Efficacy of PHIL-IRI and Remedial Classes For Filipinos at The Intermediate Level

Efficacy of PHIL-IRI and remedial classes
for Filipinos at the intermediate level
Cyrus Pontawe Casingal1
1
Department of Education – Makati City, Republic of the Philippines
Abstract
This study analyzed the efficacy of Phil-IRI and remedial classes

for Filipino Intermediate Learners. It also determines the factors
influencing the success of reading and literacy remedial classes. The
Received 17 July 2022 researcher gathered all the participants through their class advisers
Revised 22 August 2022
Accepted 02 September 2022 and the Learner Information System (LIS) number of enrollees. The
researcher carried out the study in the school year 2021-2022. This
investigation used results from the Phil IRI's pre-and post-tests. All
Citation: Casingal, C. P. (2022). Efficacy pf

parents or guardians signed the parent consent form on behalf of
PHIL-IRI and remedial classes for Filipinos at
intermediate level. Journal of Sustainable
their children after they had been informed of the data-gathering
Business, Economics and Finance, 1(2), 47-59.
http://doi.org/10.31039/josbef.2022.2.3.22 methods. This study revealed that the Phil-IRI and remedial classes
are practical due to the increased number of independent-level
learners. Out of 767 learners, 117 become independent readers, and
45 non-readers, it goes down to seven. Additionally, teachers
Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.

should take the Phil-IRI testing seriously to obtain accurate results
This article is an Open Access article
distributed under the terms and conditions
and effectively handle students' reading difficulties. Remedial
of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)
license classes must be conducted properly, focusing on students' reading
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
level difficulties, identified least-mastered skills, and arithmetic
difficulties.
Keywords: Efficiency, Efficacy, Reading, Literacy, Education

System, pre-test, post-test, Phil-IRI, Remedial Classes, Filipino,
Intermediate Learners.
corresponding author:
cyrus.casingal@depedmakati.ph JEL Classification Codes: A20, A21, A29.
Casingal, C. P. (2022). Efficacy pf PHIL-IRI and remedial classes for Filipinos at intermediate level. Journal of Sustainable Business,
Economics and Finance, 1(2), 47-59. http://doi.org/10.31039/josbef.2022.2.3.22
1. Introduction
Academic readiness is crucial in predicting a learner's success indicator (Bettinger &

