The federal 69传媒 First initiative has led to improved reading instruction, assessment, and student achievement in schools taking part in the $1 billion-a-year grant program, as well as in some of the nonparticipating schools in districts that have widely adopted its principles, a study released last week concludes.
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鈥淧articipating schools and districts have made many changes in reading curriculum, instruction, assessment, and scheduling,鈥� the report by the Washington-based Center on Education Policy says. 鈥淢any districts have expanded 69传媒 First instructional programs and assessment systems to non-69传媒 First schools.鈥�
Titled 鈥淜eeping Watch on 69传媒 First,鈥� the Sept. 20 report by the research and advocacy group is based on a 2005 survey of all 50 states and a nationally representative sample of some 300 school districts in the federal Title I program, as well as case studies of 38 of those districts and selected schools.
Some 1,700 districts and more than 5,600 schools receive grants under 69传媒 First, which was authorized by the No Child Left Behind Act.
While hard data, such as test-score comparisons, are still not available, the survey results show that 鈥渨ith scientifically based research, strict requirements [for following research findings], and substantial funding, you can bring about results,鈥� said CEP President Jack Jennings.
Nineteen of the 35 states that reported their reading programs had improved in the past few years identified 69传媒 First as a key contributor. The 4陆-year-old program requires state and local grantees to meet strict guidelines for using texts, assessments, and teaching methods that reflect research findings on effective reading instruction. The initiative also provides money for intensive professional development for teachers in 69传媒 First schools and in other schools within participating districts.
More Reviews Coming
The results echo those of an interim report on the program released over the summer that was commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education. (鈥�69传媒 First 69传媒: More 69传媒 Going On, Study Finds,鈥� Aug. 9, 2006.)
That report, by the Cambridge, Mass.-based Abt Associates, was also based on survey results, interviews, and a review of state grant proposals. Test-score data from 69传媒 First participants will be part of the final report, which is expected next year.
For a report called 鈥淜eeping Watch on 69传媒 First,鈥� the Center on Education Policy in Washington surveyed states and school districts about the impact of the 69传媒 First program in the 2004-05 school year:
*Click image to see the full chart.
SOURCE: Center on Education Policy
Other reports on the program are also due out soon, including the results of audits by the Education Department鈥檚 inspector general鈥檚 office and the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress. Those reviews are focusing on complaints alleging mismanagement of the program, particularly early in its implementation, and on alleged favoritism in the awarding of 69传媒 First contracts. (鈥淚nspector General to Conduct Broad Audits of 69传媒 First,鈥� Nov. 9, 2005.)
鈥淚 know there is still great controversy with the program,鈥� said Mr. Jennings, who is a former longtime aide to Democrats on the U.S. House of Representatives鈥� education committee. 鈥淏ut from what we鈥檙e being told by the states, it鈥檚 having a positive impact on student achievement, instruction, and assessment in reading.鈥�
Some experts said the CEP report is in line with what they are seeing in their own states.
鈥淲hen I review the data from our state, we see huge [growth] in achievement鈥� in 69传媒 First schools, Diane Barone, a professor of literacy at the University of Nevada, Reno, wrote in an e-mail.
Ms. Barone, a board member of the International 69传媒 Association, said that 21 of the 27 schools in the 69传媒 First program in Nevada made adequate yearly progress under the No Child Left Behind law in English language arts for the 2005-06 school year, compared with just six the previous school year.
鈥淭his was an amazing result,鈥� she added.
But others question whether 69传媒 First is pushing too narrow an approach to reading instruction. With more attention on basic skills, for example, reading comprehension may be suffering, said Maryann Manning, an IRA board member who is a professor of education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
鈥淲e have every terrible commercial reading program published in use in our 69传媒 First schools,鈥� she wrote in an e-mail. 鈥淣arrowing the achievement gap on letter identification and the number of sighted words read in isolation is of no value on reading comprehension.鈥�
