69ý

Federal

Title I Study: As Teachers Hone Their Craft, Children Gain

By David J. Hoff — September 05, 2001 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Standards-based initiatives will not work if teachers aren’t learning how to improve their instructional practices and parents aren’t involved in their children’s education, a federal study suggests.

The review of 71 high-poverty elementary schools found that student achievement rose the fastest in those where teachers reported they had high-quality instruction in improving their craft and worked actively with parents on students’ education.

“It confirmed what we already know about professional development and parental outreach,” said Daphne K. Hardcastle, the project officer at the Department of Education who oversaw the three-year project.

is free from the . It can also be ordered through ED Pubs, Editorial Publications Center, U.S. Department of Education, PO Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398.

What’s more, the study of Title I schools found that the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders it assessed performed better in reading and mathematics if their teachers emphasized higher-order thinking over basic skills. According to Ms. Hardcastle, the findings support the view that high-poverty students need to learn basic skills in the primary grades, but that schools need to lean toward more creative learning in the upper-elementary grades."You may need to do some [basic-skills instruction], but you shouldn’t overemphasize it,” she argued. “It shouldn’t exclude thinking skills.”

While the study, released this summer, lacks the scope and randomized design needed to be considered scientifically sound, its findings ring true with a number of people who are working to improve the achievement of impoverished students. Helping teachers explore new and creative ways to teach reading has been a big part of standards-based initiatives in El Paso, Texas, according to Joanne Bogart, the director of dissemination and policy for the El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence.

“It’s an ongoing professional development,” said Ms. Bogart, a former federal Education Department official. “We’re working with teachers so they’re always working to improve their practices. We don’t just say, ‘Here are some materials. Use this script.’ ”

One of the results has been that several elementary schools in the area are listed as “exemplary,” the highest category in the Texas accountability system, she said.

Rapid Gains

For the report, Education Department contractors tracked the achievement of a cohort of 3rd graders until they reached the 5th grade. The 71 schools in the study had more than 35 percent of their students coming from low- income families and received aid under Title I. The largest federal program in precollegiate education aims to improve the schooling of disadvantaged children.

Researchers surveyed teachers to check which services and interventions might have the greatest impact on student achievement.

The analysis found that:

  • Student progress was 20 percent higher in reading and 50 percent higher in math when teachers gave high ratings to their professional-development experiences rather than low ones.
  • When 3rd grade teachers actively worked with parents of low-achieving students, the test-score gain was 50 percent higher in reading and 40 percent higher in math than when the 3rd grade teachers didn’t engage in such parental outreach.
  • Test-score growth was 10 percent lower in reading and 17 percent lower in math when teachers emphasized basic skills over higher-order thinking.

Westat and Policy Studies Associates conducted the research for the department.

The study was designed by a panel formed by the Clinton administration to evaluate Title I. But its findings support the Bush administration’s agenda of improving reading by helping teachers change the way they teach the subject, according to an Education Department spokeswoman.

While that reading agenda emphasizes teaching basic skills in the early grades, the administration believes the approach to teaching should turn toward higher-order-thinking skills in the late-elementary years, according to Melinda Kitchell Malico, the spokeswoman.

69ý research, in particular, has noted that phonics instruction becomes less important once students become independent readers, said Louisa C. Moats, a clinical associate professor for the Center for Academic and 69ý Skills at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. “The research consensus now is that about 3rd grade, the emphasis has to shift to comprehension and vocabulary development,” Ms. Moats said.

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Federal From Our Research Center How Educators Say They'll Vote in the 2024 Election
Educators' feelings on Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump vary by age and the communities where they work.
4 min read
Jacob Lewis, 3, waits at a privacy booth as his grandfather, Robert Schroyer, fills out his ballot while voting at Sabillasville Elementary School, Nov. 8, 2022, in Sabillasville, Md.
Jacob Lewis, 3, waits at a privacy booth as his grandfather, Robert Schroyer, fills out his ballot while voting at Sabillasville Elementary School, Nov. 8, 2022, in Sabillasville, Md.
Julio Cortez/AP
Federal Q&A Oklahoma State Chief Ryan Walters: 'Trump's Won the Argument on Education'
The state schools chief's name comes up as Republicans discuss who could become education secretary in a second Trump administration.
8 min read
Ryan Walters, then-Republican candidate for Oklahoma State Superintendent, speaks at a rally, Nov. 1, 2022, in Oklahoma City.
Ryan Walters speaks at a rally on Nov. 1, 2022, in Oklahoma City as a candidate for state superintendent of public instruction. He won the race and has built a national profile for governing in the MAGA mold.
Sue Ogrocki/AP
Federal Why Trump and Harris Have Barely Talked About 69ý This Election
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump haven't outlined many plans for K-12 schools, reflecting what's been the norm in recent contests for the White House.
6 min read
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris participate during an ABC News presidential debate at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, Sept.10, 2024, in Philadelphia.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris participate in an ABC News presidential debate at the National Constitution Center on Sept.10, 2024, in Philadelphia.
Alex Brandon/AP
Federal Who Could Be Donald Trump's Next Education Secretary?
Trump must decide if he wants someone with a "proven track record" or a "culture warrior," says a former GOP Hill staffer.
9 min read
President Donald Trump, right, arrives in a classroom at St. Andrew Catholic School in Orlando, Fla., on March 3, 2017.
President Donald Trump, right, arrives in a classroom at St. Andrew Catholic School in Orlando, Fla., on March 3, 2017.
Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP