We explore the use of instrumental variables (IV) analysis with a multisite randomized trial to estimate the effect of a mediating variable on an outcome in cases where it can be assumed that the observed mediator is the only mechanism linking treatment assignment to outcomes, an assumption known in the IV literature as the exclusion restriction.…

We explore the use of instrumental variables (IV) analysis with a multi-site randomized trial to estimate the effect of a mediating variable on an outcome in cases where it can be assumed that the observed mediator is the only mechanism linking treatment assignment to outcomes, as assumption known in the instrumental variables literature as the…

Former President George W. Bush finished his tenure without having won congressional renewal of his No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy. With President Barack Obama now at the helm, NCLB is up for debate. Brown Center Director Grover "Russ" Whitehurst examines Reading First, a key component of NCLB, that aims to ensure that all children…

Although a growing body of research points to the critical need to foster reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills for students in order to ensure their success in college, careers, and life, these efforts have tended to focus more on developing literacy skills in the early years, often ignoring secondary students. The outcome has…

We evaluated the validity of DIBELS ("Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills") ORF ("Oral Reading Fluency") for predicting performance on the "Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test" (FCAT-SSS) and "Stanford Achievement Test" (SAT-10) reading comprehension measures. The usefulness of previously…

A bilingual program funded under Title VII and carried out in four Bronx, New York, elementary schools is the subject of this evaluation report. Staffing patterns, inservice training, and English as a Second Language classes for Spanish and Italian speaking parents are briefly described. Evaluative data tables are presented for student performance…

This fifteenth annual report provides a summary of activities offered in Ohio through Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Information presented includes (1) statistics for fiscal 1980, (2) participation trends, (3) instructional impact, (4) expenditure and staffing patterns, (5) parent involvement, and (6) five-year trends. The…

The "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" (PL 107-110) established the Reading First (RF) Program (Title I, Part B, Subpart 1), a major Federal initiative designed to help ensure that all children can read at or above grade level by the end of third-grade. The legislation (Section 1205 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act) requires…

Since July 1978, RMC Research Corporation has been conducting a study concerned with several aspects of the Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS). Phases I and II included examination of technical and procedural issues, development of system materials, and assessment of state evaluation reports. Phase III was intended to be an…

Based on observations of all Title I reading teachers participating in the Program for Optional Assignment in District 20K, Brooklyn, New York, this report summarizes the program's policies, practices, and student achievement results. The program proposal called for assigning special reading teachers to work with second through ninth grade…

Seven programs funded under Title I Umbrella and Impact Aid and carried out in elementary and intermediate/junior high schools of District 24, Queens, New York, are described in this report. The programs are: (1) Strengthened Basic Skills Program; (2) Diagnosis and Treatment of Reading Disabilities; (3) Diagnostic/Prescriptive Mathematics Program;…

This report presents findings from the third and final year of the Reading First Impact Study (RFIS), a congressionally mandated evaluation of the federal government's initiative to help all children read at or above grade level by the end of third grade. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 established Reading First (RF) and mandated its…

This summary report describes the three-year Special Emphasis Project, a large federal program directed at preventing and correcting reading difficulties among elementary school children. Section one of the report provides a brief history of the project, with descriptions of its rationale, intent, major and specific provisions, and the controlled…

Kanawha County (West Virginia) schools use Z-scores to identify elementary students eligible for Chapter 1 services in reading and mathematics. A probit analysis of over 500 previously served students was used to determine the variables and weights in the Z-score equations. Independent variables were chosen from those commonly used to identify…

The purpose of this study was to determine the nature and impact of the Chapter 1 instructional programs in the Detroit school system. The study sought answers to two questions. In what types of settings did the Chapter 1 instruction in reading and mathematics take place? Did the type of setting have a significant bearing upon the academic…