The Evaluation & Analysis of an Innovative Framework for School Reading

University Of Illinois At Chicago, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

This project will implement a research agenda that will provide a rigorous longitudinal evaluation of the effectiveness of a scalable, school-wide model of reading improvement (Reading--FIRST). The research will provide information on a number of related theoretical and practical questions related to teacher thinking, school change, student learning, parent involvement, educational supervision, and the use of technology in the professional development of teachers. The results of the study will provide insights into how large scale interventions work in a wide variety of school contexts. Reading--FIRST was developed for grades K-12); this project covers only grades K-5). It addresses major alterable factors related to instructional improvement that have been identified in prior studies, including increasing the amount of instruction, improving essential content coverage, and fostering greater continuity within schools. Reading--FIRST has been field-tested in more than 200 schools. An interdisciplinary team of educators, psychologists, statisticians, and technology experts will conduct the series of related research studies, using quantitative and qualitative data drawn from students, teachers, principals, and parents.