Americans view education as the path to upward mobility, yet too many children are faltering on the first steps of that path. Clearly, schools must start early to close skills gaps among children, rather than allowing those gaps to widen, particularly for low-income children of color. Identifying strategies that narrow the achievement gap and thus help to create a more equitable society by leveling the educational playing field for young learners is a key objective of MDRC’s work in the elementary grades.
Current Projects
All children need strong foundation skills in reading. While much has been learned about effective early literacy instruction, much less is known about how school systems and teachers can be encouraged to adopt these research-based practices. Four major MDRC initiatives are shedding light on policies that seek to promote success in early reading instruction. First, in conjunction with Abt Associates, MDRC is conducting an impact evaluation of Reading First, the federal grant program that targets funding to underperforming schools to finance the adoption and operation of scientifically-based reading programs. Second, the Professional Development in Reading Study, conducted in partnership with the American Institutes for Research, is studying the effectiveness of intensive professional development strategies and coaching to improve reading instruction among teachers of second-graders. Third, the FAST-R study is evaluating a program in the Boston Public Schools built around low-stakes reading assessments of third- and fourth-graders and training for English Language Arts teachers on how to use the assessments to improve instruction. Finally, the study of Response to Intervention (RtI) Programs for Struggling Readers is examining variations of this popular model for improving the achievement of struggling learners without referring them to special education. MDRC’s study is focusing on RtI models for first- and second-grade reading.
Completed Projects
MDRC’s evaluation of elementary schools in the Accelerated Schools Project represents one of the first external impact evaluations of a major school reform initiative, one that is now in place in over 1,000 schools across the country. It also marks a methodological advance in the evaluation of whole-school reform initiatives. More recently, MDRC completed an evaluation of Project GRAD, a reform that involves both elementary and secondary schools.
Key Documents on School-Based Reforms in Elementary Schools
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