WWC review of this study

Performance of District 23 students participating in Scholastic READ 180. [READ 180 vs. business as usual]

White, R., Williams, I., & Haslam, M. B. (2005). Policy Studies Associates. https://www.policystudies.com/s/District-23-READ-180-Report.pdf.

  • Quasi-Experimental Design
     examining 
    471
     Students
    , grades
    4-8

Reviewed: September 2021

No statistically significant positive
findings
Meets WWC standards with reservations
Measures of general reading proficiency and English Language Arts outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

New York State End-Of-Year Test in English Language Arts: Grade 8

READ 180® vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Grade 8 proficiency level 2;
425 students

689.00

686.00

No

--

CTB/McGraw-Hill Reading Test: Grade 6

READ 180® vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Grade 6 proficiency level 2;
471 students

642.00

639.00

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.


  • 3% English language learners

  • Female: 52%
    Male: 48%

  • Urban
    • 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

    New York
  • Race
    Black
    85%
    Other or unknown
    15%
  • Ethnicity
    Hispanic    
    15%
    Not Hispanic or Latino    
    85%

Setting

The study took place in 16 schools within New York City’s District 23 in Brooklyn.

Study sample

The sample characteristics were provided for the entire sample of students across grade levels and proficiency levels. The proficiency levels created by New York City school officials range from 1 (Below Basic) to 4 (Advanced). These data included students in Levels 3 (Proficient) and 4 (Advanced), which are outside the scope of this protocol; however, the authors did not provide data on just the students included in this review. The majority of the sample was Black (85%) and 15% were Hispanic, while 15% did not specify. Forty-eight percent of the sample was male, 52% of the sample was female, 3% were English language learners, and 90% of the students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch.

Intervention Group

The study examined the effectiveness of a reading intervention for students struggling with reading. The intervention condition involved the implementation of READ 180 over the course of the 2001-2002 school year. READ 180 is a program designed to improve the skills of students in fourth to twelfth grades who are struggling with reading.

Comparison Group

The comparison condition received the schools' usual reading instruction.

Support for implementation

The study did not provide any information about implementation support.

Reviewed: November 2016

No statistically significant positive
findings
Meets WWC standards with reservations
Comprehension outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

New York State Department of Education End-Of-Year Test in English Language Arts (NYSDE/ELA)

READ 180® vs. Business as usual

1 Year

Grade: 8 Lvl 2;
425 students

689.00

686.00

No

--

CTB/McGraw-Hill Reading Test

READ 180® vs. Business as usual

1 Year

Grade: 6 Lvl 2;
471 students

642.00

639.00

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.


  • 3% English language learners

  • Urban
    • 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

    New York
  • Race
    Black
    86%
  • Ethnicity
    Hispanic    
    27%
    Not Hispanic or Latino    
    73%

Setting

The study took place in 16 schools in New York City’s District 23 in Brooklyn.

Study sample

Students receiving READ 180® instruction in the 16 participating schools were compared to students within the same schools who had never participated in READ 180®. The full sample of 617 READ 180® students and 4,619 students in the comparison group had similar percentages of African-American students (86% intervention, 84% comparison), Hispanic students (14% intervention, 15% comparison), female students (54% intervention, 51% comparison), students eligible for special education (6% intervention, 11% comparison), and students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (91% intervention, 90% comparison). Both groups had the same percentages of students who were eligible for EL services (3%) and who were recent immigrants (3%). Main analysis samples were excluded from review because either they were not eligible or they did not meet WWC group design standards. For example, there were no intervention students in the grade 7 analysis sample; therefore, grade 7 students were excluded from this review. Moreover, results of an author query revealed that the samples of students in grades 4, 5, 6, and 8 did not establish baseline equivalence on the analytic sample, either combined or separately by grade. This review is based on the analytic sample which consists of three subgroups of students that were found to be equivalent at baseline: • Grade 6, proficiency level 2 [Basic]: This subgroup consisted of 64 students in the intervention group and 407 in the comparison group. • Grade 8, proficiency level 2 [Basic]: This subgroup consisted of 47 students in the intervention group and 378 in the comparison group. • Grade 8, proficiency level 3 [Proficient]: This subgroup consisted of 10 students in the intervention group and 191 in the comparison.

