interpretation of the results. The report should discuss the implications of the findings and any limitations or potential biases in the study.

It is important to note that this is a simplified explanation of the research process. In actual research, there are many other factors and considerations that need to be taken into account for a comprehensive and rigorous study.