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Effectiveness
Findings
The WWC review of beginning reading addresses student outcomes in four domains: alphabetics, reading fluency, comprehension, and general reading achievement.8 The studies of Accelerated Reader presented in this report address outcomes in each of these domains except alphabetics. The findings below include both the authors’ estimates and WWC-calculated estimates of the size and statistical significance of the effects of Accelerated Reader on students.
Reading Fluency. Bullock (2005) reports, and the WWC confirms, no significant effect of Accelerated Reader on third-graders when measured using the Oral Reading Fluency subtest of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS).
Comprehension. Ross, Nunnery, & Goldfeder (2004) report a positive and statistically significant effect of Accelerated Reader on third grade student performance on the STAR Reading test.9 In WWC computations, this positive effect is not statistically significant, but is considered substantively important according to WWC criteria (an effect size greater than 0.25). Bullock (2005) reports, and the WWC confirms, no significant effect of Accelerated Reader on third graders when measured using the STAR Reading test. However, WWC calculations show the effect to be negative and substantively important according to WWC criteria (an effect greater than 0.25).10
General reading achievement. Ross, Nunnery, & Goldfeder (2004) show, and the WWC confirms, that Accelerated Reader has positive and statistically significant effects on a measure of general reading achievement (STAR Early Literacy test) when results are combined across kindergarten, first, and second grade students. When analyzed separately for each grade level, the effects are substantively important (greater than 0.25) but not statistically significant.
Rating of effectiveness
The WWC rates the effects of an intervention on a given outcome domain as positive, potentially positive, mixed, no discernible effects, potentially negative, or negative. The rating of effectiveness takes into account four factors: the quality of the research design, the statistical significance of the findings, the size of the difference between participants in the intervention and the comparison conditions, and the consistency in findings across studies (see the WWC Intervention Rating Scheme).
8 For definitions of the domains, see the Beginning Reading Protocol.
9 The STAR tests are developed and distributed by Renaissance Learning, which also distributes Accelerated Reader. According to Renaissance Learning research, the STAR Reading test and the STAR Early Literacy tests are correlated to other standardized reading tests. See Appendices A2.2 and A2.3.
10 The level of statistical significance was reported by the study authors or, where necessary, calculated by the WWC to correct for clustering within classrooms or schools and for multiple comparisons. For an explanation, see the WWC Tutorial on Mismatch. For the formulas the WWC used to calculate the statistical significance, see Technical Details of WWC-Conducted Computations. For the Ross, Nunnery, & Goldfeder (2004) study, a correction for clustering was needed.