What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report: Reading Recovery (WWC 2023-006)
What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences (US Dept. of Education) · 2023
grade Breviewindependentunreplicated
Sample
2 studies met WWC standards (7,171 students, US + UK)
Population
Grade-1 students with low literacy achievement; US and UK.
Design
WWC evidence synthesis. Ruled the May et al. (2023) long-term study ineligible as an RDD, so it is NOT folded into the effectiveness rating.
Key findings
WWC rates Reading Recovery's SHORT-TERM literacy effect 'potentially positive / Tier 2 Moderate' (ITBS ~0.46) and its long-term effect 'uncertain.' The official arbiter's position is that durable benefit is unproven, not that it is negative.
Genetic confound
N/A (evidence synthesis).
Replication notes
Illustrates the lag between the causal evidence base and clearinghouse ratings; only 2 studies met standards.
Effects
| Outcome | Metric | Value | Measure | Timing | Vs | Horizon | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Literacy achievement (end of implementation year) | rating | Potentially positive; Tier 2 Moderate; ITBS ~0.46 | standardized | end-of-treatment | business-as-usual | end-of-treatment | domain-skill |
| Academic achievement 10 years later (UK) | rating | Uncertain effects | standardized | 2yr+ follow-up | business-as-usual | over-2yr | domain-skill |
Cited by
- Reading Recovery and Tier-2 1:1 early-literacy tutoringmixedconf: mediumgc: low