<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0"><channel><title>NCEE What's New</title><link>http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/whatsnew/</link><description>For the latest in events, developments, and updates to the NCEE website, check back here often.</description><language>en-us</language><category>education</category><category>statistics</category><category>data access tools</category><category>libraries</category><category>schools</category><category>colleges</category><item><title>New Publication Released: Reading First Impact Study: Interim Report </title><description><![CDATA[Created under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, the Reading First program provides assistance to states and districts in using research-based reading programs and instructional materials for students in kindergarten through third grade and in introducing related professional development and assessments. The program's purpose is to ensure that increased proportions of students read at or above grade level, have mastery of the essential components of early reading, and that all students can read at or above grade level by the end of grade 3. The law requires that an independent, rigorous evaluation of the program be conducted to determine if the program influences teaching practices, mastery of early reading components, and student reading comprehension. This interim report presents the impacts of Reading First on classroom reading instruction and student reading comprehension during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 school years.

The evaluation found that Reading First did have positive, statistically significant impacts on the total class time spent on the five essential components of reading instruction promoted by the program. The study also found that, on average across the 18 study sites, Reading First did not have statistically significant impacts on student reading comprehension test scores in grades 1-3. A final report on the impacts from 2004-2007 (three school years with Reading First funding) and on the relationships between changes in instructional practice and student reading comprehension is expected in late 2008.
]]></description><pubDate>5/1/2008</pubDate><link>http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20084016/index.asp</link></item><item><title>Enhanced Reading Opportunities: Early Impact and Implementation Findings</title><description><![CDATA[The new report, <em>Enhanced Reading Opportunities: Early Impact and Implementation Findings</em> presents early findings from an evaluation of the impact of two supplemental literacy programs that aim to improve the reading comprehension skills and school performance of struggling ninth-grade readers. The report describes the effects of the programs on the first cohort of students entering high school two to five years behind grade level in reading. Taken together, the programs produced a statistically significant impact on reading comprehension among students who were randomly assigned to participate in the supplemental literacy programs compared to those who did not participate in the programs. There were no statistically significant impacts on student achievement in vocabulary or student use of reading behaviors promoted by the programs.]]></description><pubDate>1/28/2008</pubDate><link>http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20084015.asp</link></item><item><title>National Assessment of Title I: Final Report</title><description><![CDATA[This two-volume report, and Summary of Key Findings, presents findings from the congressionally mandated National Assessment of Title I on the implementation and impact of the program. Volume I contains key findings on the implementation of the program under No Child Left Behind, and Volume II presents a report on follow-up findings from Closing the Reading Gap, an evaluation of the impact of supplemental remedial reading programs on achievement of 3rd and 5th grade students.
As part of NCLB, the Congress mandated a National Assessment of Title I (Section 1501) to evaluate the implementation and impact of the program. This mandate also required the establishment of an Independent Review Panel (IRP) to advise the Secretary on methodological and other issues that arise in carrying out the National Assessment and the studies that contribute to this assessment. In addition, the law specifically requires a longitudinal study of Title I schools to examine the implementation and impact of the Title I program.  Results from that study are included in Volume I.]]></description><pubDate>11/15/2007</pubDate><link>http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20084012/</link></item><item><title>Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades</title><description><![CDATA[This Practice Guide is the first in a series of IES guides in education that are developed by a panel of experts which are intended to bring the best available evidence and expertise to bear on the types of systemic challenges that cannot currently be addressed by single intervention or programs.  This first guide addresses the challenge of providing effective literacy instruction for English learners in the elementary grades.  Although the target audience is a broad spectrum of school practitioners such as administrators, curriculum specialists, coaches, staff development specialists and teachers, the more specific objective is to reach district-level administrators with a Practice Guide that will help them develop practice and policy options for their schools.  The Guide offers five specific recommendations for district administrators and indicates the quality of the evidence that supports these recommendations.]]></description><pubDate>7/3/2007</pubDate><link>http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20074011.asp</link></item><item><title>Evaluation of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program: Impacts After One Year</title><description><![CDATA[The DC School Choice Incentive Act of 2003 established the first federally funded private school voucher program in the United States, providing scholarships of up to $7,500 for low-income residents of the District of Columbia to send their children to local participating private schools.  The law also mandated that the Department conduct an independent, rigorous impact evaluation of what is now called the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program.  The study&#8217;s latest report, Evaluation of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program:  Impacts After One Year, found no significant differences in student achievement between those who were offered scholarships to attend a participating private school and those who were eligible for, but were not offered (as assigned by a lottery) a scholarship.  Students in the program did not report being more satisfied or feeling safer than those who were not in the program. However, the program did have a positive impact on parent satisfaction and perceptions of school safety.]]