Evaluation Study of the Istation Early Reading Program in Idaho
Wolf, Rebecca; Ross, Steven; Eisinger, Jane; Reid, Alan; Armstrong, Clayton (2020). Center for Research and Reform in Education. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED611345
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examining29,353Students, gradesK-3
Publication
Review Details
Reviewed: November 2023
- Publication (findings for Istation)
- Quasi-Experimental Design
- Meets WWC standards with reservations because it uses a cluster quasi-experimental design that provides evidence of effects on individuals by satisfying the baseline equivalence requirement for the individuals in the analytic intervention and comparison groups.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT): ELA composite |
Istation vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Grade: 3;
|
2430.80 |
2430.90 |
No |
-- |
|
Idaho Reading Indicator |
Istation vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
2.58 |
2.58 |
No |
-- |
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Idaho Reading Indicator: Letter sound fluency subtest |
Istation vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
52.65 |
50.60 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Idaho Reading Indicator: Letter naming fluency subtest |
Istation vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
39.93 |
39.52 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT): Reading subtest |
Istation vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Grade: 3;
|
2432.49 |
2435.33 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT): Listening subtest |
Istation vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Grade: 3;
|
2442.85 |
2446.04 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT): Writing subtest |
Istation vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Grade: 3;
|
2423.94 |
2421.60 |
No |
-- | ||
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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10% English language learners -
Other or unknown: 100% -
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Idaho
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Race Other or unknown 25% White 75% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 18% Not Hispanic or Latino 82% -
Eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch Other or unknown 100%
Study Details
Setting
The study took place in 140 elementary schools in Idaho during the 2017/18 school year.
Study sample
Pilot schools were in predominantly rural areas (64 percent) and had a mean school enrollment of 353 students. Three quarters (75 percent) students were White, 18 percent were Latino, 57 percent were economically disadvantaged, 11 percent were in special education, and 10 percent were English learners.
Intervention Group
The Istation Reading program consists of formative assessments, named Istation Indicators of Progress (ISIP™), which are computer-adaptive and diagnostic literacy assessments designed to track student growth over time. Istation Reading also includes an adaptive, online curriculum, which generates personalized learner data profiles that teachers can use to make data-driven instructional decisions and assign custom learning interventions. Istation’s Early Reading (ER) program was designed specifically for students in grades K–3, focusing on early reading, including phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and fluency. The study took place during a pilot year, and the typical student received between 2 and 3.5 hours of total exposure to Istation throughout the school year.
Comparison Group
Schools in the comparison condition did not implement the Istation intervention during the 2017/18 school year.
Support for implementation
Most schools sent 1-2 staff to attend Istation training, and those staff were asked to train their colleagues upon their return. The initial training mainly focused on technical navigation of the program and its website. Online training modules were also an available implementation resource for teachers.
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.
The name and version of the document used to guide the review of the study.
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.
Based on the direction, magnitude, statistical significance, and sample size of the findings within a domain, the WWC assigns effectiveness ratings as one of the following: Tier 1 (strong evidence), Tier 2 (moderate evidence), Tier 3 (promising evidence), uncertain effects, and negative effects. For more detail, please see the WWC Handbook.
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Tier 1 Strong indicates strong evidence of effectiveness,
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).