Evaluation of the Los Angeles Unified School District Literacy Initiative

• In Event: Urban K-3 Literacy Innovation? Implementation and Effectiveness of Three Districts’ New Approaches

Abstract

This presentation will focus on the first-year independent evaluation of the initiative in Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). In 2012–2013, the district rolled out the initiative in grades K-1. LAUSD theorizes that their program components will result in dramatic student achievement gains. The program components include:

1. Change to school infrastructure as students are instructed in multi-grade groupings for the literacy block, at their level of need. There is flexibility throughout the year for students to move in and between instructional groupings, teachers and classrooms according to instructional needs.
2. Response to Instruction framework as a guiding structure for meeting all students’ literacy needs.
3. Implementation of the Common Core State Standards
4. Professional Learning Communities guided by instructional coaches as the model for reflective practice and planning for instruction.
5. In addition, the initiative uses technology (i.e., iPads) to enhance instruction and facilitate teacher networking and cultivation of parent partnerships.
Data for the presentation derive from the following data sources at three time points.

Exhibit 1. Breakdown of 2012-2013 Data Collection

Principal: Fall (6 interviews), Winter (6 interviews), Spring (5 interviews)
Project Managers: Fall (2 interviews), Winter (2 interviews), Spring (2 interviews)
Coaches: Fall (5 interviews), Winter (4 interviews), Spring (5 interviews)
Parent representatives: Fall (6 interviews), Spring (6 interviews)
Classroom observations: Fall (24 classrooms), Spring (22 classrooms)
Teachers: Fall (51 surveys), Winter (12 focus groups), Spring (44 surveys)
Teacher technology use logs: Winter (344 hours), Spring (425 hours)
Coach logs: Fall (1761 hours), Winter (2028 hours), Spring (1676 hours)
DIBELS achievement data: Fall, Winter, Spring (all K-1 students)

First, we will discuss implementation of the initiative. Interview and focus group data (coded using qualitative coding methodologies and Nvivo software) reflect perceptions about the initiative and understanding of its five components at the beginning and how perceptions and component activities and emphasis changed throughout the year. Frequency data from the coach and technology logs will be used to describe the focus of component activities. Results from the classroom observation data will be used to describe changes in instruction. Second, we will discuss achievement results after the first year, using DIBELS achievement data. Analysis involves an interrupted time series design examining findings from intervention and matched comparison schools . Year 1 findings are unavailable as of July 2013 but will be included in the presentation.

This presentation will highlight literacy instructional issues of importance to the whole session with emphasis on LAUSD’s unique approach of changing school infrastructure to regroup students for instruction and the integration of technology (Walsh, 2010), specifically using iPads as a classroom resource (Levy, 2011).

Preliminary implementation findings include several key points: Interview data showed that many teachers were initially overwhelmed by the demands of frequent progress monitoring and teaching in a flexible-grouping structure. However, over the year, participants notice a positive difference in the effectiveness and frequency of teachers’ data use. In addition, observations provide evidence that teachers increased instructional focus and developed rigorous independent activities and routines for transitioning into skill-based groupings.

Authors

• Kathryn V. Drummond, American Institutes for Research

• Emily Baumann, American Institutes for Research

• Melissa Arellanes, American Institutes for Research

• Julia Parkinson, American Institutes for Research