Reading Intervention Research in Secondary Schools: Results of Comprehensive Scale-Up Implementation

• In Event: Investigating Program Impacts Using Multilevel Models

Abstract

Reading comprehension involves multiple, interrelated and complex skills in decoding, vocabulary and conceptual knowledge, reasoning and inferential skills. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of two secondary reading intervention programs (Fusion and Read 180) for middle and high school students. Participants were 438 adolescent struggling readers in four secondary schools who were randomly assigned to treatment conditions. Results from the piecewise multilevel growth model suggested growth in reading during the year in which the intervention took place (2009-2010) was similar for both Fusion and Read 180 students, controlling for the other variables in the model. Considerations and implications related to realities of conducting scale-up implementation research of reading interventions at address comprehensive school reform are discussed.

Authors

• Mary E. Little, University of Central Florida

• Debbie L. Hahs-Vaughn, University of Central Florida