Reading First's Impact. NCEE Evaluation Brief. NCEE 2009-4054


Book Description

The No Child Let Behind Act of 2001 created the Reading First program to help ensure that all students could read at or above grade level by the end of grade 3. The program promotes practices recommended by the National Reading Panel for early reading instruction, highlighting five essential components of reading instruction. The program invested about $1 billion a year in classroom reading instruction over FY 2002-07 and $393 million in FY 2008. As required by the legislation, the Reading First impact study examined instruction and student reading outcomes in 248 schools (about half Reading First and half not) in 17 districts and 1 statewide program to address three main questions: (1) What is the impact of Reading First on student reading achievement?; (2) What is the impact of Reading First on classroom instruction?; and (3) What is the relationship between the degree of implementation of scientifically based reading instruction and student reading achievement? Findings reveal that Reading First did not improve student reading comprehension in grades 1, 2, or 3. But it did improve first grader's skills in decoding unfamiliar words. And it produced changes in several instructional practices, such as the amount of time spent on five essential components of reading instruction and the amount of professional development in reading instruction. (Contains 3 figures and 1 note.) [For the full report, "Reading First Impact Study. Final Report. NCEE 2009-4038," see ED503344.].




Reading First's Impact. NCEE Evaluation Brief 2009-4054


Book Description

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 created the Reading First program to help ensure that all students could read at or above grade level by the end of grade 3. The program promotes practices recommended by the National Reading Panel for early reading instruction, highlighting essential components of reading instruction. As required by the legislation, the Reading First impact study examined instruction and student reading outcomes in 248 schools (about half Reading First and half not) in 17 districts and 1 statewide program to address three main questions: (1) What is the impact of Reading First on student reading achievement? (2) What is the impact of Reading First on classroom instruction? and (3) What is the relationship between the degree of implementation of scientifically based reading instruction and student reading achievement? The study collected observational data on reading instruction in grades 1 and 2 and assessed student reading comprehension in grades 1 through 3 over three school years: 2004-05, 2005-06, and 2006-07. The study also assessed students' decoding skills in grade 1 and surveyed school personnel about their reading programs in spring 2007. Reading First was not found to improve student reading comprehension in grades 1, 2, or 3, although it did improve first graders' skills in decoding unfamiliar words. It also produced changes in instructional practices, including the amount of time spent on essential components of reading instruction and the amount of professional development in reading instruction. The analyses are considered exploratory because they are based on correlational analysis. The study was not designed to provide a rigorous test of these hypotheses, so the results must be considered as suggestive. (Contains 1 note and 2 figures.) [For the full report, "Reading First Impact Study. Final Report. NCEE 2009-4038," see ED503344. For the Executive Summary of the report, "Reading First Impact Study. Final Report. Executive Summary. NCEE 2009-4039," see ED503345.].




Reading First Impact Study. Final Report. NCEE 2009-4038


Book Description

This report presents findings from the third and final year of the Reading First Impact Study (RFIS), a congressionally mandated evaluation of the federal government's initiative to help all children read at or above grade level by the end of third grade. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 established Reading First (RF) and mandated its evaluation. This report examines the impact of Reading First funding on 248 schools in 13 states and includes 17 school districts and one statewide program for a total of 18 sites. The study includes data from three school years: 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07. Key findings include: (1) Reading First produced a positive and statistically significant impact on amount of instructional time spent on the five essential components of reading instruction promoted by the program (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension) in grades one and two; (2) Reading First produced positive and statistically significant impacts on multiple practices that are promoted by the program, including professional development in scientifically based reading instruction (SBRI), support from full-time reading coaches, amount of reading instruction, and supports available for struggling readers; (3) Reading First did not produce a statistically significant impact on student reading comprehension test scores in grades one, two or three; and (4) Reading First produced a positive and statistically significant impact on decoding among first grade students tested in one school year (spring 2007). Findings are generally consistent with findings presented in the study's Interim Report. Although the study finds, on average, that after several years of funding, the Reading First program has a consistent positive effect on reading instruction yet no statistically significant impact on student reading comprehension, findings based on exploratory analyses do not provide consistent or systematic insight into the pattern of observed impacts. Following the executive summary, detailed information is supplied in three sections: (1) Overview of the Reading First Impact Study; (2) Impact Findings; and (3) Exploratory Analyses of Variations in Impacts and Relationships Among Outcomes.) Seven appendixes are included: (1) State and Site Award Data; (2) Methods; (3) Measures; (4) Confidence Intervals; (5) Analyses of Impacts and Trends Over Time; (6) Analysis of Student Exposure to Reading First; and (7) Subgroup Analyses. (Contains 164 footnotes and 90 exhibits.) [For the interim summary of this study, see ED501219. For the full interim report, see ED501218. For the final summary of this report, see ED503345.].




