John Edward P. St. - Improving reading and literacy in grades 1-5: a resource guide to research-based programs

Copyright 2003 by Corwin Press, Inc.

All rights reserved. Earlier versions of this work were published by the Indiana Department of Education in Indianapolis, IN, and by the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) in Naperville, IL, and have been adapted for this publication by permission.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

St. John, Edward P.
Improving reading and literacy in grades 1-5 : a resource guide to research-based programs / Edward P. St. John, Siri Ann Loescher, Jeffrey S. Bardzell; with reviews by associated authors.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p.) and index.
ISBN 0-7619-4647-0 (cloth) ISBN 0-7619-4648-9 (paper) 1. Reading (Elementary)United States. 2. School improvement programs-United States. 3. Literacy-United States. I. Loescher,
Siri Ann. II. Bardzell, Jeffrey. III. Title.
LB1573.S8217 2003
372.4'0973dc21
2002156120

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

03 04 05 06 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

I mproving Reading and Literacy in Grades 15: A Resource Guide to Research-Based Programs developed out of Improving Early Reading: A Resource Guide for Elementary Schools, supplemented by understandings reached from evaluation studies that used the framework developed in the guide. The earliest version of the Improving Early Reading guide was developed as part of an evaluation study on reading interventions by the Indiana Education Policy Center (IEPC). The original guide can still be accessed at the IEPC Web site: www.indiana.edu/~iepc.

The framework used in both guides was developed initially as part of a study of Indianas Early Literacy Intervention Grant Program, which has supported interventions in Indianas schools since 1997. Then the framework was expanded to include comprehensive school reform (CSR) in a project conducted for the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning (MDCFL) in collaboration with the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL). This collaboration and support is gratefully acknowledged. The opinions expressed in this Guide are the authors and do not represent official policies or positions of the Indiana Department of Education, NCREL, or the MDCFL.

Several individuals helped make possible the reviews and research reported in this volume. We especially thank several individuals at the Indiana Department of Education and NCREL. Dr. Suellen Reed, Indiana superintendent of public instruction, provided leadership and funding of the Early Literacy Intervention Grant Program. Dr. Earlene Holland, associate director of professional development, served as project officer for several of the studies summarized in this book. Phyllis Usher, assistant superintendent for professional development, and Terry Spradlin, legislative liaison, provided guidance and reviews. Lawrence B. Freidman served as NCRELs project officer for the studies in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Matthew Mohs, federal education programs and policy specialist in MDCFL, provided guidance on reviews of CSR models and the linking of the review method to reading standards in Minnesota and other states.

We also owe thanks to members of the advisory committee who reviewed prior versions of this Guide. Committee members from Indiana University included Roger Farr, professor emeritus of reading education; Beth Greene, associate scientist in language education; Carl B. Smith, director of the ERIC Clearinghouse for Reading and Family Literacy; and Leo Fay, professor emeritus, language education. Marie McNelis, reading specialist, Washington Township Schools (Indiana), and Jack Humphrey, director of the Middle Grade Reading Network (Indiana) also contributed as members of the review committee.

Corwins version of the Guide integrates new understandings reached from several years of evaluation research on early reading and school reform. It combines the systematic reviews from the earlier guides with insights from the evaluation studies. Several faculty members at the Indiana University School of Education contributed to the design of the research. Genevieve Manset-Williamson, associate professor of curriculum instruction, and Jonathan Plucker, associate professor of educational psychology, served as reviewers in the early stages of the project and as co-principal investigators (with Edward St. John) for reading studies. In addition to reviewing reform models, Amy Seely Flint, assistant professor of language education, and Mitzi Lewison, associate professor of language education, helped us develop an integrated approach to the study of reading and literacy outcomes. Carol Anne Hossler, lecturer in curriculum and instruction, collaborated on site visits in Michigan and helped us refine our conceptualization of professional development.

Colleagues in the Indiana Education Policy Center also helped with the research process. Genevieve Manset-Williamson and Robert Michael helped direct some of the studies reviewed here and were also co-authors of the survey instrument. Kim Manoil, Stacy Jacob, Osman Cekic, and Glenda Droogsma Musoba contributed to the reviews of reading reform models and conducted site visits. In addition Kim & made a substantial and direct contribution to the framework used in this book. Their contributions are gratefully acknowledged.

In addition, Ada B. Simmons and Gayle Hall helped coordinate the research projects that provided the basis for the Guide. Margaret Clements, Eric Asker, Kimberly Worthington, and David Gordon assisted with literature reviews and co-authored related research reports, along with others noted above. D. Leigh Kupersmith served as typist and publication coordinator for these earlier publications and also provided word processing support for the Guide. This book would not have been possible without their competent and professional support.

In addition to serving as co-authors of this volume, Siri Loescher and Jeffrey Bardzell played central roles in the conceptualization of the framework and in the evaluation studies. When he was publications coordinator and writer at the Policy Center (19972000), Jeffrey helped conceptualize the initial framework. While serving as a consultant to the Center (20002002), Siri helped expand the framework to include CSR models and to link the framework to reading standards. They also continued to collaborate on the development of the new text material after leaving the Policy Center, exhibiting a high professional standard.