Anne Chamberlain

Final Reading Outcomes of the National Randomized Field Trial of Success for All

Using a cluster randomization design, schools were randomly assigned to implement Success for All, a comprehensive reading reform model, or control methods. This article reports final literacy outcomes for a 3-year longitudinal sample of children who participated in the treatment or control condition from kindergarten through second grade and a combined longitudinal and in-mover student sample, both of which were nested within 35 schools. Hierarchical linear model analyses of all three outcomes for both samples revealed statistically significant school-level effects of treatment assignment as large as one third of a standard deviation. The results correspond with the Success for All program theory, which emphasizes both comprehensive school-level reform and targeted student-level achievement effects through a multi-year sequencing of literacy instruction.

Reading and Language Outcomes of a Multiyear Randomized Evaluation of Transitional Bilingual Education

This article reports the outcomes of a multiyear study comparing the English and Spanish language and reading performance of Spanish-dominant children randomly assigned, beginning in kindergarten, to transitional bilingual education (TBE) or structured English immersion (SEI) for periods of up to 5 years. On the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and its Spanish equivalent (Test de Vocabulario en Imagenes Peabody) and on the English and Spanish versions of three Woodcock Reading Scales, first graders in TBE performed significantly better in Spanish and worse in English than did their SEI counterparts. Differences diminished in second and third grades, and by fourth grade, when all students in TBE had transitioned to English-only instruction, there were no significant differences on English reading measures. These findings suggest that Spanish-dominant students learn to read in English equally well in TBE and SEI and that policy should therefore focus on the quality of instruction rather than on the language of instruction for English-language learners.

Success for All: First-Year Results From the National Randomized Field Trial

This article reports first-year achievement outcomes of a national randomized evaluation of Success for All, a comprehensive reading reform model. Forty-one schools were recruited for the study and were randomly assigned to implement Success for All or control methods. No statistically significant differences between experimental and control groups were found in regard to pretests or demographic characteristics. Hierarchical linear model analyses revealed a statistically significant school-level effect of assignment to Success for All of nearly one quarter of a standard deviation—or more than 2 months of additional learning—on individual Word Attack test scores, but there were no school-level differences on the three other posttest measures assessed. These results are similar to those of earlier matched experiments and correspond with the Success for All program theory.

The National Randomized Field Trial of Success for All: Second-Year Outcomes

This article reports literacy outcomes for a 2-year longitudinal student sample and a combined longitudinal and “in-mover” (i.e., those students who moved into the study schools between the initial pretest and the second-year posttest) sample, both of which were nested within 38 schools. Through the use of a cluster randomization design, schools were randomly assigned to implement Success for All or control methods. Hierarchical linear model analyses involving the longitudinal sample revealed statistically significant school-level effects of assignment to Success for All on three of the four literacy outcomes measured. Effects were as large as one quarter of a standard deviation—a learning advantage relative to controls exceeding half of a school year. Impacts for the combined longitudinal and in-mover sample were smaller in magnitude and more variable. The results correspond with the Success for All program theory, which targets school-level reform through multiyear sequencing of intensive literacy instruction

Effects of a Data-Driven District Reform Model on State Assessment Outcomes

A district-level reform model created by the Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education (CDDRE) provided consultation with district leaders on strategic use of data and selection of proven programs. Fifty-nine districts in seven states were randomly assigned to CDDRE or control conditions. A total of 397 elementary and 225 middle schools were followed over a period of up to 4 years. In a district-level hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analysis controlling for pretests, few important differences on state tests were found 1 and 2 years after CDDRE services began. Positive effects were found on reading outcomes in elementary schools by Year 4. An exploratory analysis found that reading effects were larger for schools that selected reading programs with good evidence of effectiveness than for those that did not.

Cooperative Learning in Schools

There is a clear consensus among scholars that cooperative learning methods can lead to increased achievement. Surveys find that as many as 80 percent of teachers report some sustained use of cooperative learning methods. However, there is still great disagreement over how, why, and under what circumstances cooperative learning affects achievement. This article reviews the four major competing perspectives on cooperative learning and empirical evidence concerning each. It asserts that the perspectives are neither mutually exclusive nor necessarily conflicting. The motivational, social cohesion, cognitive and cognitive elaboration perspectives should instead be viewed as complementary parts of a full explanatory model. The article argues that the evidence supports the motivationalist view that group goals with individual accountability are important for realizing the potential benefits of cooperative learning methods because they motivate students toward the cognitive and social processes that lead to increased academic achievement. Finally, it discusses the need for a move from the unstructured and inconsistent application of cooperative methods which are widespread in practice, to the more structured and comprehensive approaches that have already begun to emerge.

The Reading Edge: a randomized evaluation of a middle school cooperative reading program

This article describes a randomized evaluation of The Reading Edge, a reading program for middle‐school students. The Reading Edge was designed to integrate findings of research on cooperative learning and metacognitive reading strategies into a replicable reading instructional package that could be implemented effectively in Title I middle schools. In this study, 788 sixth graders in two cohorts in two high‐poverty, rural middle schools were randomly assigned to participate in The Reading Edge or to continue with their existing reading programs. Each cohort participated for one year. In both years, observations of classroom use of metacognitive strategies, cooperative learning, and goal setting/feedback showed moderate levels of implementation in The Reading Edge classes but little use in control classes. Statistically significant differences were found combining across cohorts on the Gates–MacGinitie reading test total (p < 0.01), comprehension (p < 0.05), and vocabulary (p < 0.01) scales. Effects were ...