Project Activities
DCPS has worked to increase student reading proficiency in the early elementary grades but has found it difficult to help the lowest performing students in grade 1 and 2 reach proficiency by grade 3. The project carried out two studies seeking to identify the malleable factors linked to disparities in K-3 student reading success. Study 1 integrated multiple DCPS datasets for 77 elementary schools of which 58 serve primarily low-income students. Study 2 involved direct observation and interview data from 6 schools in DCPS that ranged in performance on student growth measures. Through these two studies, the partnership team identified teacher and school practices, along with other variables, associated with reading gains for the lowest performing K-3 students.
Monthly meetings of the partnership addressed the design and implementation of that qualitative work, the results and interpretation of both the quantitative and qualitative work, and their dissemination. The research team used DCPS's instruments to collect data in schools and provide feedback on the instruments and compared their ratings to those of the DCPS team.
Structured Abstract
Setting
The project took place in the DCPS, an urban school district with approximately 48,000 students.
Sample
Participants included students in grades K-3 in DCPS's 77 elementary schools of which 58 schools primarily serve students from low-income backgrounds.
Data analytic strategy
The partnership team carried out two studies on K–3 students' reading achievement and the factors linked to reading achievement. First, through a secondary analysis of administrative data on students, teachers, and schools from three merged databases (student, teacher, and school), the team completed a cross-sectional analysis for K–2 students enrolled in academic year (AY) 2018–19 and a longitudinal analysis of the student cohort in kindergarten in AY 2015–16 through grade 2 in AY 2018–19. Second, the team collected and analyzed primary data (observations, interviews, and questionnaires) from three pairs of demographically matched elementary schools (each pair included one school performing higher than expected in reading achievement and one underperforming school).
Key outcomes
Study 1 generated findings by completing secondary analysis using data from the 2016–17 through the 2018–19 school years for teachers and students in grades K–2.
- A larger percentage of variation in students' lower early literacy gains was attributable to individual teachers, 16 to 18 percent, than to schools (5 to 10 percent).
- Scores on the district's Five Essential Practices teacher observation instrument had a positive relationship with students' fall-to-spring gains on the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) assessment.
- Teachers exhibited variation in their mastery of each of the Five Essential Practices.
- Teacher dismissal threats stemming from the district's teacher evaluation system led to meaningful changes in the easier-to-implement Essential Practices in the following year and to voluntary attrition for ranked teachers.
Study 2 carried out observations of K–3 classrooms at 6 schools during 2019–20.
- Straightforward district-recommended practices were being implemented in most or all classrooms.
- District curriculum materials were being used consistently with some variation in time allocation and use of individual responses.
- High variation among teachers occurred for the effective use of literacy centers and the use of higher order literacy practices, particularly the use of discussion of academically productive talk (whole class and peer-to-peer).
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Partner institutions
District of Columbia Public Schools
Strategic Education Research Partnership (SERP) Institute
Products and publications
ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.
Related projects
Supplemental information
Co-Principal Investigator: Colgan, Corinne
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
