Does Reading First Work?

Feng-Yi Hung, Ph.D. Director of Assessment and Program Evaluation

Clover Park School District

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Reading First Background

Reading First is a federal initiative to strengthen the instruction of reading to primary grade students.

Since 2003, Reading First has provided substantial amounts of federal funding to states for K-3 reading program, with the goal of having children read at grade level by the end of third grade.

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Reading First Program Components

• Use a research-based core reading program

• Hire a reading coach

• Provide at least 90 minutes of reading instruction per day

• Regularly assess students’ reading skills

• Provide reading interventions to struggling students.

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Evaluation Instruments

• Student assessments – K-3 scores on DIBELS

• Spring Surveys – Paper surveys of all teachers, coaches, principals, district coordinators

• In-person interviews – principals, coaches, 2 teachers from each school

• Classroom observations – during site visits, targeted observations of three reading lessons at every school selected for a site visit

• Interview with state project staff members

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Clover Park School District

Districtwide – 57.9% Free/Reduced Lunch Rank #1 in poverty (King and Pierce Counties)

Rank #3 in poverty (WA State)

Five Reading First Schools in the 2007-08 school year:

Carter Lake – 44.7% (Restructured)

Lakeview – 88.7%

Southgate – 90.4%

Tillicum – 90.9%

Tyee Park – 83.1% (Start, 2007-08)

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Reading First - Assessments

Dynamic Indicator of Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) was the primary measure of student outcomes.

WASL– Reading and Math

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Clover Park School District 2007-08Assessment and Program Evaluation Department

DIBELS: Matched Analysis (Fall to Spring)

Kindergarten

31

28

82

68

21

23

75

36

53

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Fall Spring

Non-Reading First Schools

Reading First Schools

Success for All Schools

All Day Kindergarten

Half Day Kindergarten

% o

f st

udents

meeti

ng

Bench

mark

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Clover Park School District 2007-08Assessment and Program Evaluation Department

DIBELS: Matched Analysis (Fall to Spring)

Third Grade

54

5052

64

42

38

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Fall Spring

Non-Reading First Schools

Reading First Schools

Success for All Schools

% o

f stu

dent

s m

eetin

g B

ench

mar

k

9

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Clover Park School District Grade 4 - WASL Reading Trend

Reading First Schools: Closing the Gap

67.471.1 69.6

65.561.261.9

66.7

61.063.8

56.6

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

% M

et S

tan

dar

d

Clover Park School District Reading First Schools

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Recognize Recognize there may there may be some be some confusion confusion regarding regarding

the processthe process

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Discussion

In Clover Park School District, non-Reading First schools frequently implemented many Reading First program components, such as training, instructional coaches, assessments, etc.

Three Main Issues – 1. One district analysis for Reading First2. Descriptive statistics only3. Alignment of the assessment system

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Next Steps

What about the students who scored at the benchmark in the fall DIBELS? How to identify students who needs extra support to meet WASL standard in reading?

Try to get multiple school districts and do advanced statistical analyses. How much can we generalize?

Is there a difference in performance for non-Reading First Schools?

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Questions and/or Ideas