WWC review of this study

Reading Recovery: An evaluation of the four-year i3 scale-up

May, H., Sirinides, P., Gray, A., & Goldsworthy, H (2016). Philadelphia: Consortium for Policy Research in Education. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED593261

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
     examining 
    6,888
     Students
    , grade
    1

Reviewed: December 2022



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

Study sample characteristics were not reported.

Reviewed: August 2016

At least one finding shows promising evidence of effectiveness
At least one statistically significant positive finding
Meets WWC standards without reservations
Alphabetics outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS): Reading Words Scale Score

Reading Recovery® vs. Business as usual

5 Months

Full sample;
6,888 students

140.55

136.98

Yes

 
 
14
 
Show Supplemental Findings

Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS): Reading Words Scale Score

Reading Recovery® vs. Business as usual

5 Months

Rural schools;
2,734 students

141.00

137.10

Yes

 
 
14
Comprehension outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS): Reading Comprehension

Reading Recovery® vs. Business as usual

5 Months

Full sample;
6,888 students

139.80

135.92

Yes

 
 
15
 
Show Supplemental Findings

Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS): Reading Comprehension

Reading Recovery® vs. Business as usual

5 Months

Rural schools;
2,734 students

139.70

136.60

Yes

 
 
24
Reading achievement outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement: Total score

Reading Recovery® vs. Business as usual

5 Months

Full sample;
6,671 students

495.37

451.88

Yes

 
 
34
 

Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS)

Reading Recovery® vs. Business as usual

5 Months

Full sample;
6,888 students

138.71

135.30

Yes

 
 
19
 
Show Supplemental Findings

Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement: Total score

Reading Recovery® vs. Business as usual

5 Months

Rural schools;
2,734 students

501.10

460.90

Yes

 
 
32

Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS)

Reading Recovery® vs. Business as usual

5 Months

Rural schools;
2,734 students

137.80

134.00

Yes

 
 
18


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.


  • 19% English language learners

  • Female: 40%
    Male: 60%

  • Rural, Suburban
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    Midwest, Northeast
  • Race
    Black
    13%
    Other or unknown
    35%
    White
    43%
  • Ethnicity
    Hispanic    
    19%
    Not Hispanic or Latino    
    81%

Setting

Schools that participated in the study were selected from a larger sample of schools participating in the i3 Scale-Up Reading Recovery study. All schools were located within the United States. The majority of schools were located in the Midwest and Northeastern United States. The majority of schools were also suburban with many of the schools having 20% or more of the students identified as English language learners.

Study sample

Students in the sample were 60% male, 40% female, and 19% English language learners. The sample included 13% Black students, 19% Hispanic, 43% White, and 25% other. 48% of the students had a text reading level of 0, 20% level 1, 20% level 2, and 13% level 3 or more. Characteristics by intervention and comparison groups were not reported separately.

Intervention Group

The Reading Recovery program is an intervention that targets struggling first grade students and aims to improve their literacy skills. This program is an intensive intervention that is delivered to struggling students through a 12 - to 20- week series of individual daily lessons that last 30 minutes each. Lessons are only provided by certified Reading Recovery-trained teachers. Teachers must complete an intensive, year long, graduate-level training course to become certified. The Reading Recovery program provides activities that are outlined and guided by the Standards and Guidelines of Reading Recovery in the United States, 6th edition.

Comparison Group

Students in the comparison condition received business as usual literacy instruction plus regular supplemental supports.

Support for implementation

Teachers must complete an intensive, year long, graduate-level training course to become certified to be a Recovery Reading teacher. The authors also collected implementation fidelity by: a) constructing a logic model which included all key components of the program, b) operationalizing the 51 program standards as measurable indicators of fidelity, c) defining a minimum threshold to assess implementation, d) collecting data on the indicators, and e) calculating adherence to the program's components.

 

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