TWO STUDIES were conducted to evaluate a comprehensive cooperative learning approach to elementar... more TWO STUDIES were conducted to evaluate a comprehensive cooperative learning approach to elementary reading and writing instruction: Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC). In CIRC, thirdand fourth-grade students worked in heterogeneous learning teams for all reading, language arts, and writing activities. In reading, students worked with partners during follow-up times on partner reading, decoding, story structure, prediction, and story summary activities related to the basal stories. Students also received direct instruction on comprehension and metacomprehension activities, followed by team practice. In writing and language arts, students used a process approach to writing, and participated in peer conferences during planning, revising, and editing stages of the process. Students also received direct instruction followed by team practice on language mechanics and language expression activities, which were integrated with the students' writing activities. The authors found significant effects in favor of the CIRC students on standardized measures of reading comprehension, reading vocabulary, language mechanics, language expression, and spelling. The CIRC students also performed better on writing sample and oral reading measures.
This article reports the first year's outcomes of Success for All, a program designed to brin... more This article reports the first year's outcomes of Success for All, a program designed to bring all children to grade level in basic skills by the third grade. The program uses one-to-one tutoring, research-based reading methods, frequent assessment, enhanced preschool and kindergarten programs, family support, and other interventions to prevent learning problems from developing. An evaluation of the program in an inner-city elementary school found substantially enhanced language skills among preschool and kindergarteners and reading skills among students in Grades 1–3 in comparison to matched controls. Special education referrals and retentions in grade were also substantially reduced. Implications of the findings for compensatory and special education are discussed.
This document presents the effects of variations of a schoolwide restructuring program, Success f... more This document presents the effects of variations of a schoolwide restructuring program, Success for All, on student reading achievement and other outcomes in elementary schools serving large numbers of disadvantaged students. Success for All uses research-basea preschool and kindergarten programs, beginning and intermediate reading programs in grades 1 through 3, one-to-one tutoring for low-achieving students, family support programs, and other elements. Five Baltimore (Maryland) schools were studied over a period of 3 years (4 schools) or 4 years (I school).-lmparisons with matched students in matched schools indicate strong positive ef.ects on most individually administered reading measures in most schools for students who have been in the program since the first grade. In particular, 15.7 percent of participating students were reading 1 year below grade level, and 3.9 percent were 2 years behind. In the control schools, 38 percent were at least 1 year below grade level, and 11.7 percent were 2 years below. Particularly large effects were found for students who were in the lowest 25 percent of their grades on pretests. Retentions in grade were also substantially reduced, and attendance increased over time. Included are six tables and one figure and 38 references. (JB)
This study used questionnaire data collected by the Educational Testing Service in 51 high school... more This study used questionnaire data collected by the Educational Testing Service in 51 high schools to discover which school practices improved racial attitudes and behaviors in desegregated schools. Data were analyzed at school and individual levels using multiple regressions. Results for whites indicated strong, positive effects on racial attitudes and behaviors of assigning students of different races to work together and through individual participation on a sports team with students of another race. Weaker effects were found for class discussions of race. For blacks, assignment of students of different races to work together and teacher workshops on race relations had effects on one behavioral variable, and individual participation in biracial work groups or sports teams had strong, positive effects on racial behaviors and attitudes. Few effects for either race were found for teacher workshops, use of multiethnic texts, or tracking. Results were interpreted to indicate that programs involving cooperative interaction between students of different races are most likely to improve race relations in desegregated schools.
Abstract 1. This book was written to provide the best available information on what is known now ... more Abstract 1. This book was written to provide the best available information on what is known now about effective programs for students at risk of school failure, particularly those who are currently served in compensatory and special education programs. The message of this ...
