Project Activities
Research question
- What were the short-term impacts of these interventions on 9th grade students' reading skills and behaviors?
- What were the longer-term impacts on academic outcomes in the 10th and 11th grades, such as achievement on high-stakes state assessments, performance in academic courses, and progress toward graduation?
Structured Abstract
Design
Within each of the 10 districts, participating high schools were randomly assigned so that a total of 17 implemented each of the two Enhanced Reading Opportunity (ERO) interventions—Reading Apprenticeship [WestEd] and Xtreme Reading [University of Kansas]—within their freshman SLCs. At each high school, two cohorts of eligible, entering ninth-grade students were randomly assigned to participate in either the supplemental literacy program or an elective of their choosing during the year. Across the two cohorts, approximately 5,000 students (about 2,500 9th graders in 2005–06 and in 2006–07) were involved in the study. The analysis relied on evaluator-administered surveys and literacy assessments conducted both before and at the end of the 9th grade program, as well as school records data.
Key findings
- Together, the ERO programs improved students' reading comprehension skills during the 9th grade, corresponding to an improvement from the 23rd to the 25th percentile. However, 77 percent of students assigned to the ERO class were still reading 2 or more years behind grade level at the end of the year.
- During the 9th grade, the ERO program also had a positive impact on students' academic performance in core subject areas, including their grades and credit accumulation. Students in the ERO group scored higher on their states' English/Language Arts and mathematics assessment than did those in the non-ERO group.
- The ERO program effects on academic performance did not continue beyond the program year.
- When analyzed separately, the Reading Apprenticeship program significantly improved students' reading comprehension during the 9th grade year while the Xtreme Reading program did not have a statistically significant impact on reading comprehension. Impacts on other outcomes were similar for the two programs.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
A report, titled The Enhanced Reading Opportunities Study Final Report, was released in July 2010.
Questions about this project?
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