Study: 89480

Practice Guide

Review Details

Reviewed: September 2021

At least one finding shows strong evidence of effectiveness

At least one statistically significant positive finding

Meets WWC standards without reservations

For:

Practice Guide (findings for Reading Apprenticeship Academic Literacy (RAAL))

Using:

Rating:

Meets WWC standards without reservations because it is a randomized controlled trial with low attrition.

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

Measures of general reading proficiency and English Language Arts outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome measure	Comparison	Period	Sample	Intervention mean	Comparison mean	Significant?	Improvement index	Evidence tier
Standardized State Test Score	Reading Apprenticeship Academic Literacy (RAAL) vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Full sample: RAAL schools; 1,053 students	0.13	-0.04	Yes	6

Reading Comprehension outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome measure	Comparison	Period	Sample	Intervention mean	Comparison mean	Significant?	Improvement index	Evidence tier
Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation (GRADE): Comprehension subtest	Reading Apprenticeship Academic Literacy (RAAL) vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Full sample: RAAL schools; 2,255 students	90.04	88.89	Yes	5

Reading vocabulary outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome measure	Comparison	Period	Sample	Intervention mean	Comparison mean	Significant?	Improvement index	Evidence tier
Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation (GRADE): Vocabulary subtest	Reading Apprenticeship Academic Literacy (RAAL) vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Full sample: RAAL schools; 2,255 students	93.44	93.33	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.

Female: 50%
Male: 50%

Race
Black		47%
Other or unknown		37%
White		17%

Ethnicity
Hispanic		30%
Not Hispanic or Latino		70%

Study Details

Setting

The study occurred in 17 high schools across 10 school districts in the United States. The intervention was implemented in full-year supplementary classes of 12-15 grade 9 students. Each class was taught by a teacher trained to implement the intervention.

Study sample

Thirty percent of the sample was Hispanic, 47 percent were Black and non-Hispanic, 17 percent were White and non-Hispanic, and the remaining 7 percent were of other races and ethnicities. The study sample included approximately equal numbers of male and female students. Approximately 67 percent were eligible for free/reduced-price lunch. 46 percent reported a language other than English spoken at home. Thirty percent were considered overage for their grade.

Intervention Group

The study examined the effectiveness of a reading intervention for students struggling with reading. Intervention students participated in the supplementary literacy classes that took place either as a 45-minute daily class or a 75-90 minute class on alternating days. Classes were designed to meet at a minimum of 225 minutes per week. In the first cohort, implementation was delayed and the classes went on for 7.7 months on average. In the second cohort, students participated in the Enhanced Reading Opportunities (ERO) classes for an average of 9.1 months. The lessons followed the Reading Apprenticeship Academic Literacy (RAAL) program that provides a detailed curriculum while giving teachers flexibility in how to include various aspects of the RAAL curriculum in their day-to-day teaching activities to work towards the overarching goals of the program.

Comparison Group

Comparison students took the same core courses as intervention students. Instead of intervention classes, comparison students were enrolled in elective courses. Most took elective courses that were not focused on literacy.

Support for implementation

The study provided training to the teachers who were implementing the RAAL program as well as to district program coordinators so that they could also provide support for implementation. Teachers attended teacher training institutes, as well as RAAL-specific "booster sessions." The program developers also conducted instructional coaching visits to the teachers' classrooms.

The Enhanced Reading Opportunities Study Final Report: The Impact of Supplemental Literacy Courses for Struggling Ninth-Grade Readers. NCEE 2010-4021 [Reading Apprentice Academic Literacy (RAAL) vs. business as usual]