Long, 2007). Most of the time, formative and summative tests are given to students to gauge
their learning progress throughout the class. Additionally, periodic exams, recitations, special
assignments, and performance tasks boost their academic achievement. However, if these
indicators do not produce the intended outcome and output for the student owing to unforeseen
circumstances, the school will give a remedial class (Neckerman, 2013). Remedial classes help
students who struggle with reading, writing, and math. It is one approach to determine whether
a student is college- or grade-level ready. (Tierney & Garcia, 2008).
In the Philippines, the Department of Education releases DepEd Order No. 25, s. 2022,
or the Amendment to DepEd Order No. 13, section 2018. The amendment to DepEd Order No.
25, s. 2018, titled "Implementing Guidelines on the Conduct of Remedial and Advancement
Classes During Summer for the K to 12 Basic Education Program," aims to assist schools in
identifying learners who are most in need of instructional support and laying out mechanisms
by which remedial classes. It is a fifteen-day remedial class during the summer to address
learning gaps caused primarily by the abrupt pedagogical shift caused by the pandemic. In this
DepEd Order, each school will identify learners needing instructional support. Learners with
an average grade of 75-79 are mainly subject to enrichment classes. The school is also
encouraged to provide enrichment classes for these learners. Participating teachers are given
service credit. Teachers' vacation service credits are leave hours accrued for work performed
on projects during the summer, Christmas, or regular school year, as permitted by the
appropriate authority.
The Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil IRI), in addition to the end-of-year
remedial program, is a requirement from the Department of Education to be implemented from
the beginning of the school year (BOSY) and at the end of the school year (EOSY). Its
objective is to evaluate and analyze students' oral reading, silent reading, and listening
comprehension skills in both English and Filipino. However, in most cases in the public
schools in the Philippines, there is a big problem regarding the learners’ reading
comprehension. At least one of every five pupils has severe difficulties with reading
achievement (Therrien, 2004). According to Mahapatra (2015), reading is a method through
48
which a learner may quickly gather clues from written texts and relate them to another to
comprehend the text's unmistakable message. Throughout his schooling, the learner keeps
developing this ability to evaluate claims of ever-increasing complexity. On the other hand, if
these abilities are not adequately developed, it is essential to provide remedial reading
programs to improve these skills, such as reading fluency and reading comprehension
(Hausheer et al., 2011), since fluency and understanding are necessary at this stage of
development. Early intervention can affect the evolution of reading issues.
The Phil IRI and end-of-school-year remedial classes are some platforms inside the
classroom that can be used to strengthen learners’ opportunities at risk of failing in their
classes. Learners who need instructional support. According to Hardy et al. (2006), there are
two elements in instructional support – the design of activities to allow students to remain
focused on crucial parts and the encouragement of student reflection on their findings within
scientific reasoning. They are designed to monitor and evaluate students’ progress and promote
quality teaching and education.
Based on the preceding discussion of the Phil IRI and end-of-year remedial classes, the
current study tries to determine and comprehend the usefulness of both treatments for students
requiring instructional support.
2. Literature Review
One of the difficulties public school teachers encounter in the Philippines is the
authenticity of students' scores, performance, and outputs during online sessions. This is
typically not a concern during face-to-face classes. Nevertheless, due to restrictions and
limitations imposed by the pandemic, obtaining an accurate score from various evaluations has
been a substantial challenge. According to Onyema (2020), the COVID-19 pandemic radically
changed the teaching and learning process from face-to-face to virtual classes (Iglesias-Pradas
et al., 2020). While vaccinations were developed, most nations have embraced them to combat
the rising COVID-19 infection rates. With the discovery of the vaccine, the number of COVID-
19 cases has gradually decreased, and the global situation has significantly improved (Machado
et al., 2021).
49
Most people's daily activities returned to normal when the pandemic's constraints and
restrictions were mostly gone. Also, limited face-to-face interaction was established in
education. The Department of Education (DepEd) in the Philippines has amended the School
Safety Assessment Tool (SSAT) to prepare and mobilize schools for the progressive
expansion's safe, effective, and efficient implementation. All participating schools adapted and
conformed with the SSAT and contributed to its success by implementing limited face-to-face
classes. However, there is a big challenge regarding the academic performance of participating
learners. According to Chisadza et al. (2021), poor internet access is the leading cause of worse
academic achievement in the online environment.
Students in an online class are expected to get a low score because of their challenges,
such as slow internet connection, available gadgets to be used, and unsubmitted test results and
performance tasks (Casingal, 2022). Moreover, compared to their F2F counterparts, online
students had much lower grade point averages, missed significantly more grading
opportunities, and were substantially more likely to fail the course (Helms, 2014).
Nevertheless, in limited face-to-face classes, non-readers and slow readers are the main reason
for lower academic achievement. There is a tremendous challenge regarding classroom
teaching during limited face-to-face. Most students who opt to attend the limited face-to-face
classes don't completely participate in the online classes. Additionally, teachers pick the
students that struggle in the online discussions.
During the early stages of a child's development, letter-sound recognition and letter
blending help them learn to generate new words. They apply their spelling knowledge of root
words and affixes, such as prefixes and suffixes, as they age and start to spell longer, more
complex expressions. The primary focus of reading instruction for young children is decoding
abilities. Translating written letters and words into language takes place at this step.
Unexpectedly, some of the students are slow readers and non-readers.
Such circumstances call for prompt intervention, such as remedial and literacy classes.
According to Jarrar (2014), remedial classes are a component of education that focuses on
preventing, investigating, and treating learning issues that limit the student’s expected growth.
Moreover, remedial classes are practical and should be implemented in instructions (Rai &
Penjor, 2020).
50
The study's framework was the discussion from above. The study aimed to evaluate the
efficacy of Phil IRI results and remedial classes. Additionally, it should determine the factors
influencing how successful reading and literacy remedial lessons are about the mentioned
characteristics.
3. Methods
This investigation used results from the Phil IRI's pre-and post-tests. All parents or
guardians signed the parent consent form on behalf of their children after they had been
informed of the data-gathering methods. 767 male and female pupils in grades 4 through 6 at
an elementary school, ranging from 8 to 13 years old.
Three grade levels are represented among the participants: Grade 4, with 282 students,
148 males and 134 females; Grade 5, with 252 students, 120 males and 132 females; and Grade
6, with 243 students, 136 males, and 107 females.
Table 1 below shows the demographic characteristics of the participants.
Table 1
Demographic characteristics of the participants
Grade Level Male Female Total
4 148 134 282
5 120 132 252
6 136 107 243
Total 767
The researcher gathered all the participants through their class advisers and the Learner
Information System (LIS) number of enrollees. The researcher carried out the study in the
school year 2021-2022.
The Phil IRI pre-test and post-test assessments were employed in the evaluation.
According to Pado et al. (2018), Phil-IRI can be used in several ways. One is the Phil-IRI
Group Reading Level (GST), which is designed to assess the reading level of the entire class
and identify specific learners who may need more significant help with reading assignments.
For three literacy tasks—oral reading, silent reading, and listening comprehension—the
individual reading level establishes the pupils' independent, instructional, and frustration
levels.
51
The Phil-IRI Group Screening Test (GST) is a free-form, individual assessment

