Implementation & Impact of Reading, Mathematics & Science Interventions for Middle & High School Students in the Context of Talent Development reforms

The project focused on achievement levels in reading, mathematics, and the sciences among middle and high school students. In response to research indicating a need for improvements in secondary instruction in order to reduce the gap between the typical level of student skills and that assumed by standards-based reform, investigators developed the Talent Development model, a multifaceted instructional intervention. The research included four study designs, including large annual surveys and longitudinal school level case studies to study scale up factors effect on implementation; a randomized experiment to assess learning outcomes; periodic review of state and district test scores; and classroom level analyses. With its focus on the conditions of successful implementation in diverse setting, the research informs implementation practices and contributes to the knowledge base about scaling up successful social programs.