></description><pubDate>6/21/2007</pubDate><link>http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20074009/</link></item><item><title>National Evaluation of Early Reading First: Final Report to Congress Released </title><description><![CDATA[The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 created the Early Reading First (ERF) program to provide funding to preschools, particularly those that serve children from low-income families, to support the development of children's language and literacy skills.  NCLB mandated that the Department conduct an independent evaluation of the ERF program to assess the impact of the program on both children's literacy skills as well as the instructional content and practices in preschool classrooms.  Using a quasi-experimental design, the study found that the program had a positive impact on children's print and letter knowledge, but not on phonological awareness or oral language.  The program had positive impacts on aspects of the classroom environment and teacher practices that are intended to support the development of language and literacy skills.]]></description><pubDate>6/4/2007</pubDate><link>http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20074007/index.asp</link></item><item><title>WWC Releases Two New Intervention Reports on Beginning Reading</title><description><![CDATA[The What Works Clearinghouse has announced the release of two new intervention reports on Beginning Reading: Early Intervention in Reading (EIR) and Read, Write & Type!]]></description><pubDate>5/7/2007</pubDate><link>http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/reports/beginning_reading/index.asp</link></item><item><title>Effectiveness of Reading and Mathematics Software Products: Findings from the First Student Cohort</title><description><![CDATA[IES' National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance has released a major study on the effectiveness of education technology. The report, 'Effectiveness of Reading and Mathematics Software Products: Findings from the First Student Cohort' which was mandated by Congress, uses scientifically based research methods and control groups to focus on the impact of technology on student academic achievement. The main findings of the study are:
• Test scores were not significantly higher in classrooms using the reading and mathematics software products than those in control classrooms.  In each of the four groups of products&#8212;reading in first grade and in fourth grade, mathematics in sixth grade, and high school algebra&#8212;the evaluation found no significant differences in student achievement between the classrooms that used the technology products and classrooms that did not.
• There was substantial variation between schools regarding the effects on student achievement.  Although the study collected data on many school and classroom characteristics, only two characteristics were related to the variation in reading achievement. For first grade, effects were larger in schools that had smaller student-teacher ratios (a measure of class size).  For fourth grade, effects were larger when treatment teachers reported higher levels of use of the study product.
Thirty-three districts, 132 schools, and 439 teachers participated in the study. Sixteen products were selected for the study based on public submissions and ratings by a study team and expert review panels. 
]]></description><pubDate>4/4/2007</pubDate><link>http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20074005/</link></item><item><title>NEW WEBSITE! Regional Educational Laboratory Program</title><description><![CDATA[The Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Program consists of a network of ten laboratories that serve the educational needs of a designated region by providing access to high quality scientifically valid education research through applied research and development projects, studies, and other related technical assistance activities. This website will provide users with a one-stop location from which to find information from all 10 RELs.]]></description><pubDate>9/25/2006</pubDate><link>http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/</link></item><item><title>Evaluation of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program: Second Year Report on Participation</title><description><![CDATA[NCEE released the congressionally mandated Evaluation of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program: Second Year Report on Participation. The report updates information from the April 2005 report to Congress on the schools and students who applied to and became participants in the program over the first two years of implementation.]]></description><pubDate>5/5/2006</pubDate><link>http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/dcchoiceyeartwo.asp</link></item><item><title>National Assessment of Title I: Interim Report to Congress </title><description><![CDATA[This three-volume report presents findings from the congressionally mandated national assessment of Title I, evaluating the implementation and impact of the program. Volume I contains key findings on the implementation of the program under No Child Left Behind, and Volume II presents a report on the findings from Closing the Reading Gap, an evaluation of the impact of supplemental remedial reading programs on student achievement. ]]></description><pubDate>5/2/2006</pubDate><link>http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/title1/title1.asp</link></item><item><title>Regional Educational Lab Contracts Awarded</title><description><![CDATA[On March 28, the Department announced the new 5-year contracts for 10 regional educational labs. The labs carry out research, development, dissemination, training, and technical assistance activities. 

Appalachia: The CNA Corporation, Alexandria, VA. http://www.cna.org.

Central: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning, Denver, CO. http://www.mcrel.org 

Mid-Atlantic: Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA. http://www.psu.edu/ 

Midwest: Learning Point Associates, Naperville, IL. http://www.learningpt.org

Northeast: Education Development Center, Newton, MA. http://www.edc.org

Northwest: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, Portland, OR. http://www.nwrel.org

Pacific: Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, Honolulu, HI. http://www.prel.org

Southeast: University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC. http://www.serve.org

Southwest: Edvance Research Inc., Austin, TX. http://www.edvanceresearch.com

West: WestEd, San Francisco, CA. http://www.wested.org



Read the press release at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/whatsnew/reg_labs.asp]]></description><pubDate>3/28/2006</pubDate><link>http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/projects/labs.asp</link></item></channel></rss>