instrument that tracks a student's progress in listening comprehension, silent reading, and oral
reading. It is administered in silence in both Filipino and English. Each assessment consists of
a 20-item comprehension test based on a collection of levels of passages covering Grades 3 to
6 in Filipino and Grades 4 to 6 in English. The courses were written and chosen according to
concept load, vocabulary level, sentence difficulty, nature of themes, and cohesiveness. Its
primary purpose is to identify students who require more testing.
Upon completion of the administration of the GST, the class reading report will be sent
to school principals with a summary of students who scored equally above and below the
cutoff. Learners achieving a Raw Score of 14 or higher (75%) are exempted from further
evaluation. However, pupils with a Raw Score below 14 (74%) must undertake additional
testing, suggesting that the student has trouble reading literature at grade level. A personalized
evaluation is necessary to describe the child's reading performance better. The students will be
evaluated via Phil-IRI Graded Passages. The Filipino Graded Passages Pre-Test will be
administered if a student achieves 13 or less on the Filipino GST. The English Graded Passages
Pre-Test will be issued if the student reaches 13 or less on the English GST. The Phil-IRI
Graded Passages can be completed in any language. It should be emphasized that only students
who performed at a Group Screening Test score of 14 or lower are subjected to additional
assessment by the individual reading of graded choices. These students receive the proper
reading intervention based on their observed reading needs.
Different reading intervention programs per grade level were adopted each quarter
based on the student's reading problems. In addition to addressing the reported reading
difficulties, the intervention program also addressed the arithmetic difficulties of the students
with approximately 40 minutes of duration per subject area. Following a usual classroom
routine where the identified reading issues were being taught, the intervention programs were
carried out in a face-to-face setting inside the classroom. Teachers also prepared classroom
schedules, action plans, and least mastered skills based on the Most Essential Learning
Competencies (MELCS) of the Department of Education.
After the completion of the remedial program, the grade-level Phil-IRI post-test is
administered. During the post-test, the teacher records each student’s score and compares the
52
post-test results to the pretest results. The student's behavior during the pretest contrasts with
their behavior throughout the selection reading. The post-test results and the students' better
reading habits will show how much the students' reading abilities have improved. Better
readers are exempt from Phil-IRI exercises, but regular classroom training in reading is
anticipated to increase their reading abilities.
4. Results
Comparing the average results of pupils in grades four through six on pre- and post-
tests revealed a significant difference between the two evaluations. This result demonstrates
the effectiveness of Phil-IRI assessments and remedial programs.
Table 2 shows the pre-test results of the Phil-IRI.
Table 2
Pre-Test Phil-IRI results
Grade Frustration Instructional Independent Non- Total
Level Readers
4 96 78 93 15 282
5 81 83 75 13 252
6 68 90 68 17 243
Total 767
The researcher used the pre-test results of the Phil-IRI to arrange and evaluate the data.
Out of 282 students in grade 4, 96 are under frustration level, 78 are under instruction levels,
93 are independent readers, and 15 are non-readers. The remaining 81 of the 252 students in
grade five fall under the frustration level, 83 falls under the instructional level, 75 are under
the independent group, and 13 are non-readers. Finally, out of 243 students in grade six, 68 are
under frustration level, 90 are under instructional level, 68 demonstrate independence, and 17
are non-readers.
According to Gillaco (2014), reading plays a crucial role in the holistic development of
a person. Reading is supposed to be a mental exercise that helps people understand the reality
on a deeper level. Moreover, it is a habit through which kids gain knowledge and develop new
abilities (Olivar et al., 2014). Through Phi-IRI, students are assessed to identify their level of
reading competency to create an effective plan for teaching reading skills to public school
students. A student below the frustration reading level tends to withdraw from reading by
53
refusing to do so. In the instructional reading level, the student can only read with direction,
whereas in the independent reading level, the student can read independently without
assistance.
Since reading is an essential skill for learning, it is crucial to understand how well the
students are doing in this subject. Reading is done to gain knowledge that can be used to create
new knowledge.
Table 3 shows the post-test results of the Phil-IRI.
Table 3
Post-Test Phil-IRI results
Grade Frustration Instructional Independent Non- Total
Level Readers
4 45 107 127 3 282
5 13 101 136 2 252
6 32 119 90 2 243
Total 767
The researcher used the post-test results of the Phil-IRI to arrange and evaluate the data.
Out of 282 students in grade 4, 45 are under frustration, 107 are under instruction, 127 are
independent readers, and 3 are non-readers. The remaining 13 of the 252 students in grade five
fall under the frustration level, 101 falls under the instructional level, 136 are under the
independent group, and 2 are non-readers. Finally, out of 243 students in grade six, 32 are
under frustration level, 119 are under instructional level, 90 demonstrate independence, and 2
are non-readers.
5. Discussion
Comparing the average scores of fourth through sixth graders on pre- and post-tests
found a substantial difference between the two assessments. This part of the paper vividly
compares the pre-test and post-test results per grade level.
5.1. Grade Four Results

