WWC review of this study

Year One Evaluation Report/Impact Study: Illinois Striving Readers [Passport Reading Journeys vs. business as usual]

Dimitrov, Dimiter; Jurich, Sonia; Frye, Michael; Lammert, Jill; Sayko, Sarah; Taylor, Laura (2012). RMC Research Corporation. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED600855

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
     examining 
    514
     Students
    , grade
    9

Reviewed: September 2021

No statistically significant positive
findings
Meets WWC standards without 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

Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests (GMRT): Total

Passport Reading Journeys vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
448 students

517.10

517.16

No

--

Grade 9 EXPLORE

Passport Reading Journeys vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
514 students

11.99

12.34

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.


  • Female: 43%
    Male: 57%
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    Illinois
  • Race
    Black
    58%
    Other or unknown
    12%
    White
    30%
  • Ethnicity
    Hispanic    
    5%
    Not Hispanic or Latino    
    95%

Setting

The study was conducted in six high schools across four school districts in the state of Illinois. All schools were eligible for Title I and had not made or were at-risk of not making adequate yearly progress requirements per the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The population examined in the study is ninth graders reading below grade level.

Study sample

At randomization the students were mostly African American (58 percent) followed by White (30 percent), Hispanic (5 percent) and other (7 percent). Most students were male (56.7 percent). The majority of students were eligible for free and reduced priced lunch (84.7 percent) and a few were in special education (17.6 percent).

Intervention Group

The study examined the effectiveness of a reading intervention for students struggling with reading. The Passport Reading Journeys program is comprised of ten lessons. Instructors are expected to cover each lesson over a 50-minute period or two shortened lessons over a 90-minute period. Lessons five and 10 are intended to re-teach or expand the information provided in previous lessons and could take two days to cover. Therefore, the entire program is expected to be completed in 12 days. The schools participating in the study implemented the lessons in a classroom setting using the 90-minute period. Six full-time reading implementation teachers were hired to implement the program. Each reading implementation teacher taught three to five Passport Reading Journeys Program classes and remained with their classes throughout the entire school year.

Comparison Group

The students in the comparison condition enrolled in elective classes that were not related to a reading supplemental intervention. The comparison group participated in their elective class while the treatment group received the Passport Reading Journeys program.

Support for implementation

The Passport Reading Journeys program developer provided teachers with professional development and support, which included: an initial training, online product training, coursework on adolescent literacy, and ongoing consultation. The initial training included two eight-hour sessions covering how to deliver the intervention with fidelity. The developer also provided individual support to teachers via trained experts who visited each school to observe how the program was implemented.

 

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This download will include data files for study and findings review data and a data dictionary.

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