Project Activities
To test the efficacy of this fully-developed, integrated literacy and science curriculum, the research team randomly assigned kindergarten classrooms of students to receive Zoology One (now called ARC Core) or to continue with the regular classroom literacy instruction that was already in place. Researchers assessed students at the beginning and end of kindergarten. While the COVID-19 pandemic created challenges for longitudinal data collection, assessments were administered in first grade and for half of the students in second grade. These assessments were supplemented with school district data on student learning in science and literacy using benchmarking assessments and report card grades through fourth grade. During the kindergarten year, the study also evaluated implementation and costs. The implementation study contributed additional information about how the curriculum was received and how practice was changed by observing classrooms, interviewing teachers and principals, and conducting surveys. The cost study examined the resources students received through this curriculum relative to standard practice and to be able to compare the cost-effectiveness of this curriculum to other similar programs. Together, these components of the study support deeper understanding of the effects of the curriculum and supported additional analyses of how the curriculum shaped teacher and student behavior and learning over time.
Structured Abstract
Setting
This project took place in elementary schools in a large urban city.
Sample
The study included 819 treatment students and 770 control students in 37 treatment classrooms and 35 control classrooms within 21 schools. Approximately 8% of the sample were designated as English Language Learners, 7% had an Individualized Education Plan, 66% were classified as economically disadvantaged, 73% were BIPOC, and 50% of the students were female.
Zoology One (now ARC Core) is a fully-developed curriculum that integrates literacy and science instruction for kindergarten students. The curriculum features code-focused instruction, high-volume print exposure, complex text exposure, and integrated science and literacy instruction. Specific components of the program include direct instruction via whole group and small grouping, formative assessments and progress monitoring, high-volume reading and writing practices, accountable talk, professional development, and family support resources. The curriculum also includes a teacher assigned daily home reading component. Teachers work closely with students to assess their progress, and student learning is managed with the curriculum’s software. Zoology One also includes books, a curriculum guide for teachers, instructional coaching, and various assessments.
Research design and methods
This project uses a multi-site cluster randomized trial. The research team randomly assigned two cohorts of kindergarten classrooms to receive Zoology One or to receive standard literacy instruction. Researchers assessed students using pre-and post-tests and followed student learning longitudinally through fourth grade.
Control condition
The control condition received “business as usual” instruction. This means that students received standard classroom literacy instruction that were regularly in place at the school. The team observed that students in the control condition received a wide range of instructional approaches to literacy with supplemental instruction through specialized programs for phonics and early fluency. Control classrooms in Cohort 2 had more systematic approaches to literacy and had received more support for literacy than Cohort 1.
Key measures
Student outcome measures included the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test (WRMT), the Kauffman Test of Education Achievement (KTEA) for writing, the Early Life-Sciences Assessment (ELSA), and AIMSweb. Beyond standardized measures, the study delved into long-term student achievement, tracking quarterly and final course letter grades in reading, writing, and science from first through fourth grades. The research team assessed fidelity of implementation and compared classroom practices through surveys, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations. Additionally, they investigated teachers’ perceptions of students’ blended social-emotional learning and academic competencies through a teacher survey.
Data analytic strategy
Researchers used multilevel modeling to examine the efficacy of Zoology One on students' reading, writing, and science outcomes. The models include students at level 1 and classrooms/teachers at level 2. The researchers also examined variation in impact between schools. The research team analyzed observations and semi-structured interview data to determine fidelity of implementation and comparison classroom practices.
Cost analysis strategy
The cost study applied the ingredients method to estimate the cost of Zoology One compared to business-as-usual. When all resources to produce the outcome were considered, including caregiver time, the estimated cost of the curriculum is approximately $520 per student. Almost 40% of these costs were borne by caregivers through the home reading component, while approximately $310 per student would be costs borne by the school. By design, Zoology One provides comprehensive literacy instructional support and the study found that this resulted in a cost savings, with treatment classrooms using 3 fewer literacy programs on average.
Key outcomes
The main findings of this project are as follows:
- Zoology One positively impacted the development of student reading skills in kindergarten. The program showed improvements in passage comprehension, letter naming fluency, and motivation to read. These effects were consistent across different student groups (Gray et al., 2022).
- The program was delivered closely to the design with high fidelity. The mean teacher fidelity score was .74, where 1 indicates that a teacher used all the essential components of Zoology One (Gray et al., 2022).
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Project contributors
Products and publications
Project website:
Study registration:
WWC review:
Publications:
Fink, R., Suwak, K., Lawson, G., Gray, A., & Bowden, A.B. (2024). Factors influencing teachers’sustained curriculum implementation: A qualitative analysis. Curriculum Journal, 00, 1-16.
Gray, A., Sirinides, P., Fink, R., & Bowden, A.B. (2022). Integrating literacy and science instruction in kindergarten: Results from the efficacy study of Zoology One. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 15(1), 1-27.
Additional project information
Supplemental award details:
Questions about this project?
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