Research

One study (Baker, Gersten, & Keating, 2000) reviewed by the WWC investigated the effects of SMART®. This study was a randomized controlled trial that met WWC evidence standards.

Baker, Gersten, & Keating (2000) randomly assigned low-performing first-grade students in 24 classrooms from six Title I schools to the intervention or the comparison group within each classroom and assessed reading outcomes at the end of first and second grades. Students in the intervention group received the SMART® program as a supplement to the regular reading curriculum during first and second grades. Students in the comparison group did not receive the SMART® program, but received the same classroom instruction as students in the intervention group. The study also included an average-achieving comparison but the WWC did not include this portion of the study in its review.

Extent of evidence

The WWC categorizes the extent of evidence in each domain as small or medium to large (see the What Works Clearinghouse Extent of Evidence Categorization Scheme). The extent of evidence takes into account the number of studies and the total sample size across the studies that met WWC evidence standards with or without reservations. ³

The WWC considers the extent of evidence for SMART® to be small for alphabetics, fluency, and comprehension. No studies that met WWC evidence standards with or without reservations addressed general reading achievement.