A Synthesis of Quantitative Research on Programs for Struggling Readers in Elementary Schools

Abstract

This article reviews research on the outcomes of diverse reading programs on the achievement of struggling readers in elementary schools. Sixty-five studies of 51 different programs met rigorous standards. Eighty-three percent were randomized experiments and 17% quasi-experiments. Outcomes were positive for one-to-one tutoring and were positive but not as large for one-to-small group tutoring. There were no differences in outcomes between teachers and teaching assistants as tutors. Whole-class approaches (mostly cooperative learning) and whole-class/whole-school approaches incorporating tutoring for struggling readers obtained outcomes for struggling readers as large as those found for all forms of tutoring, on average, and benefitted many more students. Technology-supported adaptive instruction did not have significant positive outcomes for struggling readers, however. In agreement with previous reviews, this synthesis found that substantial impacts can be obtained for struggling readers with interventions aligned within a response to intervention network. PROGRAMS FOR STRUGGLING READERS 3 A Synthesis of Quantitative Research on Programs for Struggling Readers in Elementary Schools Recent policy shifts in favor of encouraging schools to use proven programs offer a new impetus for solving reading problems using evidence. These evidence-based reforms include policies and practices in which educators and policymakers use evidence of effectiveness as a criterion for choosing education programs, products, and practices. This movement has been supported by the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 (U.S. Congress, 2015), which defines strong, moderate, and promising levels of evidence. The law encourages schools and districts to use evidence to help them decide which programs to select. In particular, very low achieving schools seeking federal school improvement funds must use programs that meet one of the top three ESSA standards. The ESSA evidence standards could make evidence a determining factor in how schools make decisions about what is implemented in their schools. This has potential consequences for the many struggling readers in our schools. If schools opted to use evidence-based interventions (those with rigorous research to support their efficacy), they could have meaningful positive impacts on students not currently reading at grade level.