This article reports on 2 experiments in inner-city Baltimore evaluating a computer-assisted tuto... more This article reports on 2 experiments in inner-city Baltimore evaluating a computer-assisted tutoring approach, Tutoring With Alphie (TWA), in which 1 paraprofessional can work with up to 6 children at a time. In Study 1, we randomly assigned 14 schools to receive TWA or to continue with whatever approaches they were currently using. Each experimental school (n ¼ 8) received a half-time paraprofessional tutor. Struggling readers in the lowest 30% of Grades 1-3 received tutoring using TWA. In comparison to control schools (n ¼ 6), reading outcomes strongly favored TWA (effect size ¼ þ0.46, p < .01). In Study 2, new students in 7 of the 8 TWA schools received tutoring, and 6 schools continued as controls. Results again favored the TWA group (effect size ¼ þ0.40, p < .001). The findings support the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of using technology to offer tutoring to many more students than could have received it individually. Over the past 25 years, there have been extraordinary developments in research, policy, and practice relating to programs for elementary-age children who are struggling to learn to read. Although there has long been concern about reading disabilities, dyslexia, and underachievement, research and development since the 1980s has created a sense of optimism that most children who start off their time in school struggling to learn to read can be quickly brought into the mainstream in this crucial skill. A focus in special education on response to intervention (see Allington & Walmsey, 2007; Fuchs & Fuchs, 2006; Gersten et al., 2009), in which at-risk children often receive small-group interventions and then possibly one-to-one tutoring in an attempt to solve their problems before they are referred to special education, has encouraged development and research on small-group as well as individual tutoring. A widespread policy focus on reading by third grade has intensified interest in early reading interventions, especially in the states that have passed legislation requiring that third graders not reading at grade level be retained. The importance of getting children off to a good start in reading is clear. For example, research has shown that children reading below grade level in third grade are 4 times as likely as other students to drop out before high school graduation (Lesnick, Goerge, Smithgall, & Gwynne, 2010). In the elementary grades, success in school is virtually synonymous with success in reading, and children without strong reading skills by middle school are headed for serious difficulty. Children who fail to read in the early grades incur so many costs to the education system in special education, remediation, grade repetition, delinquency, and ultimate dropout that even very expensive interventions can be justified on the grounds of cost-effectiveness alone while at the same time preventing damage to young peoples' lives (National Reading Panel, 2000). Furthermore, reading failure is concentrated among schools serving many disadvantaged, minority, and limited English proficient children.
Journal of education for students placed at risk, Oct 1, 1999
Two adaptations of Success for All, a comprehensive instructional reform program for elementary s... more Two adaptations of Success for All, a comprehensive instructional reform program for elementary schools, have been used with students acquiring English as a second language. One is a Spanish bilingual version called "Exito para Todos," in which students are taught to read in Spanish and then transitioned to English reading, usually in the third or fourth grade. The other integrates English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) strategies with English reading instruction. This report summarizes the results of both of these adaptations for students acquiring English. Experience shows that the effects of Success for All on the achievement of English language learners are, in general, substantially positive. In all schools implementing "Exito para Todos," effect sizes for first graders on Spanish assessments were very positive, especially when schools were implementing most of the program's elements. Even after transitioning to English-only instruction, "Exito para Todos" third graders performed better on English assessments than control students who were primarily taught in English. For students acquiring English receiving ESL instruction, effect sizes for all comparison groups were also positive. (Contains 34 references.) (MSE)
The study investigated the effects of a cooperative intervention designed to allow 40 academicall... more The study investigated the effects of a cooperative intervention designed to allow 40 academically handicapped (learning disabled or mildly retarded) and normal progress students (in third, fourth, and sixth grades) to work 'cooperatively on academic materials in improving social relationships between these groups cf students. /r the cooperative treatment, students studied mathematics in heterogeneous teams that were rewarded as a group for improvements in the performance of the individual members. This treatment was compared to a control treatment in which students worked individually on their mathematics work and were rewarded as individuals for improvement in performance. Results indicated that the cooperative techniques improved social acceptance, in that rejection of academically handicapped students was decreased, but fritnd'ihips were not increased. Gains in academic achievement and self esteem were found for the combined sample of students in the cooperative le-ruing treatment. (Author/DB)
While it is important to improve the outcomes of bilingual and English-only reading instruction f... more While it is important to improve the outcomes of bilingual and English-only reading instruction for English language learners at all grade levels, there is a particular need to see that students are successful in beginning to read in the early elementary grades. One program that has achieved a great deal of success in meeting this goal is called Success for All, a comprehensive reform program for elementary schools, especially those serving many students at risk. This report presents data on the achievement of English language learners in schools in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Southern California, Houston (Texas), and Arizona that are implementing Success for All or Exito Para Todos (the Spanish bilingual adaptation of Success for All). The effects of Success for All on the achievement of English language learners are not entirely consistent, but in general they are substantially positive. In all schools implementing Exito Para Todos, effect sizes for first graders on Spanish assessments were very positive. The Houston study showed that this effect was more pronounced when schools were implementing most of the program's elements. The Philadelphia evaluation showed that even after transitioning to English-only instruction, Exito Para Todos third graders performed better on English assessments than control students who were primarily taught in English. For students in sheltered English instruction, effect sizes for all comparisons were also positive, especially for Cambodian students in Philadelphia and Mexican American students in California. (Contains 4 figures, 7 tables, and 31 references.) (Author/SLD)