According to Lesnick et al. (2010), most grade four learners are under the level of
reading to learn. It is expected to them that most of them have already passed the stage of
learning to read. However, based on the Phil-IRI pre-test results in this study, 48% or almost
54
half of the learners are under frustrated and instructional level. Text that a reader cannot
understand or that does not fulfill the requirements for instructional levels of accuracy and rate
fall under the category of frustrating reading levels (Pado et al., 2018).
Table 4 shows the difference between pre-and post-test results of grade four levels.
Table 4
Comparison of pre-and post-test results of grade four level.
Test Types Frustration Instructional Independent Non-
Readers
Pre-test 96 78 93 15
Post-Test 45 107 127 3
Difference 51 29 34 12
Based on the Phil-IRI data results, there is a substantial change between the pre-and
post-test scores. There is a difference of 51 learners on the frustration level, 29 on the
instructional level, 34 on the independent group, and 12 on non-readers.
5.2. Grade Five Results

According to Williams & Moran (1989), the success of a remedial program depends
primarily on the readers. It is impossible to achieve the program's objectives and aims without
them, which is the primary target and concern of the data of Phil-IRI and remedial programs.
Table 5 shows the difference between pre-and post-test results of grade five levels.
Table 5
Comparison of pre-and post-test results of grade five level.
Readers
Pre-test 81 83 75 13
Post-Test 13 101 136 2
The results showed a significant difference from the pre-test results. There is a
difference of 68 learners on the frustration level, 18 on the instructional level, 61 on the
independent group, and nine on non-readers.
55
5.3. Grade Six Results

According to Estremera & Estremera (2018), reading is one of the reading skills
components that should be taught and improved among students. In addition, spelling,
grammar, and immersion significantly affect the learner's academic achievement. Sensation,
perception, comprehension, application, and integration all play essential roles in the
complicated reading process. It is interpreting written words and symbols and deriving
meaning from them. Reading is a way of exchanging information, ideas, and conversation.
Table 6 shows the difference between pre-and post-test results of grade six levels.
Table 6
Comparison of pre-and post-test results of grade six level.
Readers
Pre-test 68 90 68 17
Post-Test 32 119 90 2
The results showed a significant difference from the pre-test results. There is a
difference of 34 learners on the frustration level, 29 on the instructional level, 22 on the
independent group, and 15 on non-readers.
6. Conclusion and Recommendations
The findings of this study showed that the Phil-IRI and remedial classes show
effectiveness because of the increased number of learners on an independent level. Out of 767
learners, 117 were independent readers, and from 45 non-readers, it goes down to seven.
According to Pado et al. (2018), the most significant reading level at which a reader has
sufficient background knowledge of the subject and can access text quickly and with few errors
is called the independent reading level. Moreover, remedial classes show effectiveness by
increasing the number of learners from all reading levels and decreasing the number of non-
readers in all grade level areas.
Additionally, teachers should take the Phil-IRI testing seriously to obtain accurate
results and effectively handle students' reading difficulties. Remedial classes must be
56
conducted properly, focusing on students' reading level difficulties, identified least-mastered

skills, and arithmetic difficulties.
The researcher recommends conducting the Phil-IRI testing thoroughly and step-by-
step after considering the data and conclusions. The proper training should be provided to
teachers to administer reading assessments. Remedial classes should also be developed with
the learner's needs in accordance.
Limitations
The research investigates the effectiveness of Phil-IRI and remedial classes. Several
aspects, including the outcomes of the pre-and post-tests of Phil-RIR and the proper reading
remediation, are believed to be involved. Another barrier is the participation of teachers in
remedial classes and the absence of learners during remedial lessons.
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Efficacy of PHIL-IRI and remedial classes

for Filipinos at the intermediate level

Cyrus Pontawe Casingal1

This study analyzed the efficacy of Phil-IRI and remedial classes

Citation: Casingal, C. P. (2022). Efficacy pf

Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.

Keywords: Efficiency, Efficacy, Reading, Literacy, Education

Academic readiness is crucial in predicting a learner's success indicator (Bettinger &

Table 1 below shows the demographic characteristics of the participants.

The Phil-IRI Group Screening Test (GST) is a free-form, individual assessment

Table 2 shows the pre-test results of the Phil-IRI.

Table 3 shows the post-test results of the Phil-IRI.

5.1. Grade Four Results

5.2. Grade Five Results

5.3. Grade Six Results

6. Conclusion and Recommendations

conducted properly, focusing on students' reading level difficulties, identified least-mastered

Helms, J. L. (2014). Comparing student performance in online and face-to-face delivery

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