A Randomized Control Trial of Reading Apprenticeship Improving Secondary Education: Student Impact Findings

• In Event: 61.042 - The Evaluation of Reading Apprenticeship for Improving Secondary Education

Abstract

The most recent national assessment shows that 3/4 of 8th graders score below the proficient level in reading (Aud et. al., 2012). Further, more than 3,000 students drop out of high school every day (Kamil, 2003), and one of the most commonly cited reasons is that students do not have the literacy skills to keep up with the curriculum (Kamil, 2003; Snow & Biancarosa, 2003). Unfortunately, formal reading instruction typically decreases after elementary school (Kamil et al., 2008).

The RAISE model addresses this gap by providing intensive teacher professional development and support to high school teachers of ELA, science and history. Applying such instructional strategies as explicit comprehension strategy instruction, and vocabulary and academic language development, RAISE equips students with the habits, beliefs, literacy skills, and self-confidence needed to be successfully readers. Unique to this approach is a focus on building students’ academic identity and disposition to foster such attributes as stamina, persistence in the face of challenge, and self-regulation.

This paper will describe the design and results of a multi-year, large scale RCT of RAISE in high school, particularly findings on student outcomes. 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 Reading Apprenticeship and randomly assigned them to treatment or control conditions.

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 RAISE and comprise texts and tasks that represent a range of purposeful literacy activities in which students are expected to read texts for understanding. The impact of RAISE on students’ attitudes and dispositions towards literacy was assessed through a survey administered at the end of each study year. Preliminary findings from the student impact analyses suggest a positive impact on student achievement with borderline statistical significance.

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. Following the project’s theory of action, the survey measured constructs such as student and reader identity, frequency of reading a variety of texts, student engagement, and use of comprehension strategies and metacognitive inquiry. 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. Findings from primarily the student assessment and survey will be presented. We will also briefly discuss findings from the teacher survey, which showed large and statistically significant positive results.

Authors

• Cheri L. Fancsali, Research Alliance for New York City Schools

• Lorena Ortiz, IMPAQ International, LLC

• Eliana Saltares, IMPAQ International, LLC

• Ashley Hunt, IMPAQ International, LLC

• Yasuyo Abe, IMPAQ International, LLC

• Vincent Chan, IMPAQ International, LLC