Success for All, a comprehensive schoolwide reform program for elementary schools serving many ch... more Success for All, a comprehensive schoolwide reform program for elementary schools serving many children placed at risk of school failure, was first piloted in one Baltimore (Maryland) elementary school in the 1987-88 school year. Since then, the program has expanded rapidly; as of 1998-99, it was in more than 1,100 schools in 300 districts in 44 states throughout the United States. Success for All requires a great deal of professional development done over an extended period of time to help schools start children with success. This report describes the dissemination experience of Success for All, including the strategies pursued, the relative success of various dissemination routes, and the implications of these experiences for public policy. This experience has led Success for All developers to conclude that successful dissemination requires a combination of talented, dedicated trainers and a local and national network of schools willing and able to provide technical and emotional support. Employing full-time, regionally based trainers recruited from outstanding Success for All Schools is the most effective way of building the staff. In contrast, it is noted that strategies depending on involvement of other organizations or on part-time certified trainers have rarely been successful. To offer research-based, replicable school designs to large numbers of schools, national and state policy makers need to help existing and new reform networks build up their training capacity and provide funds to schools to help them with startup costs. (Contains 1 table and 18 references.) (SLD)
This paper discusses comprehensive school reform (CSR), which accepts the importance of standards... more This paper discusses comprehensive school reform (CSR), which accepts the importance of standards and accountability but adds to these strategies for introducing innovations in curriculum, instruction, school organization, governance, parent interactions, and other core features of practice. The paper reviews research on the nature and quality of evidence supporting Success for All, the most widely disseminated CSR program. The development of CSR was greatly influenced by the 1997 creation of the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program (CSRD), which provides grants to support adoption of proven CSR models. Many states have aligned state or federal dollars intended to improve professional development or instruction in schools, especially high poverty schools, with CSRD, which increases the number of schools that can adopt CSR programs. Analysis of data evaluating Success for All and comparing it with other reform models indicates that Success for All is effective when fully implemented because the program elements themselves are based on rigorous research. Data show that Success for All produces significantly greater gains than other educational methods and does not lose its effectiveness when disseminated on a very large scale. The results suggest that evidence-based reform may potentially transform educational practice, especially in schools serving high-risk students. (Contains 36 references.) (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the oijginal document.
This paper reviews research on effective pull-out programs for elementary students who are at ris... more This paper reviews research on effective pull-out programs for elementary students who are at risk for school failure. The emphasis is on programs that can be readily replicated by schools other than those that developed them. The focus is on programs provided to students who have been ident:fied as in need of remedial services which are implemented outside of the regular classroom. Th(study found that effective pull-out programs for students fall into three broad categories: (1) diagnostic-prescriptive programs; (2) tutoring programs; and (3) computer-assisted instruction. Successful examples of each of these types are described Rnd discussed. The most successful models completely adapt instruction to students' unique needs and provide plentiful direct instruction appropriate to their levels of readiness. Results of the study suggest that the ach.evement of at-risk students can be significantly increased, either by making relatively inexpensive but extensive modifications in the regular instructional program or by implementing relatively expensive but intensive interventions as pull-out programs. It is possible that a combination of these strategies would be more effective than either one by itself. An extensive list of references is included, along with descriptions of successful programs among each of the three types. (PS)
One educational innovation that is having a widespread and disproportionate impact on the gap in ... more One educational innovation that is having a widespread and disproportionate impact on the gap in academic achievement between African-American and Latino children and their White peers is Success for All (SFA), a comprehensive reform model for elementary schools piloted in Baltimore in 1987. SFA, a whole-school reform model that focuses primarily on reading, provides schools with research-based curriculum materials, instructional strategies, and extensive professional development and follow-up. It provides one-to-one tutoring for young children struggling in reading, as well as active parent involvement programs. A large.number of studies have found significant positive effects of SFA on the reading achievement of African-Americanand Latino students. A Texas statewide evaluation of 111 SFA schools found that while the racial gap in Texas Assessment of Academic Skills reading achievement was diminishing for all Texas schools, 1994-98, it diminished significantly more for African-American and Latino students in SFA schools. For schools that had implemented SFA for the longest time, the final gap was only 4 percentage points for African-American students and 7 for Latinos, compared to 14 and 10, respectively, for Texas African-American and Latino students not in SFA schools. The results of these studies suggest that African-American and Latino students may be particularly responsive to improved quality of instruction, and that with a variety of educational interventions it may be possible to substantially reduce or eliminate the persistent achievement gap. (Contains 18 references and 8 figures.) (TD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
The Success for All model of instruction, which seeks to prevent academic problems in elementary ... more The Success for All model of instruction, which seeks to prevent academic problems in elementary school by addressing reading difficulties with early, intensive intervention, is described. The approach, begun with native English-speaking students at risk academically, provides tutoring from prekindergarten or kinuergarten onward, particularly through one-to-one tutoring. At elementary schools serving communities where many students begin school speaking other languages natively, the program was adapted to provide literacy instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL). The report describes distinctive elements of the program as implemented in seven schools nationwide, and discusses the adaptations made for the needs of English language learners. A major feature of the program is the use of tutors in pull-out sessions and to provide small-group instruction in homogeneous groups during daily classroom reading periods. Activities include fast-paced routines and group-response games. Reading level assessments are made every 8 weeks. ESL instruction emphasizes skills directly tied to success in the English curriculum. Additional elements include a full-day kindergarten, family support team, full-time program facilitator in each school, and inservice education for participating teachers. Data on student success in each program are summarized. (MSE)
