The Effects of the Content Literacy Continuum on Adolescent Students' Reading Comprehension and Academic Achievement
Analysis plan
Student data will be analyzed using two-level hierarchical linear models, with level 1 being students and level 2 being schools. Students' grade 8 standardized test scores and demographic information will serve as covariates in student-level models, and average grade 8 test scores, school demographic data, and eligibility for free or reduced price lunch will serve as covariates in school-level analyses. Separate analyses will be conducted for each cohort. The analyses will focus on the second year of implementation to maximize the potential to observe program impacts. After two years of implementation, grade 9 teachers will have more experience with the elements and delivery of the CLC program (potentially producing stronger impacts on grade 9 students' academic outcomes). In addition, some grade 10 students will have received two years of CLC-related instruction and services (potentially benefitting from increased exposure to the program).
A classroom observation tool adopted for this study will be used to record the types and amount of reading-related activities that take place in the classroom. This information can help determine whether teachers in intervention schools provide more literacy-focused instruction.
By testing the impact of CLC using a cluster randomized trial, the research team will be able to determine whether the program—in isolation from other potentially contributing factors—causes improvements in student outcomes. Even with the rigorous design, there are limitations to the conclusions that can be drawn from the study, however. First, high schools were selected for the study based on student characteristics, past student achievement, and commitment to implement the CLC framework. Thus, findings from this evaluation may not generalize to schools with different characteristics. However, because the schools in the study represent the diversity of high schools in the Midwest Region, the findings will likely be relevant to a variety of policymakers and practitioners. Second, while the study expects to see initial impacts from the CLC program on student outcomes from two years of implementation (2008–10), initiatives that target whole-school change often require longer implementation to realize their full potential. Thus, any initial findings of impact or lack of impact may not represent the full extent of change possible with the CLC program.