Reading Comprehension Percentage of Students at Proficiency Grade 1

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Looking Back, Moving Forward A Federal
Perspective on Reading First Maria
Worthen Office of Elementary Secondary
Education U.S. Department of Education
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The Federal Perspective
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The Federal Perspective 2
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The Federal Perspective 3
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(No Transcript)
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What does ED do for you?

• Technical Assistance
• Monitoring
• Data collection, analysis and reporting
• Evaluation
• Logistical support
• Communicating a vision
• Sustaining Reading First
• Reading First Advisory Committee

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Reading First Results Its working

• Reading First is the largest and most effective
  federal reading program in our nations history.
• Over 100,000 teachers have received technical
  knowledge and practical training to implement
  high-quality programs
• More than 1.8 million students have benefited
  from Reading First.

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Whats happening in States?

• Achievement data from states show that Reading
  First students from nearly every grade and
  subgroup (Hispanic, African American, students
  with disabilities, limited English proficient
  students, and economically disadvantaged
  students) have made impressive gains in reading
  proficiency.

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Reading First Fluency Results

• On average, for states with baseline data that
  have increased the percentage of students meeting
  or exceeding proficiency on fluency outcome
  measures, we see
• 16 average gain for 1st graders
• 14 average gain for 2nd graders
• 15 average gain for 3rd graders

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2nd grade fluency proficiencyEconomically
disadvantaged
Percent Proficient
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2nd grade fluency proficiencyLEP
Percent Proficient
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2nd grade fluency proficiencyDisabilities
Percent Proficient
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2nd grade fluency proficiencyAfrican American
Percent Proficient
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2nd grade fluency proficiencyHispanic
Percent Proficient
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National
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national fluency gains from 1st 3rd grade
Percent Proficient
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Reading First Comprehension Results

• On average, for states with baseline data that
  have increased the percentage of students meeting
  or exceeding proficiency on comprehension outcome
  measures
• 15 average gain for 1st graders
• 6 average gain for 2nd graders
• 12 average gain for 3rd graders

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LEAs Showing at least 5 Improvement in
Comprehension from IMP 1 to 2006 (Cohort
1)National
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LEAs Showing at least 5 Improvement in
Comprehension from IMP 1 to 2006 (Cohort
1)National Michigan
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Comprehension proficiencyMichigan (ITBS
Comp)Economically Disadvantaged
Percent Proficient
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Comprehension proficiencyMichigan (ITBS
Comp)English Language Learners
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Comprehension proficiencyMichigan (ITBS
Comp)Students with Disabilities
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Comprehension proficiencyMichigan (ITBS
Comp)Caucasian students
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Comprehension proficiencyMichigan (ITBS
Comp)African American students
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Comprehension proficiencyMichigan (ITBS
Comp)Hispanic students
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Comprehension proficiencyMichigan (ITBS
Comp)Asian/Pacific Islander students
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Comprehension proficiencyMichigan (ITBS
Comp)American Indian/Alaska Native students
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The Nations Report Card

• Every two years, random students in 4th and
  8th grade in each State are tested in reading and
  math for the National Assessment for Educational
  Progress (NAEP).
• NAEP is the only standardized assessment
  administered by the U.S. Department of Education.
• NCLB required states to participate in these NAEP
  assessments. Prior to NCLB, participation was
  optional.

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NAEP results The Nations Report Card

• Results from the biennial National Assessment
  for Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading
  demonstrate continued need for Federal
  investment.
• Fewer than one-third of all 4th grade students
  read at proficient levels (still true, as of
  2005).
• Even worse, as of 2005, 61 percent of all fourth
  graders in high-poverty schools scored below the
  "basic" reading level.

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NAEP results Progress

• Since 1998, 4th grade students scores overall
  have raised by 4 points.
• For black and Hispanic students, the increases
  have been 7 and 10 points, respectively.
• Scores for students who receive free and reduced
  price lunch have increased by 7 points.

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What NAEP results mean
We see progress but its a long road. We need to
raise the reading skills of all our students and
accelerate improvements for those students in
groups that are the furthest behind.
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Discussion topic (1)

• What do your own data look like? Are they similar
  or different to state and national data?