Success for All is a comprehensive reform model that uses cooperative learning, tutoring, family ... more Success for All is a comprehensive reform model that uses cooperative learning, tutoring, family support services, and extensive professional development to help high-poverty schools succeed with their students. This article reviews research on Success for All with African American students, focusing on evidence that Success for All reduces the achievement gap between African American and White students. More than 40 studies, including a national randomized experiment, have found positive effects of Success for All in schools serving many African Americans. Implications of these findings for policy and practice are discussed. From 1994 to 2004, the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk (CRESPAR), located at Howard University and Johns Hopkins University, conducted research on a wide variety of potential solutions to the achievement problems of students placed at risk. This included development and evaluation of programs for high-poverty schools at the preschool, elementary, middle, and high school levels; policies designed to help high-poverty schools; school, parent, and community partnerships; assessment issues for high-poverty schools; and more. CRESPAR's research was based on an assertion that all children enter school with great promise for success, but many are placed at risk due to insufficient or inappropriate responses to their unique strengths and needs. CRESPAR's goal was to provide both conceptual advances and practical solutions to substantially reduce the gap in academic performance between majority and minority students. This article summarizes research on one of the CRESPAR programs of research, focused on using the Success for All (SFA) comprehensive school reform model to address the achievement gap in elementary schooling. THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP The gap in academic achievement between African American (as well as Latino) children and their White peers is arguably the most important of all educational problems in the U.S. This gap, which appears early in elementary school, develops into differences in high school graduation rates, college attendance and completion, and ultimately, the differences in income and socioeconomic status (SES) that underlie the most critical social inequities. In 1954, when Brown v. Board of Education began the process of school desegregation, social scientists confidently predicted that the racial gap in academic performance would soon be eliminated (Brown v. Board of Education, 1954). Sadly, this did not occur. According to scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP, 2005), the reading achievement of White fourth graders is virtually unchanged since the earliest national assessments in 1971. During the 1970s, African American and Latino students made significant progress on NAEP reading, but there has been little further change since the early 1980s. In subjects other than reading, there have been some gains overall, but significant gaps in performance still exist today and are not diminishing. The gap reduction seen in the 1970s is important in demonstrating that the achievement gap is not immutable, but can be changed on a national scale. Many explanations for this period of progress have been advanced, but the greatest likelihood is simply that schooling for African American children went from abysmal to merely bad. This was the period when the country saw the first fruits of Great Society programs, such as Title I, desegregation, and other improvements in basic schooling of African American students. African Americans, on average, attend schools that are far less well funded than those attended by Whites; their teachers are less highly qualified, and their families are more likely to suffer from the ills of poverty, which have direct bearing on children's success in school. Some theorists (e.g., Rothstein, 2004) suggest that educational equality will not be achieved until economic and social equality is achieved, but given the dependence of SES on educational attainment, it is hard to see how economic success would precede academic success, at least, in the near future. …
Whi e programmed instruction has 'not generally been found to increase mathematics achievement, t... more Whi e programmed instruction has 'not generally been found to increase mathematics achievement, the problems appear to lie more in managerial and motivational difficulties rather than in the theory of individualizing instruction. This study evaluated programmed instruction in mathematics using a system designed to solve these problems by having students work in heterogeneous teams and do all scoring themselves. This cooperative-individualized program, calked Team-Assisted Individualization, or TAI, was attested in two field experiments in alementary schools. Students in the TAI classes in both experiments scored higher than control students (controlling for pretest and grade) on a standardized mathematics test, but not higher than a group that used the materials and student management but not teams. Attitude and behavioral rating results followed the same general pattern.
At a communi ty meeting to discuss a plan to eliminate ability grouping in a middle school, a wom... more At a communi ty meeting to discuss a plan to eliminate ability grouping in a middle school, a woman stood to speak. "I believe in a good education for all students. I want my daughter to learn to get along with all kinds of kids. I am concerned about what I've heard about the quality of education for kids in the low-ability groups. But my sixth grader and most of her friends are reading far above grade level. She read Jurassic Park last summer just for fun. There are other sixth graders, mostly from the school (which serves a high-poverty area), who are reading at the second or third grade level. How can a teacher teach a class with such a wide range of student performance levels?" Something like this mother's question almost always comes up in any discussion of ability grouping. There are plausible answers; an Engl i sh teacher might use different versions of the same reading material to allow the poor readers to participate, or put readings on tape, or provide for tutoring, or use cooperative learning, or rely more on teaching than on independent reading.' Yet each of these solutions has its own difficulties and none can solve the fundamental problem. As long as there are children reading far below grade level, teaching heterogeneous classes in subjects that depend heavily on reading skill will be difficult. More important, it is impossible to have schools in which "all students can be smart" if some students are very poor readers. Even with the best teaching, the most enlightened school organization, and the most flexible and appropriate assessments, it is hard to see a student who is not reading adequately as successful in school.
