In this article, we examine classroom observations from a 3-year large-scale randomized trial in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to investigate the extent to which a professional development initiative in inquiry science influenced teaching practices in in 4th and 5th grade classrooms in 73 schools. During the course of the study,…

In this randomized field trial of KindergARTen Camp, a 6-week summer enrichment program in literacy and the fine arts, we analyzed the summer learning outcomes of 93 treatment and 35 control students from high-poverty schools in Baltimore, Maryland. This experiment offers evidence concerning the causal effect of the program on 5 measures of…

This article describes an independent assessment of the Fast ForWord Language computer-based training program developed by Scientific Learning Corporation. Previous laboratory research involving children with language-based learning impairments showed strong effects on their abilities to recognize brief and fast sequences of nonspeech and speech…

In this comprehensive report, four distinct processes for reforming nine low-performing Title I schools in challenging high-poverty contexts are examined. These processes include: (1) a fundamentally grassroots, site-based model of reform; (2) locally mandated school reconstitution; (3) implementation of a proven national reform model, Success for…

Documents the longitudinal achievement growth of Chapter I students based on nationally representative data from the Prospects Study, which focuses on two- and three-year patterns of Chapter I participation for as many as 40,000 students in three grade cohorts. Overall, significant positive results generally were restricted to the more advantaged…

This report presents results from an analysis of the long-term benefits and costs of Success for All (SFA), a school reform program that focuses on promoting early reading success among educationally at-risk students. The program was piloted and implemented in Baltimore elementary schools. This analysis tracks the educational outcomes through…

Reviews what is known about the overall effectiveness of Title I programs and discusses how Title I can become a more effective intervention. Makes three policy recommendations for fostering better research and better programs, centering on accountability, continued research and development, and randomized experimental studies of promising…

Used hierarchical linear modeling to study the relations between the degree of Chapter I and regular-program coordination in high-poverty schools and students' longitudinal achievements while controlling for the compositional features of the school. Findings reveal some areas in which high-poverty schools can influence the academic achievement of…