A Randomized Control Trial of Reading Apprenticeship Improving Secondary Education

• In Event: Evaluation of Reading Apprenticeship Improving Secondary Education

Abstract

Theoretical Background
Reading Apprenticeship (RA) is a model of academic literacy instruction designed to improve literacy skills and academic achievement for all students. Applying such instructional strategies as explicit comprehension strategy instruction, vocabulary and academic language development, text-based discussion, and writing to learn, RA equips students with the habits, beliefs, literacy skills, and self-confidence needed to successfully engage academic texts and to develop content-specific literacy skills and knowledge. Unique to this approach is a focus on building students’ academic identity and disposition for complex intellectual work in order to foster such attributes as stamina, persistence in the face of challenge, and self-regulation.

Objective
This paper will describe the design and results of a multi-year, large scale RCT of Reading Apprenticeship in high school. In this study, we look at the impact of the PD model on student outcomes in two areas: 1) student literacy in content areas, and 2) student self-reported perception about and attitudes toward content literacy as well as their learning behaviors in content classes.

Methods/data sources
To estimate the effects of the PD model on teacher and student outcomes, we recruited a sample of 42 high schools in two states that had not previously participated in RA and randomly assigned them to treatment or control conditions. Teachers recruited for the study taught ELA, biology, or U.S. History.
To investigate the impact of RAISE on student disciplinary literacy outcomes, we administered scenario-based ELA, biology, and U.S. History literacy assessments created by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to students in both the treatment and control groups. The assessments emphasize strategic reading processes that are primary targets of RA and comprise texts and tasks that represent a range of purposeful literacy activities in which students are expected to read texts for understanding. The internal consistency estimates were α=.833 for the science form, α=.813 for the history form, and α=.831 for the literature form. The test re-test reliability estimates were r(31)=.819 for the science form, r(108)=.799 for the history form, and r(65)=.626 for the literature form.
To assess the impact of RAISE on students’ attitudes and dispositions (or non-cognitive factors) towards literacy, students in treatment and control schools completed a survey at the end of each school year. The survey includes items from other validated surveys including the Tripod Project Survey developed for the Gates Foundation-funded Measuring Effective Teaching project; the NAEP student survey; the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI); and the Opportunity to Learn Survey created by the PD model developers.

Results
To estimate the impact of RA on student literacy achievement (as measured by the ETS assessment) and student attitudes and dispositions (as measured by the student survey), we used a multilevel model with students clustered in schools. This paper presents the results of these impact analyses on the intent to treat sample. Subgroup analyses were conduct for English language learners and low-income students.

Author

• Cheri L. Fancsali, IMPAQ International, LLC