TWO STUDIES were conducted to evaluate a comprehensive cooperative learning approach to elementar... more TWO STUDIES were conducted to evaluate a comprehensive cooperative learning approach to elementary reading and writing instruction: Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC). In CIRC, thirdand fourth-grade students worked in heterogeneous learning teams for all reading, language arts, and writing activities. In reading, students worked with partners during follow-up times on partner reading, decoding, story structure, prediction, and story summary activities related to the basal stories. Students also received direct instruction on comprehension and metacomprehension activities, followed by team practice. In writing and language arts, students used a process approach to writing, and participated in peer conferences during planning, revising, and editing stages of the process. Students also received direct instruction followed by team practice on language mechanics and language expression activities, which were integrated with the students' writing activities. The authors found significant effects in favor of the CIRC students on standardized measures of reading comprehension, reading vocabulary, language mechanics, language expression, and spelling. The CIRC students also performed better on writing sample and oral reading measures.
This article reports the first year's outcomes of Success for All, a program designed to brin... more This article reports the first year's outcomes of Success for All, a program designed to bring all children to grade level in basic skills by the third grade. The program uses one-to-one tutoring, research-based reading methods, frequent assessment, enhanced preschool and kindergarten programs, family support, and other interventions to prevent learning problems from developing. An evaluation of the program in an inner-city elementary school found substantially enhanced language skills among preschool and kindergarteners and reading skills among students in Grades 1–3 in comparison to matched controls. Special education referrals and retentions in grade were also substantially reduced. Implications of the findings for compensatory and special education are discussed.
This document presents the effects of variations of a schoolwide restructuring program, Success f... more This document presents the effects of variations of a schoolwide restructuring program, Success for All, on student reading achievement and other outcomes in elementary schools serving large numbers of disadvantaged students. Success for All uses research-basea preschool and kindergarten programs, beginning and intermediate reading programs in grades 1 through 3, one-to-one tutoring for low-achieving students, family support programs, and other elements. Five Baltimore (Maryland) schools were studied over a period of 3 years (4 schools) or 4 years (I school).-lmparisons with matched students in matched schools indicate strong positive ef.ects on most individually administered reading measures in most schools for students who have been in the program since the first grade. In particular, 15.7 percent of participating students were reading 1 year below grade level, and 3.9 percent were 2 years behind. In the control schools, 38 percent were at least 1 year below grade level, and 11.7 percent were 2 years below. Particularly large effects were found for students who were in the lowest 25 percent of their grades on pretests. Retentions in grade were also substantially reduced, and attendance increased over time. Included are six tables and one figure and 38 references. (JB)
This study used questionnaire data collected by the Educational Testing Service in 51 high school... more This study used questionnaire data collected by the Educational Testing Service in 51 high schools to discover which school practices improved racial attitudes and behaviors in desegregated schools. Data were analyzed at school and individual levels using multiple regressions. Results for whites indicated strong, positive effects on racial attitudes and behaviors of assigning students of different races to work together and through individual participation on a sports team with students of another race. Weaker effects were found for class discussions of race. For blacks, assignment of students of different races to work together and teacher workshops on race relations had effects on one behavioral variable, and individual participation in biracial work groups or sports teams had strong, positive effects on racial behaviors and attitudes. Few effects for either race were found for teacher workshops, use of multiethnic texts, or tracking. Results were interpreted to indicate that programs involving cooperative interaction between students of different races are most likely to improve race relations in desegregated schools.
Abstract 1. This book was written to provide the best available information on what is known now ... more Abstract 1. This book was written to provide the best available information on what is known now about effective programs for students at risk of school failure, particularly those who are currently served in compensatory and special education programs. The message of this ...
