Conducting classroom-based educational research trials is important for establishing the efficacy and effectiveness of specific instructional interventions. Such endeavours, however, are challenging to implement. This was made evident during a recent independent evaluation of the efficacy of the MiniLit program, wherein various difficulties…

This paper presents evidence confirming the validity of the RD design in the Reading Recovery study by examining the ability of the RD design to replicate the 1st grade results observed in the original i3 RCT focused on short-term impacts. Over 1,800 schools participated in the RD study over all four cohort years. The RD design used cutoff-based…

Recent initiatives in the United States and United Kingdom have added greatly to the amount and quality of research on the effectiveness of secondary reading programs, especially programs for struggling readers. In this review of the experimental research on secondary reading programs, the authors focused on 69 studies that used random assignment…

Students entering high school face many new academic challenges. One of the most important is their ability to read and understand more complex text in literature, mathematics, science, and social studies courses as they navigate through a rigorous high school curriculum. The Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northwest conducted a study to…

Premier League Reading Stars (PLRS) is in its eighth year. To complement a pre-post quantitative survey, an impact evidence base was required to inform consideration of continued funding into 2011 and beyond. PLRS is very highly regarded among child participants, parents, and librarians. The structure of the scheme, its basis on football, and the…

The effects of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation and the publication of the National Reading Panel (NRP) report profoundly affected how reading is taught in public schools as well as how program effectiveness is evaluated. The disequilibrium that resulted from state and federal mandates governing reading instruction set the stage for the…

This study investigated the role of the amount, content, and implementation of reading instruction provided by 17 kindergarten teachers in eight "Reading First" elementary schools as it related to students' progress (n = 286 students) on early reading assessments of phonological awareness and letter naming-decoding fluency. Children's…

"Reading Mastery," one of several curriculum components that constitute the "Direct Instruction" curriculum from SRA/McGraw-Hill, is designed to provide systematic instruction in reading to students in grades K-6. "Reading Mastery," which can be used as an intervention program for struggling readers, as a supplement…

This report presents early findings from the Enhanced Reading Opportunities (ERO) study--a demonstration and rigorous evaluation of two supplemental literacy programs that aim to improve the reading comprehension skills and school performance of struggling ninth-grade readers. focuses on the first of two cohorts of ninth-grade students who will…

Suggests that, unlike classical experiments, which should be carried to conclusion without change, evaluation of ongoing educational programs, such as the "Let's Be Amigos" program, must adapt to program changes. (RB)

Discusses the developmental and testing of an instrument to evaluate secondary school reading programs. Presents the instrument. (FL)

This booklet is a guide to research done on More Effective Schools (MES) through April, 1969. The Bureau of Educational Research of the New York City Board of Education found that the mean gain in reading comprehension of MES students over non-MES students ranged from 2.5 to 4.5 school months relating to the period studied. The booklet summarizes…

With increasing attention focused on comprehension, there is a need for research regarding how to implement comprehension instruction for struggling readers and assess its effectiveness. This article describes reading instruction as it occurred over two years with one struggling reader in third and fourth grade. A comprehension checklist provided…

The Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test and the Culture Fair Intelligence Test were administered to all pupils ages eight to eleven in the Windsor (Connecticut) Public Schools as part of an evaluation of the Individually Guided Education (I. G. E.) program. In this seven-month evaluation, all age groups achieved reading scores significantly higher than…

This report presents results of analyses of factors affecting reading achievement of students in grades one through sex in District of Columbia schools as measured by the percentage of objectives mastered on the Prescriptive Reading Test (PRT) and by students' interest in reading for the year 1977-78. It also contains descriptive information about…