AN ASSESSMENT OF  LONGITUDINAL OUTCOMES
OF THE READING RECOVERY INTERVENTION IN MAINE
WITH AT-RISK POPULATIONS

Dr. Gael E. Romei
May, 2002

This longitudinal panel study, determining Reading Recovery program effectiveness, followed cohorts of 4,418 students for four years, from first grade through the fourth grade, 1996-2000, in 218 Maine schools offering Reading Recovery instruction.

Do Reading Recovery students maintain the gains made in first grade?

An analysis of student performance on the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) revealed that 84.6% of the discontinued Reading Recovery students were able to meet the standard on the fourth grade reading component of the MEA.

Do discontinued Reading Recovery students receive services in subsequent years?

Examination of subsequent reading services provided in second and third grade of a subset of Reading Recovery students (n=827), revealed that 69.3% of discontinued students received no further service and met the standard.

For students who receive subsequent service, what factors impact student performance?

Teachers trained in Reading Recovery appeared to be an effective variable in students' success. Students whose second grade supplementary reading instruction was provided by Title I teachers trained in Reading Recovery were more likely to meet the standard (66%) than students whose teachers were educational technicians (47%).

Of the discontinued Reading Recovery students who received 2nd grade service and met the standard, 95% received the service from a Reading Recovery trained teacher.

How did the students who did not discontinue from the program perform?

The not discontinued students were divided into students who received a full program and those who did not receive a full program. Of these students, 74.1% were able to meet the standard on the MEA.

Students who did not discontinue after receiving a full program tended to require special services more frequently and were not as likely to meet the standard. This suggests that prolongation of the program for these students was not effective. Not discontinuing after receiving a full program may be a viable indicator that special services are needed.

What should classroom teachers know?

Knowledge of Concepts about Print upon entry into first grade and the ability to accurately and meaningfully read increasingly more complex texts held implications for instructional emphasis in kindergarten and first grade.

Were there any implications for program implementation?

Don’t extend program past 20 weeks; complete program in 2nd grade if necessary; subsequent services provided by trained Reading Recovery teacher are most effective; full implementation important.

Reading Recovery links: | RR Homepage | Introduction to Reading Recovery | Teacher Leader Training | Teacher Training | Evaluation Report | RR Teacher Institute | RR Assessment Rubric |  Ten Frequently Asked Questions About Reading Recovery | Longitudinal Outcomes Assessment |

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