This article reports on 2 experiments in inner-city Baltimore evaluating a computer-assisted tuto... more This article reports on 2 experiments in inner-city Baltimore evaluating a computer-assisted tutoring approach, Tutoring With Alphie (TWA), in which 1 paraprofessional can work with up to 6 children at a time. In Study 1, we randomly assigned 14 schools to receive TWA or to continue with whatever approaches they were currently using. Each experimental school (n ¼ 8) received a half-time paraprofessional tutor. Struggling readers in the lowest 30% of Grades 1-3 received tutoring using TWA. In comparison to control schools (n ¼ 6), reading outcomes strongly favored TWA (effect size ¼ þ0.46, p < .01). In Study 2, new students in 7 of the 8 TWA schools received tutoring, and 6 schools continued as controls. Results again favored the TWA group (effect size ¼ þ0.40, p < .001). The findings support the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of using technology to offer tutoring to many more students than could have received it individually. Over the past 25 years, there have been extraordinary developments in research, policy, and practice relating to programs for elementary-age children who are struggling to learn to read. Although there has long been concern about reading disabilities, dyslexia, and underachievement, research and development since the 1980s has created a sense of optimism that most children who start off their time in school struggling to learn to read can be quickly brought into the mainstream in this crucial skill. A focus in special education on response to intervention (see Allington & Walmsey, 2007; Fuchs & Fuchs, 2006; Gersten et al., 2009), in which at-risk children often receive small-group interventions and then possibly one-to-one tutoring in an attempt to solve their problems before they are referred to special education, has encouraged development and research on small-group as well as individual tutoring. A widespread policy focus on reading by third grade has intensified interest in early reading interventions, especially in the states that have passed legislation requiring that third graders not reading at grade level be retained. The importance of getting children off to a good start in reading is clear. For example, research has shown that children reading below grade level in third grade are 4 times as likely as other students to drop out before high school graduation (Lesnick, Goerge, Smithgall, & Gwynne, 2010). In the elementary grades, success in school is virtually synonymous with success in reading, and children without strong reading skills by middle school are headed for serious difficulty. Children who fail to read in the early grades incur so many costs to the education system in special education, remediation, grade repetition, delinquency, and ultimate dropout that even very expensive interventions can be justified on the grounds of cost-effectiveness alone while at the same time preventing damage to young peoples' lives (National Reading Panel, 2000). Furthermore, reading failure is concentrated among schools serving many disadvantaged, minority, and limited English proficient children.
Journal of education for students placed at risk, Oct 1, 1999
Two adaptations of Success for All, a comprehensive instructional reform program for elementary s... more Two adaptations of Success for All, a comprehensive instructional reform program for elementary schools, have been used with students acquiring English as a second language. One is a Spanish bilingual version called "Exito para Todos," in which students are taught to read in Spanish and then transitioned to English reading, usually in the third or fourth grade. The other integrates English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) strategies with English reading instruction. This report summarizes the results of both of these adaptations for students acquiring English. Experience shows that the effects of Success for All on the achievement of English language learners are, in general, substantially positive. In all schools implementing "Exito para Todos," effect sizes for first graders on Spanish assessments were very positive, especially when schools were implementing most of the program's elements. Even after transitioning to English-only instruction, "Exito para Todos" third graders performed better on English assessments than control students who were primarily taught in English. For students acquiring English receiving ESL instruction, effect sizes for all comparison groups were also positive. (Contains 34 references.) (MSE)
The study investigated the effects of a cooperative intervention designed to allow 40 academicall... more The study investigated the effects of a cooperative intervention designed to allow 40 academically handicapped (learning disabled or mildly retarded) and normal progress students (in third, fourth, and sixth grades) to work 'cooperatively on academic materials in improving social relationships between these groups cf students. /r the cooperative treatment, students studied mathematics in heterogeneous teams that were rewarded as a group for improvements in the performance of the individual members. This treatment was compared to a control treatment in which students worked individually on their mathematics work and were rewarded as individuals for improvement in performance. Results indicated that the cooperative techniques improved social acceptance, in that rejection of academically handicapped students was decreased, but fritnd'ihips were not increased. Gains in academic achievement and self esteem were found for the combined sample of students in the cooperative le-ruing treatment. (Author/DB)
While it is important to improve the outcomes of bilingual and English-only reading instruction f... more While it is important to improve the outcomes of bilingual and English-only reading instruction for English language learners at all grade levels, there is a particular need to see that students are successful in beginning to read in the early elementary grades. One program that has achieved a great deal of success in meeting this goal is called Success for All, a comprehensive reform program for elementary schools, especially those serving many students at risk. This report presents data on the achievement of English language learners in schools in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Southern California, Houston (Texas), and Arizona that are implementing Success for All or Exito Para Todos (the Spanish bilingual adaptation of Success for All). The effects of Success for All on the achievement of English language learners are not entirely consistent, but in general they are substantially positive. In all schools implementing Exito Para Todos, effect sizes for first graders on Spanish assessments were very positive. The Houston study showed that this effect was more pronounced when schools were implementing most of the program's elements. The Philadelphia evaluation showed that even after transitioning to English-only instruction, Exito Para Todos third graders performed better on English assessments than control students who were primarily taught in English. For students in sheltered English instruction, effect sizes for all comparisons were also positive, especially for Cambodian students in Philadelphia and Mexican American students in California. (Contains 4 figures, 7 tables, and 31 references.) (Author/SLD)
