WWC review of this study

Developing educators throughout their careers: Evaluation of the Rio Grande Valley Center for Teaching and Leading Excellence.

Young, V., Wei, X., Patel, D., Luck, A., & Howell, R. (2015). Washington, DC: SRI International.

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
     examining 
    5,865
     Students
    , grades
    4-8

Reviewed: January 2017

No statistically significant positive
findings
Meets WWC standards without reservations
English language arts achievement outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR): Reading

New Teacher Training vs. Business as usual

1 Year

Grade: 4, 5;
1,880 students

1529.13

1569.86

No

--

State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR): Reading

New Teacher Training vs. Business as usual

1 Year

Grade: 6, 7, 8;
5,865 students

1590.57

1580.63

No

--
General Mathematics Achievement outcomes—Statistically significant negative effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR): Math

New Teacher Training vs. Business as usual

1 Year

Grade: 4, 5;
1,802 students

1570.41

1624.66

No

--

State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR): Math

New Teacher Training vs. Business as usual

1 Year

Grade: 6, 7, 8;
4,501 students

1752.35

2095.77

No

--
Social Studies Achievement outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR): Social Studies

New Teacher Training vs. Business as usual

1 Year

Grade: 8;
331 students

3246.76

3282.13

No

--


Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.

    • B
    • A
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    • D
    • E
    • F
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    • I
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    • J
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    • M
    • N
    • O
    • Q
    • R
    • S
    • V
    • U
    • T
    • W
    • X
    • Z
    • Y
    • a
    • h
    • i
    • b
    • d
    • e
    • f
    • c
    • g
    • j
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    • l
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    • w
    • y

    Texas

Setting

This study took place in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo (PSJA) Independent School District (ISD) and the IDEA school district in the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas. These school districts were the setting where authors examined the professional development of new teachers (less than 5 years of experience) in 4th and 5th grades as well as a second set of teachers in 6th through 8th grades. PSJA ISD has a long-standing Early High School initiative and related technical assistance on the Common Instructional Framework, a set of instructional strategies developed by Jobs for the Future and supported throughout the district.

Study sample

While the study indicates that student demographics were used for random assignment, there was no presentation of the student demographics in the study. Students were in the 4th through 8th grades in public schools in the Rio Grande area of South Texas.

Intervention Group

New Teacher Training (NTT) consisted of a five-day summer institute created from the Teach for America's curriculum, three ongoing professional development sessions, and coaching during the school year immediately following the summer institute. NTT included key topics of classroom management, lesson planning, data-driven decision-making, and assessment. Additionally, each district provided its own ongoing professional development and instructional coaching to new teachers. It is assumed that the intervention consisted of the traditional classroom days and times for the school year since no additional teaching intervention is indicated.

Comparison Group

There was no discussion of the comparison condition other than the teachers with more than 5 years of experience were not selected for the New Teacher Training program. It is assumed that the comparison condition consisted of the traditional classroom days and times for the school year. No additional teaching intervention is indicated.

Support for implementation

There was no support for implementation described by the authors. The fidelity of implementation was measured but no specifics on how implementation is carried out were reported.

Reviewed: August 2016

No statistically significant positive
findings
Meets WWC standards without reservations
English language arts achievement outcomes—Statistically significant negative effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR): Reading

New Teacher Training vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Grades 4-5;
1,880 students

1529.13

1569.86

No

--

State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR): Reading

New Teacher Training vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Grades 6-8;
5,865 students

1590.57

1580.63

Yes

-5
 
 
General Mathematics Achievement outcomes—Statistically significant negative effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR): Math

New Teacher Training vs. Business as usual

9 Months

Grades 4-5;
1,802 students

1570.41

1624.66

No

--

State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR): Math

New Teacher Training vs. Business as usual

9 Months

Grades 6-8;
4,501 students

1752.35

2095.77

Yes

-12
 
 
Social Studies Achievement outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR): Social Studies

New Teacher Training vs. Business as usual

9 Months

Grade 8;
331 students

3246.76

3282.13

No

--


Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.


  • Rural
    • B
    • A
    • C
    • D
    • E
    • F
    • G
    • I
    • H
    • J
    • K
    • L
    • P
    • M
    • N
    • O
    • Q
    • R
    • S
    • V
    • U
    • T
    • W
    • X
    • Z
    • Y
    • a
    • h
    • i
    • b
    • d
    • e
    • f
    • c
    • g
    • j
    • k
    • l
    • m
    • n
    • o
    • p
    • q
    • r
    • s
    • t
    • u
    • x
    • w
    • y

    Texas

Setting

This study took place in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo (PSJA) Independent School District (ISD) and the IDEA school district in the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas. These school districts were the setting where authors examined the professional development of new teachers (less than 5 years of experience) in 4th and 5th grades as well as a second set of teachers in 6th through 8th grades. PSJA ISD has a long-standing Early High School initiative and related technical assistance on the Common Instructional Framework, a set of instructional strategies developed by Jobs for the Future and supported throughout the district.

Study sample

There was no presentation of the student demographics in the study. Students were in the 4th through 8th grades in public schools in the Rio Grande area of South Texas.

Intervention Group

New Teacher Training (NTT) consisted of a five-day summer institute created from the Teach for America's curriculum, three ongoing professional development sessions, and coaching during the school year immediately following the summer institute. NTT included key topics of classroom management, lesson planning, data-driven decision-making, and assessment. Additionally, each district provided its own ongoing professional development and instructional coaching to new teachers. It is assumed that the intervention consisted of the traditional classroom days and times for the school year since no additional teaching intervention is indicated.

Comparison Group

There was no discussion of the comparison condition other than the teachers with more than 5 years of experience were not selected for the New Teacher Training program. It is assumed that the comparison condition consisted of the traditional classroom days and times for the school year. No additional teaching intervention is indicated.

Support for implementation

There was no support for implementation described by the authors. The fidelity of implementation was measured but no specifics on how implementation is carried out were reported.

 

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