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Discussion topic (2)

• What could be going on after 1st grade? What can
  we do to sustain achievement gains through 3rd
  grade and beyond?

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Think and Write

• On your PURPLE card
• How could reauthorization of NCLB make Reading
  First and even stronger program? What would you
  do to change it?

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GAO Report

• March 2007 report from the Government Accounting
  Office (GAO) indicated that states have reported
  a number of changes as well as improvements in
  reading instruction since implementation of
  Reading First began.
• 69 of all states reported great or very great
  improvement in reading instruction since
  implementing Reading First practices.

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Center on Education Policy

• September 2006 study by CEP concluded that
  Reading First is having a significant and
  positive impact on student achievement for our
  nations neediest students.
• Survey results revealed that 97 of school
  districts with improved academic achievement
  cited RF as important or very important to
  improved performance.
• Majority of schools with reading improvement
  attributed results to Reading First.

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Reading First Implementation Evaluation Interim
Report

• NCLB requires independent evaluation of the
  Reading First program.
• July 2006 interim report found that Reading First
  staff received significantly more professional
  development than did Title I staff.
• Report also found that Reading First teachers
  were significantly more likely than their
  counterparts in Title I schools to place their
  struggling students in intervention programs.

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PART Rating Effective

• All Federal programs are evaluated using the
  governments Program Assessment Rating Tool
  (PART). Reading First was found to be Effective
  -- the highest rating available.
• The PART review found that Reading First had a
  strong program design and that the program has
  demonstrated improvements and has met performance
  targets.
• Only 3 other federal education programs and only
  17 of all government programs were rated as
  Effective in 2006.

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What about the bad news?

• Recent reports of the Inspector General and
  congressional investigations have focused on
  serious administrative problems with
  implementation of the program at the Federal
  level.
• A few reports focused on implementation problems
  that occurred at the state level.

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What does this bad news mean for the future?

• All recent investigations have focused on the
  past.
• Staff changes have been made at the Federal level
  and changes, such as rigorous conflict of
  interest review procedures, have been implemented
  to address the concerns cited in the reports.
• None of the reports have challenged the basic
  premises of Reading First, SBRR
• Congress and the Department of Education remain
  supportive of the program.

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New Management at Reading First

• Staff at Federal level increased from a very
  small team to a team of 7 career staff.
• Our Director is Dr. Joseph Conaty. Joe has a long
  history working with reading programs and is
  knowledgeable about reading research.
• Staff are working hard to get out to States,
  districts and schools to see more of the program,
  first hand.

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Share your ideas

• On your PINK card, share your thoughts about
  technical assistance
• Are your state, district or school needs being
  met?
• What has been most helpful?
• What could be different about TA that would make
  it more helpful?
• Your thoughts will be shared with the appropriate
  TA provider

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Sustaining Reading First

• A new initiative to provide information and
  technical assistance in sustaining the ideas and
  practices behind Reading First past the end of
  funding and throughout schools and districts
• Major activities
• Regional workshops bring district teams together
  to build a sustainability plan
• State visits to develop SEA-level sustainability
  plans
• Dissemination of information
• Website (in development)
• Issue briefs (this year Culture and Leadership)
• The regional TACs are collaborating so that TA on
  sustainability is seamless

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Activity Discussion

• Fill out the self assessment tool for the school,
  classroom, or district level
• Gather together with others at your level and
  discuss the results
• Had you already begun to think about
  sustainability in these terms?
• Would a sustainability planning workshop be
  useful to you at your stage of implementation?

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Whats next for Reading First?

• Congress has begun to work on the
  reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act.
• Funding for Reading First is expected to
  continue throughout the reauthorization process.

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What can we do?

• Our job is to continue to improve the
  implementation of Reading First so that we can
  continue to show data that says its working.

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For more informationwww.ed.gov/programs/readingf
irstReadingFirst_at_ed.govMaria
Worthen202-205-5632maria.worthen_at_ed.gov