Intervention Group

The intervention group received READ 180® during the 2001–02 school year.

Comparison Group

The comparison group received business-as-usual instruction in the same schools that served the intervention group during the 2001–02 school year.

Support for implementation

Support for implementation was not described in the report.

Reviewed: October 2009

No statistically significant positive
findings
Meets WWC standards with reservations
Comprehension outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

New York State Department of Education End-Of-Year Test in English Language Arts (NYSDE/ELA)

READ 180® vs. Business as usual

Posttest

Grade 8: Proficiency level 3;
201 students

717.90

707.00

No

--

CTB/McGraw-Hill Reading Test

READ 180® vs. Business as usual

Posttest

Grade 6: Proficiency level 3;
274 students

674.10

667.00

No

--

New York State Department of Education End-Of-Year Test in English Language Arts (NYSDE/ELA)

READ 180® vs. Business as usual

Posttest

Grade 4: Proficiency level 2;
482 students

637.60

633.00

No

--

New York State Department of Education End-Of-Year Test in English Language Arts (NYSDE/ELA)

READ 180® vs. Business as usual

Posttest

Grade 8: Proficiency level 2;
425 students

689.00

686.00

No

--

CTB/McGraw-Hill Reading Test

READ 180® vs. Business as usual

Posttest

Grade 6: Proficiency level 2;
471 students

624.10

639.00

No

--

New York State Department of Education End-Of-Year Test in English Language Arts (NYSDE/ELA)

READ 180® vs. Business as usual

Posttest

Grade 4: Proficienty level 1;
229 students

606.80

609.00

No

--

New York State Department of Education End-Of-Year Test in English Language Arts (NYSDE/ELA)

READ 180® vs. Business as usual

Posttest

Grade 4: Proficiency level 3;
319 students

665.00

671.00

No

--

New York State Department of Education End-Of-Year Test in English Language Arts (NYSDE/ELA)

READ 180® vs. Business as usual

Posttest

Grade 8: Proficienty level 1;
274 students

664.90

667.00

No

--

CTB/McGraw-Hill Reading Test

READ 180® vs. Business as usual

Posttest

Grade 6: Proficienty level 1;
215 students

606.70

619.00

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.


  • 3% English language learners

  • Female: 51%
    Male: 49%

  • Urban
    • 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

    New York
  • Race
    Black
    84%
    Other or unknown
    1%
  • Ethnicity
    Hispanic    
    15%
    Not Hispanic or Latino    
    85%

Setting

The study was conducted in 16 public schools in central Brooklyn in New York City.

Study sample

The authors compared English Language Arts test outcomes for READ 180 students in 16 schools to outcomes of their peers attending the same schools who did not participate in READ 180. For the overall sample of students in grades 4–8, the profile of the students selected to participate in READ 180 was similar to that of comparison students. About 85% of students were African-American, and 90% were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. READ 180 students were somewhat less likely to be eligible for special-education services than nonparticipating students (6% versus 11%). For grades 4, 6, and 8, the students in the two groups were similar on the reading pretest. The analysis sample consisted of 362 students in the READ 180 group and 2,528 students in the comparison group across grades 4, 6, and 8. Comparisons were made between students with the same proficiency levels (1, 2, and 3) within each grade.

Intervention Group

The intervention group received READ 180 during the 2001–02 academic year. The study reported students’ outcomes after one year of program implementation.

Comparison Group

The comparison group received the standard instruction provided in the regular school curriculum.

Outcome descriptions

For the pretest, students took a reading test developed by CTB/McGraw-Hill for the city of New York. This CTB/McGraw-Hill Reading Test produces scores that can be aligned with and compared to the New York State Department of Education End-of-Year Tests. For the posttest, students in grades 4 and 8 took the New York State Department of Education End-of-Year Test in English Language Arts (NYSDE/ELA), and students in grade 6 took the CTB/McGraw-Hill Reading Test developed for the city of New York. For a more detailed description of these outcome measures, see Appendix A2.1.

Support for implementation

No information on training for teachers or staff was provided in this study.

 

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