Reading First Impact Study. Final Report. Executive Summary. NCEE 2009-4039


Book Description

This document provides an executive summary of "Reading First Impact Study. Final Report. NCEE 2009-4038." The final report presents findings from the third and final year of the Reading First Impact Study (RFIS), a congressionally mandated evaluation of the federal government's initiative to help all children read at or above grade level by the end of third grade. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) established Reading First (RF) and mandated its evaluation. This report examines the impact of Reading First funding on 248 schools in 13 states and includes 17 school districts and one statewide program for a total of 18 sites. The study includes data from three school years: 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07. Key findings include: (1) Reading First produced a positive and statistically significant impact on amount of instructional time spent on the five essential components of reading instruction promoted by the program (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension) in grades one and two; (2) Reading First produced positive and statistically significant impacts on multiple practices that are promoted by the program, including professional development in scientifically based reading instruction (SBRI), support from full-time reading coaches, amount of reading instruction, and supports available for struggling readers; (3) Reading First did not produce a statistically significant impact on student reading comprehension test scores in grades one, two or three; and (4) Reading First produced a positive and statistically significant impact on decoding among first grade students tested in one school year (spring 2007). Findings are generally consistent with findings presented in the study's Interim Report. Although the study finds, on average, that after several years of funding, the Reading First program has a consistent positive effect on reading instruction yet no statistically significant impact on student reading comprehension, findings based on exploratory analyses do not provide consistent or systematic insight into the pattern of observed impacts. (Contains 6 footnotes and 5 exhibits.) [For the interim summary of this study, see ED501219. For full interim report, see ED501218. For the final report, see ED503344.].




After-School Reading. NCEE Evaluation Brief. NCEE 2009-4056


Book Description

After-school programs receive federal support through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, established in 1999. A primary purpose of the program is to provide opportunities for academic enrichment to help students meet state and local standards in core content areas. Findings from a previous national evaluation of the program indicate that the program grants awarded between 1999 and 2002 had, on average, a limited academic impact on the academic achievement of participating elementary school students. This brief presents findings for the first of two years of program operations (school year 2005-06) on a study for reading. (Contains 1 figure.) [For the full report, "The Evaluation of Enhanced Academic Instruction in After-School Programs: Findings After the First Year of Implementation. NCEE 2008-4021," see ED501655.].




Reading First Impact Study


Book Description

This executive summary describes results of the "Reading First Impact Study: Interim Report." The report presents preliminary findings from the Reading First Impact Study, a congressionally mandated evaluation of the federal government initiative to help all children read at or above grade level by the end of third grade. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) established Reading First and mandated its evaluation. This document is the first of two reports: it examines the impact of Reading First funding in 2004-05 and 2005-06 in 18 sites across 12 states. The report examines program impacts on students' reading comprehension and teachers' use of scientifically based reading instruction. Key findings are that: (1) On average, estimated impacts on student reading comprehension test scores were not statistically significant; (2) On average, Reading First increased instructional time spent on the five essential components of reading instruction promoted by the program (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension); (3) Average impacts on reading comprehension and classroom instruction did not change systematically over time as sites gained experience with Reading First; and (4) Study sites that received their Reading First grants later in the federal funding process experienced positive and statistically significant impacts both on the time first and second grade teachers spent on the five essential components of reading instruction and on first and second grade reading comprehension, in contrast to study sites that received their Reading First grants earlier in the federal funding process, where there were no statistically significant impacts on either time spent on the five components of reading instruction or on reading comprehension scores at any grade level. The final report is due in early 2009, and will provide an additional year of follow-up data, and will examine whether the magnitude of impacts on the use of scientifically based reading instruction is associated with improvements in reading comprehension. (Contains 4 footnotes and 5 figures.) [This report was produced by the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences. For the full interim report, see ED501218.].




