Class-wide interventions have strong empirical support for improving behavior in general education classes but are rarely tested in special education classes. The present study examined the effects of the Class-wide Function-related Intervention Team (CW-FIT) program, a group contingency intervention, on the on-task behavior of six elementary…

Response to intervention (RTI) has received considerable attention from both researchers and practitioners as a schoolwide model for service delivery. However, research is limited on RTI applications in middle and high schools. The purpose of this article is to describe the outcomes of an experimental examination of a secondary (Tier 2) literacy…

Two experimental studies at one urban middle school investigated the effects of the combination of Tier I and Tier II evidence-based reading instruction compared to Tier I alone on struggling sixth-grade readers (N = 109). All participants received free or reduced-price lunch, and 95% were considered English learners at some point in their school…

Reading fluency has been identified as a key component in effective literacy instruction (National Reading Panel, 2000). Instruction in reading fluency has been shown to lead to improvements in reading achievement. Reading fluency instruction is most commonly associated with guided repeated oral reading instruction. In the present retrospective…

Previous research has documented a substantial decline of standardized test scores of children from low-income backgrounds, relative to more advantaged peers, in later elementary grades, the so-called "fourth-grade slump." This article examines changes in reading achievement from first to fifth grade for students in a large urban school…

Describes direct instruction reading programs adopted by Texas' Fort Worth Independent School District, examining the programs selected, selection process, and roles of district personnel and external advisors in motivating, legitimizing, and attracting funding. The article then reviews the evaluation of the implementation process, examining…

This study focused on 27 second graders in one urban school that used SRA Reading Mastery. Children's strategy use, comprehension, and perception of the reading process were appraised using samples of oral reading with retellings; classroom observations; interviews with the children, their teachers, and the principal; and a phonics test. Results…

Examined preliminary achievement outcomes of the first years of direct instruction reading within six Baltimore elementary schools. Overall, members of the original second grade cohort were nearing grade level by the end of fifth grade in both intervention and control schools. Future research based on well-established program implementation might…

This research examined the effectiveness in an urban school district of 2 of the most widely used Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) programs-Direct Instruction (DI), implemented in 9 district elementary schools, and Success for All (SFA), implemented in 2 elementary schools. In examining impacts on student achievement and school change outcomes…

In a 3-year longitudinal study, the authors examined the effect of Direct Instruction (DI) on students' reading achievement, teacher perceptions, nature of the classroom, and special education referral rate. Urban and suburban students completed the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests in the fall of Grade 1 and spring of Grades 1, 2, and 3. Teachers…

In 1997, Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes partnered with Pueblo School District 60 (PSD60), a heavily minority urban district with many Title I schools, to implement a theoretically based initiative designed to improve Colorado Student Assessment Program reading scores. In this study, the authors examined achievement in Grades 3-5 during the…

The school district of the City of Saginaw operates a supplemental educational delivery Chapter 1 system in reading and mathematics, the Elementary Compensatory Education (CE) program and the Secondary CE program. The elementary CE, a push-in program operating in the regular classroom and a pull-out program (periodically taking students out of…

A study was done of the effects of the "Success for All" program on limited English proficient (LEP) elementary school students, principally Cambodian students in an inner-city Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) school. The program is a schoolwide restructuring focusing on prevention and early intervention in schools serving disadvantaged…

First-year outcomes are reported for Success for All--a program designed to bring all children to grade level in basic skills by the third grade. The program uses one-to-one tutoring, reading methods, frequent assessment, enhanced preschool and kindergarten programs, family support, and other interventions to prevent learning problems from…