A Delayed Treatment Control Group Design Study of an After-School Online Tutoring Program in Reading
Perry, S. Marshall (2014). IGI Global. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED600863
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examining274Students, grades6-8
Grant Competition
Review Details
Reviewed: September 2016
- Grant Competition (findings for Educate Online)
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
California Achievement Test (CAT): Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension composite score |
Educate Online vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
732.42 |
717.13 |
Yes |
-- |
|
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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28% English language learners -
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California, Ohio, South Dakota
Study Details
Setting
The study took place in fifteen middle schools in three different states: California, Ohio, and South Dakota. The intervention was administered online.
Study sample
The authors did not provide information about the sample's race, gender, or free/reduced price lunch status. However, of the full sample (n = 391), 108 students identified as English language learners.
Intervention Group
The intervention was implemented using an online system that employed 1:1 tutoring. The authors did not state how often or how many sessions the students participated in, but the total length of time was approximately four months (beginning in October and ending in January). The program connects certified teachers with students in real time using computers or Voice over Internet Protocol technology. The students participate by interacting with a tutor who begins the instructional session by choosing and loading appropriate skill-level lessons depending upon the individual student's personal learning plan. The student's skill level is determined by his or her performance on the California Achievement Test, taken prior to beginning the tutoring sessions. "The online classroom also includes a token economy reward system through which students accumulate tokens for working diligently and mastering skills" (pg. 266). Students who complete the program also receive a fully functional computer at the end of the program.
Comparison Group
The comparison condition wait-listed. During the time the intervention was delivered to the intervention group, this group likely participated in their typical school activities.
Support for implementation
The study did not provide support for implementation of the program.
An indicator of the effect of the intervention, the improvement index can be interpreted as the expected change in percentile rank for an average comparison group student if that student had received the intervention.
For more, please see the WWC Glossary entry for improvement index.
An outcome is the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are attained as a result of an activity. An outcome measures is an instrument, device, or method that provides data on the outcome.
A finding that is included in the effectiveness rating. Excluded findings may include subgroups and subscales.
The sample on which the analysis was conducted.
The group to which the intervention group is compared, which may include a different intervention, business as usual, or no services.
The timing of the post-intervention outcome measure.
The number of students included in the analysis.
The mean score of students in the intervention group.
The mean score of students in the comparison group.
The WWC considers a finding to be statistically significant if the likelihood that the finding is due to chance alone, rather than a real difference, is less than five percent.
The WWC reviews studies for WWC products, Department of Education grant competitions, and IES performance measures.
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The version of the WWC design standards used to guide the review of the study.
The result of the WWC assessment of the study. The rating is based on the strength of evidence of the effectiveness of the intervention. Studies are given a rating of Meets WWC Design Standards without Reservations, Meets WWC Design Standards with Reservations, or >Does Not Meet WWC Design Standards.
A related publication that was reviewed alongside the main study of interest.
Study findings for this report.
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Tier 2 Moderate indicates moderate evidence of effectiveness, and
Tier 3 Promising indicates promising evidence of effectiveness,
as defined in the
non-regulatory guidance for ESSA
and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).