Project Activities
In Year 1, researchers will develop the Tier 3 intervention. Using brief teaching and learning trials (BTLT), project staff and teachers will work together to develop and refine the intervention. Both teachers and project staff will teach lessons for evaluation and refinement and contribute to the intervention prototype. In development meetings, project staff and teachers will work together to finalize lesson prototypes. During the summer prior to year 2, the project staff will refine the intervention based on spring BTLT implementation data collected in Year 1. In Year 2, researchers will conduct a feasibility study. Data from the feasibility study will be used to refine intervention lessons and the observation system in preparation for the pilot study. In Years 3 and 4, the researchers will conduct a pilot study to determine if the Tier 3 intervention can be implemented as intended and its promise for generating beneficial student outcomes.
Structured Abstract
Setting
Three types of studies will be conducted: Brief Teaching and Learning Trials (BTLTs), a Feasibility study, and a Pilot study. Two schools in Oregon in Year 1 will participate in BTLTs. Four schools in Year 2, eight schools in Year 3, and eight schools in Year 4 will be in Michigan, where the feasibility and pilot studies will occur.
Sample
Students and two types of teachers will participate in Oregon and Michigan. Teacher-researchers will assist with studies and work with the project's expert coaches to coach teacher interventionists, while teacher interventionists will implement the Tier 3 intervention and provide feedback to support revision. Student participants will have severe word-level reading difficulties. Teacher recommendations will help identify students in the BTLT and feasibility studies. In the pilot study, students will be assessed on screening and placement tests then randomly assigned to Tier 3 intervention or a business as usual (BAU) comparison group.
Intervention
The Tier 3 intervention has four main components: (a) reading content, (b) executive functioning supports, (c) instructional design elements, and (d) instructional delivery features. All components are integrated in daily Tier 3 reading intervention lessons and all four are designed to account for unique aspects of students who struggle with reading development.
Research design and methods
Design experiment methods will be used to develop and refine the intervention in the BTLT and feasibility studies. Multiple qualitative and quantitative data sources will be used to guide the iterative development and assess feasibility of the Tier 3 intervention. In the pilot study, a randomized controlled trial will be used to estimate the promise of the intervention for improving student reading outcomes.
Control condition
The comparison group will receive business-as-usual (BAU) Tier 3 reading interventions. We expect these to include a mix of teacher-developed materials, protocols, and packaged intervention materials. Using instructional logs, we will document features of the BAU to characterize the counterfactual and interpret results.
Key measures
The Classroom Observations of Student-Teacher Interactions measure will be used to assess instructional practices across conditions. The Ratings of Classroom Management and Instructional Support Likert-type scale instrument will be used to measure general features of classroom management, delivery of instruction, and the learning environment. The Quality of Explicit Instruction instrument will be used to rate the explicitness of instruction in five critical areas of beginning reading. During the pilot study, teachers across conditions will complete an implementation log to capture information about the lesson used to characterize the counterfactual and analyze cost. Coaches' logs will also be used to collect data on coaching fidelity. Student reading outcomes will be measured with the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills and the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test–Third Edition. Surveys and focus groups will assess intervention feasibility, usability, and satisfaction.
Data analytic strategy
Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected and analyzed to develop and refine the intervention and determine the promise of the intervention. We will summarize qualitative data from focus groups and open-ended survey questions using NVivo software and summarize quantitative data to observe trends and variability in intervention ratings. Our student outcomes analysis will nest students within instructional groups using a mixed-model Time × Condition (T×C) analysis. The T×C model will test differences by condition in student gains in reading performance from pre- to post-intervention.
Cost analysis strategy
Our cost analysis will involve separating direct costs and indirect opportunity costs and isolating fixed and marginal costs. We will assess total versus net costs, where net costs include only those costs beyond the status quo, and we will perform a sensitivity analysis to test assumptions and potentially variable cost estimates. We will then clarify the expected initial costs and costs for the reasonable lifespan of the program.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
Products: A fully developed Tier 3 reading intervention for students in grades K-2, as well as peer-reviewed publications and products to share study findings with stakeholders. The target audience for these products includes principals, teachers, and interventionists in elementary schools; parents of elementary age students; and researchers and policy makers seeking to improve the implementation and study of evidence-based reading interventions within the context of MTSS.
Additional project information
Related projects
Supplemental information
Project ECRI: Enhancing Core Reading Instruction in First Grade (R324A090104)
Effectiveness Replication of Enhanced Core Reading Instruction (ECRI) (R324R210009)
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
