EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Mixed Methods Evaluation of Scholastic Literacy in a South Carolina Public School District
The impact of Scholastic Literacy on elementary reading achievement was the main quantitative focus of this mixed-methods study. The qualitative study portion broadly focused on the implementation of, and instructional practices used with Scholastic Literacy in a public school district in South Carolina, as well as teacher and student attitudes towards Scholastic Literacy, perceived impact on student engagement and achievement, and program support and professional development. Scholastic Literacy is a core literacy program that provides culturally relevant texts and targeted instruction in reading, writing, language, and word-study to support social-emotional development and help students become lifelong independent thinkers, readers, and writers. The program, designed for students in Grades K–6, is structured around six thematic units that clearly articulate a sequence of strategies and skills. There are three components: teacher-led whole-group instruction, teacher-led small- group instruction, and independent instruction. When combined, these instructional approaches utilize standards and data-informed differentiated strategies that target a range of reading and writing skills. Research Design During the 2022-23 school year, Scholastic Literacy contracted with the Center for Research and Reform in Education (CRRE) at Johns Hopkins University to compare the reading achievement of Scholastic Literacy students in a public school district in South Carolina to matched comparison student data obtained from a Similar Schools Report (SSR) prepared by NWEA. The SSR was used because all teachers in participating schools used Scholastic Literacy, meaning a within-district comparison group was not readily available. A Similar Schools Report contains data from students who, relative to the intervention (public school district) sample, come from schools in a similar area (urban, suburban, rural), with similar percentages of free and reduced meals students (FARMS), creating a “virtual comparison group” of students, and allowing for direct comparison of MAP score growth between students who used Scholastic Literacy and otherwise similar students who did not use Scholastic Literacy. The evaluation determined whether students who used Scholastic Literacy improved their reading more than those in comparison, controlling for prior achievement and other student covariates. The study also analyzed teacher attitudes toward Scholastic Literacy, perceived impact on student engagement and achievement, program support and professional development.
© Johns Hopkins University, 2023
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