Reading First Impact Study


Book Description

This report presents preliminary findings from the Reading First Impact Study, a congressionally mandated evaluation of the federal government initiative to help all children read at or above grade level by the end of third grade. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) established Reading First and mandated its evaluation. This document is the first of two reports: it examines the impact of Reading First funding in 2004-05 and 2005-06 in 18 sites across 12 states. The report examines program impacts on students' reading comprehension and teachers' use of scientifically based reading instruction. Key findings are that: (1) On average, estimated impacts on student reading comprehension test scores were not statistically significant; (2) On average, Reading First increased instructional time spent on the five essential components of reading instruction promoted by the program (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension); (3) Average impacts on reading comprehension and classroom instruction did not change systematically over time as sites gained experience with Reading First; and (4) Study sites that received their Reading First grants later in the federal funding process experienced positive and statistically significant impacts both on the time first and second grade teachers spent on the five essential components of reading instruction and on first and second grade reading comprehension, in contrast to study sites that received their Reading First grants earlier in the federal funding process, where there were no statistically significant impacts on either time spent on the five components of reading instruction or on reading comprehension scores at any grade level. The final report is due in early 2009, and will provide an additional year of follow-up data, and will examine whether the magnitude of impacts on the use of scientifically based reading instruction is associated with improvements in reading comprehension. Eight appendixes are included: (1) State and Site Award Data; (2) Methods; (3) Measures; (4) Additional Exhibits for Main Impact Analyses; (5) Confidence Intervals for Main Impact Estimates; (6) Graphs of Site-By-Site Impact Estimates; (7) Additional Exhibits for Subgroup Analyses; and (8) Alternative Moderators of Reading First Impacts. (Contains 55 footnotes and 106 exhibits.) [This report was produced by the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. For the Executive Summary of this report, see ED501219.].




Closing the Achievement Gap


Book Description

Struggling older English learners pose a real challenge for educators. Some of these students are new arrivals with limited or interrupted schooling. Others have been in and out of ESL and bilingual programs in this country since kindergarten, but have never succeeded academically. How can teachers help older students who lack academic content knowledge and English language proficiency catch up with their classmates? Yvonne and David Freeman provide four research-based keys for closing the achievement gap. three teachers have put this theory into practice to reach their older English learners. These teachers organize curriculum around themes, use predictable classroom routines, and scaffold instruction in a variety of ways. The clear examples from their classes will help other teachers implement effective practices for their older English learners. Closing the Achievement Gap features: the four keys for school success for older English learners clear distinctions among the types of older English learners in our schools with examples of students from each category a thorough discussion of the kinds of language proficiency older English learners need a review of the latest research on effective practices for older English learners detailed descriptions from the classrooms of three teachers, including thematic units they have developed, their daily routines, and the strategies they use to scaffold instruction professional extension activities to help readers apply the information in this book to their own educational settings. For teachers and teacher educators, program directors, resource personnel, and administrators, this book offers both the research and practice schools need to develop effective programs to educate struggling older English learners.




The Toolbox Revisited


Book Description

The Toolbox Revisited is a data essay that follows a nationally representative cohort of students from high school into postsecondary education, and asks what aspects of their formal schooling contribute to completing a bachelor's degree by their mid-20s. The universe of students is confined to those who attended a four-year college at any time, thus including students who started out in other types of institutions, particularly community colleges.




Digest of Education Statistics


Book Description

Contains information on a variety of subjects within the field of education statistics, including the number of schools and colleges, enrollments, teachers, graduates, educational attainment, finances, Federal funds for education, libraries, international education, and research and development.