Core Reading Program The district uses the Florida Benchmark Advance core ELA curriculum, published by Benchmark Education. EdReports evaluated Benchmark Advance in 2021 and found Benchmark Advance materials partially met the expectations of alignment (Ed Report, 2021). The program is designed for grades K-6 and is described as a highly fexible reading program with components available in print and online. It features authentic literature, informational texts, and titles from the Florida Book List and focuses on foundations, reading, vocabulary, and communication more than phonics or writing.
Research Questions The evaluation aims to answer the following questions:
1) How do changes in academic outcomes (performance on the Star, FAST, and FastBridge assessments) achieved by RISE/Up students compare to those achieved in the business-as-usual supplemental (Tier 2) intervention course from the middle to the end of the year? 2) How do RISE/Up student performance levels change from the middle to the end of the year?
3) How did interventionists and teachers implement the program? 4) What are teachers’ and students’ perceptions of RISE/Up? 5) What recommendations do teachers have to improve RISE/Up?
Research Design This study used a mixed-methods approach, including a matched quasi-experimental design complemented by classroom observations, teacher surveys, and interviews with school leaders and interventionists. This combination of methods allowed researchers to understand how the materials are being used in the classroom, learn teacher feedback, and the perceived impact of the program while also understanding academic achievement. Scholastic RISE and RISE Up were being implemented in an ethnically diverse school district in Florida. The district serves a population in which 36% were Hispanic/Latino and 28% were Black or African American. Nearly half (47%) of students qualify for free lunch. There were over 73,900 students in grades 1-5 across over 100 elementary schools.
Twenty schools volunteered for the Scholastic RISE and RISE Up Program with Tier 2 students. Coaches collaborated with interventionists to determine which students would be most
LXD Research -RISE and RISE UP Winter 2022-Spring 2023 Report
9
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs