The evaluation of Reading First, the U.S. Department of Education's multibillion-dollar K-3 initiative, although flawed, nevertheless offers instructive guidance for gauging the impact of future initiatives. After providing an overview of the program, its evaluation, and the historical context of federal initiatives, the authors outline…

The No Child Let Behind Act of 2001 created the Reading First program to help ensure that all students could read at or above grade level by the end of grade 3. The program promotes practices recommended by the National Reading Panel for early reading instruction, highlighting five essential components of reading instruction. The program invested…

A long-awaited federal study of reading and math software found no significant differences in standardized-test scores between students who used the technology in their classrooms and those who used other methods. The study compared classes overseen by teachers who used the technology-based products with those of other teachers who used different…