What's New for February 2013

WWC Quick Review on "Late interventions matter too: The case of college coaching in New Hampshire" (February 14, 2013)
The study examined whether providing college application coaching to high school seniors increased postsecondary enrollment. The program was aimed at students who were considering applying to college but who had made little or no progress in the application process, and who had a tenth grade test score high enough to warrant applying to college. Study authors found that women who participated in the program enrolled in postsecondary education at a rate that was 12 percentage points higher than women in the control condition (63% versus 51%). This study meets WWC evidence standards without reservations because it is a randomized controlled trial with no attrition. A more thorough review is forthcoming and will examine whether follow-up and subgroup findings meet WWC evidence standards.

WWC Reviews Study of Chicago’s Teacher Advancement Program (February 12, 2013)
This study examined whether the Chicago Public Schools’ Teacher Advancement Program (Chicago TAP) improved student academic achievement and teacher retention in 34 Chicago public schools. Study authors reported no significant differences in academic achievement as a result of the program. The program found no effects on 1 and 2-year teacher retention rates, but found a statistically significant positive effect on 3-year teacher retention rates. Both of these analyses meet WWC evidence standards with reservations.

Study of Middle School Physical Activity and Nutrition (M-SPAN) (February 12, 2013)
This study investigated the effect of the M-SPAN intervention on the physical activity level of middle school students in 24 public middle schools from six districts in Southern California. Researchers reported that M-SPAN improved the amount of time students spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). This study is a well-implemented randomized controlled trial that meets WWC evidence standards without reservations. The changes in observed outcomes may be in part due to changes in MVPA in intervention schools, high-activity students and low-activity students moving into or out of schools, or a combination of both. This study cannot separate these effects—it can only report on their combined impact. Additionally, because the study analyzed school level data, the magnitude of the effects reported cannot be directly compared to the magnitude of an effect of an intervention that uses student-level data for the analysis.

Literacy Report Reviews the Research on LANGUAGE! Intervention (February 12, 2013)
After reviewing the research, the WWC found that LANGUAGE! has no discernible effects on both reading fluency and comprehension for adolescent readers based on one study of 1,272 students in grades 9 and 10 in one school district in Florida. LANGUAGE! is a language arts intervention designed for struggling learners in grades 3-12 who score below the 40th percentile on standardized literacy tests.

Updated WWC Math Report: Investigations in Number, Data, and Space (February 12, 2013)
After reviewing the research, the WWC found that Investigations in Number, Data, and Space has potentially positive effects on mathematics achievement for elementary school students based on two studies that included more than 8,000 students in grades 1–2 and grades 4–5 in 16 districts across 13 states. The activity-based K–5 math curriculum is designed to help students understand number and operations, geometry, data, measurement, and early algebra.

Mark Your Calendars! (February 8, 2013)
Attend our presentation titled "Linking Research to the Classroom: Making Connections for Students with Learning Disabilities" at the LDA's 50th Annual International Conference on Wednesday, February 13, from 2:00-2:50 p.m. in the Bonham D room of the Grand Hyatt San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas.

Study of Summer Reading Intervention Was Well-Implemented (February 5, 2013)
This study examined the impact of a summer literacy program on 46 kindergarten and 47 first-grade students who were at moderate risk for reading difficulties in one Pacific Northwest school district. The study is a well-implemented randomized controlled trial and meets WWC evidence standards without reservations. Researchers found that the summer literacy program had a positive effect on education outcomes for students in both kindergarten and first grade.

New WWC Report Looks at Effectiveness of Social Skills Training (February 5, 2013)
Based on its review of three studies that included 135 children with disabilities in early education settings, the WWC has found that social skills training has no discernible effects on cognition and positive effects on social-emotional development and behavior for these students. Social skills training is a collection of practices that use a behavioral approach for teaching preschool children age-appropriate social skills and competencies.