Success for All, a comprehensive schoolwide reform program for elementary schools serving many ch... more Success for All, a comprehensive schoolwide reform program for elementary schools serving many children placed at risk of school failure, was first piloted in one Baltimore (Maryland) elementary school in the 1987-88 school year. Since then, the program has expanded rapidly; as of 1998-99, it was in more than 1,100 schools in 300 districts in 44 states throughout the United States. Success for All requires a great deal of professional development done over an extended period of time to help schools start children with success. This report describes the dissemination experience of Success for All, including the strategies pursued, the relative success of various dissemination routes, and the implications of these experiences for public policy. This experience has led Success for All developers to conclude that successful dissemination requires a combination of talented, dedicated trainers and a local and national network of schools willing and able to provide technical and emotional support. Employing full-time, regionally based trainers recruited from outstanding Success for All Schools is the most effective way of building the staff. In contrast, it is noted that strategies depending on involvement of other organizations or on part-time certified trainers have rarely been successful. To offer research-based, replicable school designs to large numbers of schools, national and state policy makers need to help existing and new reform networks build up their training capacity and provide funds to schools to help them with startup costs. (Contains 1 table and 18 references.) (SLD)
This paper discusses comprehensive school reform (CSR), which accepts the importance of standards... more This paper discusses comprehensive school reform (CSR), which accepts the importance of standards and accountability but adds to these strategies for introducing innovations in curriculum, instruction, school organization, governance, parent interactions, and other core features of practice. The paper reviews research on the nature and quality of evidence supporting Success for All, the most widely disseminated CSR program. The development of CSR was greatly influenced by the 1997 creation of the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program (CSRD), which provides grants to support adoption of proven CSR models. Many states have aligned state or federal dollars intended to improve professional development or instruction in schools, especially high poverty schools, with CSRD, which increases the number of schools that can adopt CSR programs. Analysis of data evaluating Success for All and comparing it with other reform models indicates that Success for All is effective when fully implemented because the program elements themselves are based on rigorous research. Data show that Success for All produces significantly greater gains than other educational methods and does not lose its effectiveness when disseminated on a very large scale. The results suggest that evidence-based reform may potentially transform educational practice, especially in schools serving high-risk students. (Contains 36 references.) (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the oijginal document.
This paper reviews research on effective pull-out programs for elementary students who are at ris... more This paper reviews research on effective pull-out programs for elementary students who are at risk for school failure. The emphasis is on programs that can be readily replicated by schools other than those that developed them. The focus is on programs provided to students who have been ident:fied as in need of remedial services which are implemented outside of the regular classroom. Th(study found that effective pull-out programs for students fall into three broad categories: (1) diagnostic-prescriptive programs; (2) tutoring programs; and (3) computer-assisted instruction. Successful examples of each of these types are described Rnd discussed. The most successful models completely adapt instruction to students' unique needs and provide plentiful direct instruction appropriate to their levels of readiness. Results of the study suggest that the ach.evement of at-risk students can be significantly increased, either by making relatively inexpensive but extensive modifications in the regular instructional program or by implementing relatively expensive but intensive interventions as pull-out programs. It is possible that a combination of these strategies would be more effective than either one by itself. An extensive list of references is included, along with descriptions of successful programs among each of the three types. (PS)
One educational innovation that is having a widespread and disproportionate impact on the gap in ... more One educational innovation that is having a widespread and disproportionate impact on the gap in academic achievement between African-American and Latino children and their White peers is Success for All (SFA), a comprehensive reform model for elementary schools piloted in Baltimore in 1987. SFA, a whole-school reform model that focuses primarily on reading, provides schools with research-based curriculum materials, instructional strategies, and extensive professional development and follow-up. It provides one-to-one tutoring for young children struggling in reading, as well as active parent involvement programs. A large.number of studies have found significant positive effects of SFA on the reading achievement of African-Americanand Latino students. A Texas statewide evaluation of 111 SFA schools found that while the racial gap in Texas Assessment of Academic Skills reading achievement was diminishing for all Texas schools, 1994-98, it diminished significantly more for African-American and Latino students in SFA schools. For schools that had implemented SFA for the longest time, the final gap was only 4 percentage points for African-American students and 7 for Latinos, compared to 14 and 10, respectively, for Texas African-American and Latino students not in SFA schools. The results of these studies suggest that African-American and Latino students may be particularly responsive to improved quality of instruction, and that with a variety of educational interventions it may be possible to substantially reduce or eliminate the persistent achievement gap. (Contains 18 references and 8 figures.) (TD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
The Success for All model of instruction, which seeks to prevent academic problems in elementary ... more The Success for All model of instruction, which seeks to prevent academic problems in elementary school by addressing reading difficulties with early, intensive intervention, is described. The approach, begun with native English-speaking students at risk academically, provides tutoring from prekindergarten or kinuergarten onward, particularly through one-to-one tutoring. At elementary schools serving communities where many students begin school speaking other languages natively, the program was adapted to provide literacy instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL). The report describes distinctive elements of the program as implemented in seven schools nationwide, and discusses the adaptations made for the needs of English language learners. A major feature of the program is the use of tutors in pull-out sessions and to provide small-group instruction in homogeneous groups during daily classroom reading periods. Activities include fast-paced routines and group-response games. Reading level assessments are made every 8 weeks. ESL instruction emphasizes skills directly tied to success in the English curriculum. Additional elements include a full-day kindergarten, family support team, full-time program facilitator in each school, and inservice education for participating teachers. Data on student success in each program are summarized. (MSE)
