The Impacts of Reading Recovery at Scale: Results From the 4-Year i3 External Evaluation
May, H., Sirinides, P., Gray, A., & Goldsworthy, H. · 2016
grade Brctindependentunreplicated
Sample
~7,000 first-graders in >1,200 schools
Population
Lowest-achieving grade-1 readers; US; ~55% free/reduced lunch, ~20% English learners.
Design
Large multisite RCT; delayed-treatment randomization among the lowest readers within each school. Primary outcome = independent standardized ITBS Total Reading. Short-term only.
Key findings
Robust, well-identified SHORT-TERM gains on an independent standardized reading test (ITBS ~0.30-0.42 SD; WWC-computed 0.46). Establishes that high-dosage 1:1 Reading Recovery produces real end-of-first-grade gains - the question is durability.
Genetic confound
RCT controls selection.
Replication notes
The largest, most rigorous RCT of Reading Recovery. No long-term outcome measured here (see may-2023 follow-up).
DOI / URL
10.3102/0162373718764828
Effects
| Outcome | Metric | Value | Measure | Timing | Vs | Horizon | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall reading / comprehension / decoding (ITBS) | SD | ~0.30 to 0.42 (all sig, positive); WWC computes 0.46 | standardized | end-of-treatment | business-as-usual | end-of-treatment | domain-skill |
Cited by
- Reading Recovery and Tier-2 1:1 early-literacy tutoringmixedconf: mediumgc: low