Project Activities
This research team will use quantitative and qualitative analyses to determine (1) how to compare the different measures of K-2 literacy used in CPS, (2) the implementation of Skyline+PL, (3) teacher perceptions of Skyline+PL, (4) whether student subgroups are catching up to other students over time, (5) which of the Skyline+PL resources are associated with stronger acceleration of student outcomes, and (6) the costs associated with Skyline+PL. Ongoing partnership meetings will ensure that the findings are accessible, actionable, and relevant to the needs of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The partnership will provide support to CPS on how to connect research to ongoing recovery work.
Structured Abstract
Setting
This research will take place in Chicago Public Schools (CPS).
Sample
The primary sample is nine cohorts of students who were in kindergarten in CPS from SY 2013-2014 to 2021-2022 (and followed into second to fourth grade through SY 2023-24). These include four pre-pandemic cohorts (two of which remained pre-pandemic in third and fourth grade) and five pandemic-disrupted cohorts.
The Skyline K–2 ELA curriculum pairs instruction in foundational skills (phonics, phonological awareness, morphology, and fluency) with units featuring contemporary and culturally relevant texts to support growth in language arts. Each Skyline course includes scopes and sequences, unit plans, formative and summative assessments, lesson-level teacher facilitation guides, and lesson-level student facing materials and is intended to be all-inclusive, eliminating the need for teachers to supplement with additional materials. Schools adopting Skyline could also receive Professional Learning (PL) of four types: PL solely on the foundational components of Skyline; PL on the full ELA K-2 Skyline curriculum, PL on the full Skyline curriculum combined with teacher participation in cross-school professional learning communities (PLCs), and PL on the full Skyline curriculum with the option to take part in PLCs along with onsite support, teacher planning time, and additional PL sessions to support culturally responsive educational practices.
Research design and methods
The proposed research team will use mixed methods and combine quantitative analyses of administrative and survey data with qualitative analyses of interviews with teachers and instructional leaders, as well as classroom observations. The team will complete psychometric analyses to determine if four different literacy assessments used in the district can be on the same scale. They will use the ingredients method to calculate the costs of the different types of Professional Learning.
Control condition
The research will be mainly exploratory and there is no control condition. Associations between Skyline+PL and school and student outcomes will involve comparisons across the different PL types and levels of implementation of the Skyline curriculum.
Key measures
Student and teacher surveys plus administrative data on attendance will provide information on student engagement. The research team will determine student literacy outcomes from administrative data on test scores and grades. They will confirm the Skyline+PL implementation using the Skyline data base, district records on PL attendance, teacher surveys, classroom observations, and teacher and leadership interviews. The team will determine teacher perceptions of their working conditions using teacher surveys.
Data analytic strategy
The research team will use quantitative analyses of administrative and survey data for hierarchical models, latent class analysis, and difference-in-difference models with school and student fixed effects. They will conduct qualitative analyses using data from interviews with teachers and instructional leaders, and classroom observations.
Cost analysis strategy
The project team will calculate the incremental costs and effects of each of the three tiers of ELA K–2 Skyline Curriculum PL as compared to PL on only the foundational components of the K–2 Skyline literacy resources and identify which tier is most cost-effective.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
Products: The partnership will provide the findings in multiple formats for a set of audiences including the CPS Departments of Literacy and Curriculum and Instruction & Digital Learning, the Consortium Steering Committee, the Mayor's Office of Equity and Inclusion, Kids First Chicago, the Chicago Teachers' Union, philanthropic donors, schools, teachers, parents, and researchers. The formats will include infographics, articles, posts, practitioner and policymaker briefs, Consortium reports, three journal submissions, workshops and webinars, small group briefings, public briefings, and presentations.
Supplemental information
Co-Principal Investigators: Davis, Laura; Fleming, Jane; Gwynne, Julia
Education Agency: Chicago Public Schools
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