Success for All is a comprehensive reform model that uses cooperative learning, tutoring, family ... more Success for All is a comprehensive reform model that uses cooperative learning, tutoring, family support services, and extensive professional development to help high-poverty schools succeed with their students. This article reviews research on Success for All with African American students, focusing on evidence that Success for All reduces the achievement gap between African American and White students. More than 40 studies, including a national randomized experiment, have found positive effects of Success for All in schools serving many African Americans. Implications of these findings for policy and practice are discussed. From 1994 to 2004, the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk (CRESPAR), located at Howard University and Johns Hopkins University, conducted research on a wide variety of potential solutions to the achievement problems of students placed at risk. This included development and evaluation of programs for high-poverty schools at the preschool, elementary, middle, and high school levels; policies designed to help high-poverty schools; school, parent, and community partnerships; assessment issues for high-poverty schools; and more. CRESPAR's research was based on an assertion that all children enter school with great promise for success, but many are placed at risk due to insufficient or inappropriate responses to their unique strengths and needs. CRESPAR's goal was to provide both conceptual advances and practical solutions to substantially reduce the gap in academic performance between majority and minority students. This article summarizes research on one of the CRESPAR programs of research, focused on using the Success for All (SFA) comprehensive school reform model to address the achievement gap in elementary schooling. THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP The gap in academic achievement between African American (as well as Latino) children and their White peers is arguably the most important of all educational problems in the U.S. This gap, which appears early in elementary school, develops into differences in high school graduation rates, college attendance and completion, and ultimately, the differences in income and socioeconomic status (SES) that underlie the most critical social inequities. In 1954, when Brown v. Board of Education began the process of school desegregation, social scientists confidently predicted that the racial gap in academic performance would soon be eliminated (Brown v. Board of Education, 1954). Sadly, this did not occur. According to scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP, 2005), the reading achievement of White fourth graders is virtually unchanged since the earliest national assessments in 1971. During the 1970s, African American and Latino students made significant progress on NAEP reading, but there has been little further change since the early 1980s. In subjects other than reading, there have been some gains overall, but significant gaps in performance still exist today and are not diminishing. The gap reduction seen in the 1970s is important in demonstrating that the achievement gap is not immutable, but can be changed on a national scale. Many explanations for this period of progress have been advanced, but the greatest likelihood is simply that schooling for African American children went from abysmal to merely bad. This was the period when the country saw the first fruits of Great Society programs, such as Title I, desegregation, and other improvements in basic schooling of African American students. African Americans, on average, attend schools that are far less well funded than those attended by Whites; their teachers are less highly qualified, and their families are more likely to suffer from the ills of poverty, which have direct bearing on children's success in school. Some theorists (e.g., Rothstein, 2004) suggest that educational equality will not be achieved until economic and social equality is achieved, but given the dependence of SES on educational attainment, it is hard to see how economic success would precede academic success, at least, in the near future. …
Whi e programmed instruction has 'not generally been found to increase mathematics achievement, t... more Whi e programmed instruction has 'not generally been found to increase mathematics achievement, the problems appear to lie more in managerial and motivational difficulties rather than in the theory of individualizing instruction. This study evaluated programmed instruction in mathematics using a system designed to solve these problems by having students work in heterogeneous teams and do all scoring themselves. This cooperative-individualized program, calked Team-Assisted Individualization, or TAI, was attested in two field experiments in alementary schools. Students in the TAI classes in both experiments scored higher than control students (controlling for pretest and grade) on a standardized mathematics test, but not higher than a group that used the materials and student management but not teams. Attitude and behavioral rating results followed the same general pattern.
At a communi ty meeting to discuss a plan to eliminate ability grouping in a middle school, a wom... more At a communi ty meeting to discuss a plan to eliminate ability grouping in a middle school, a woman stood to speak. "I believe in a good education for all students. I want my daughter to learn to get along with all kinds of kids. I am concerned about what I've heard about the quality of education for kids in the low-ability groups. But my sixth grader and most of her friends are reading far above grade level. She read Jurassic Park last summer just for fun. There are other sixth graders, mostly from the school (which serves a high-poverty area), who are reading at the second or third grade level. How can a teacher teach a class with such a wide range of student performance levels?" Something like this mother's question almost always comes up in any discussion of ability grouping. There are plausible answers; an Engl i sh teacher might use different versions of the same reading material to allow the poor readers to participate, or put readings on tape, or provide for tutoring, or use cooperative learning, or rely more on teaching than on independent reading.' Yet each of these solutions has its own difficulties and none can solve the fundamental problem. As long as there are children reading far below grade level, teaching heterogeneous classes in subjects that depend heavily on reading skill will be difficult. More important, it is impossible to have schools in which "all students can be smart" if some students are very poor readers. Even with the best teaching, the most enlightened school organization, and the most flexible and appropriate assessments, it is hard to see a student who is not reading adequately as successful in school.
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