This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effectiveness of Spanish reading programs in grades K-6. The research designs included were experimental and quasi-experimental. Effect sizes were analyzed using a multivariate meta-regression model with robust variance estimation. To assess the degree of heterogeneity in the effect sizes, a 95% prediction interval was calculated. A total of 11 studies and 51 effect sizes met the inclusion criteria. The full meta-regression model controlling for grade level and outcome type showed a large positive effect across all studies (effect size = 0.49, p < 0.05), with a large, positive effect on reading outcomes, and significant impacts on phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, and reading comprehension in K-2. Results suggest that effective instructional programs for K-6 Spanish reading exist. However, there is a need for more rigorous research on reading instructional programs for Spanish-speaking children.

The number of students assigned to special education has increased in the past decades, in spite of efforts for more inclusion. For students with mild learning or behavioral difficulties, special education assignment might be prevented if appropriate support is provided in general education. In this study, research on programs that could reduce the number of students assigned to special education is reviewed systematically. The review focuses on students in elementary schools. In total, 12 experimental or quasi-experimental studies of nine programs were reviewed. Programs were categorized based on what they were designed to improve: academic achievement, behavior, or both, and the multi-tiered Response to Intervention (RTI) framework was used to describe the intensity of the programs. It was found that several programs did reduce the number of students assigned to special education, while others did not or yielded mixed results. Three common elements of programs deemed effective were identified: an emphasis on tutoring, professional development and parental involvement. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Objective: There are unmet needs for refractive correction in the pediatric population, especially in high-poverty communities. We reported the impact of refractive correction on vision outcomes over a 2-year follow-up in the Baltimore Reading and Eye Disease Study. Design: Prospective, school-based cohort study. Participants: Students of second and third grades who were prescribed glasses during baseline assessment. Methods: We conducted baseline eye exams in 12 Baltimore public schools during the fall of school year 2014-15 with follow-up visits in the spring of school year 2014-15 (first follow-up) and school year 2015-16 (second follow-up). Visual acuity (VA) was measured at distance and near with correction. Refractive status was determined based on the eye with the larger refractive error and categorized as myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. Main outcome measures: VA in better-seeing and worse-seeing eye at first and second follow-up, and acuity improvement from baseline. Results: In the 206 students (84% African American) who completed the first follow-up, both distance (from 0.14 +/- 0.20 to 0.05 +/- 0.10 logMAR) and near presenting VA (from 0.08 +/- 0.16 to 0.03 +/- 0.06 logMAR) improved from the baseline assessment; children with more severe hyperopia showed improvement in near VA by 0.05 +/- 0.16 logMAR. Children who were prescribed glasses through a school-based research study had improved vision, which was sustained into the following school year. Conclusions: Many second and third graders in Baltimore Schools needed refractive correction and benefited from provision of glasses with sustained vision improvement over the 2-year observation.

In this article, we review research on the outcomes of diverse reading programs on the achievement of struggling readers in elementary schools. Sixty-five studies of 51 different programs met rigorous standards. Eighty-three percent were randomized experiments and 17% quasi-experiments. Outcomes were positive for one-to-one tutoring and were positive but not as large for one-to-small group tutoring. There were no differences in outcomes between teachers and teaching assistants as tutors. Whole-class approaches (mostly cooperative learning) and whole-class/whole-school approaches incorporating tutoring for struggling readers obtained outcomes for struggling readers as large as those found for all forms of tutoring, on average, and benefited many more students. Technology-supported adaptive instruction did not have statistically significant positive outcomes for struggling readers, however. In agreement with findings of previous reviews, in this synthesis, we found that substantial impacts can be obtained for struggling readers, with interventions aligned within a Response to Intervention network.

Objective: We describe the Baltimore Reading and Eye Disease Study, report baseline ocular findings, and explore the feasibility of eye examinations in the school setting. Design: Prospective, school-based cohort study. Participants: Students in second and third grades. Methods: Baseline eye examinations, including near and distance presenting visual acuity (VA), stereopsis, ocular alignment, dilated retinal examination, and cycloplegic refraction, were performed in 12 Baltimore public schools during the 2014-15 school year. Main outcome measures: Presenting VA, prevalence of refractive error, and other ocular findings. Results: Among the 1054 eligible students, 321 participated. There were 271 (84.4%) African American and 186 (57.9%) female students; mean age was 7.9 +/- 0.8 years. Cycloplegia was achieved in 308. The mean presenting distance and near VA was 0.1 +/- 0.2 logMAR (range -0.1 to 1.5) and 0.1 +/- 0.2 logMAR (range 0.0-1.6) in the better-seeing eye, respectively. The most common ocular findings were +1.00 diopter (D) or greater hyperopia (34.7%), -0.50 D or greater myopia (29.5%), 1.00 D or greater astigmatism (23.4%), and convergence insufficiency (7.2%). Thirty-seven (11.5%) children needed referral to an eye care provider; 10% of students required glasses full-time. Conclusions: Whereas the majority of second and third grade students in this study have good VA and minimal refractive error, 1 in 9 have an ocular finding necessitating further evaluation. It was feasible to conduct cycloplegic eye examinations in the school setting.

This article reviews research on the achievement outcomes of elementary mathematics programs; 87 rigorous experimental studies evaluated 66 programs in grades K–5. Programs were organized in six categories. Particularly positive outcomes were found for tutoring programs (effect size [ES] = +0.20, k = 22). Positive outcomes were also seen in studies focused on professional development for classroom organization and management (e.g., cooperative learning; ES = +0.19, k = 7). Professional development approaches focused on helping teachers gain in understanding of mathematics content and pedagogy had little impact on student achievement. Professional development intended to help in the adoption of new curricula had a small but significant impact for traditional (nondigital) curricula (ES = +0.12, k = 7), but not for digital curricula. Traditional and digital curricula with limited professional development, as well as benchmark assessment programs, found few positive effects.

Abstract Success for All (SFA) is a comprehensive whole-school approach designed to help high-poverty elementary schools increase the reading success of their students. It is designed to ensure success in grades K-2 and then build on this success in later grades. SFA combines instruction emphasizing phonics and cooperative learning, one-to-small group tutoring for students who need it in the primary grades, frequent assessment and regrouping, parent involvement, distributed leadership, and extensive training and coaching. Over a 33-year period, SFA has been extensively evaluated, mostly by researchers unconnected to the program. This quantitative synthesis reviews the findings of these evaluations. Seventeen US studies meeting rigorous inclusion standards had a mean effect size of +0.24 (p < .05) on independent measures. Effects were largest for low achievers (ES= +0.54, p < .01). Although outcomes vary across studies, mean impacts support the effectiveness of Success for All for the reading success of disadvantaged students.

Purpose: This article presents a definition and rationale for evidence-based reform in education, and a discussion of the current state of evidence-based research, focusing on China, the U.S., and the UK. Design/Approach/Methods: The article contrasts the state of educational research in the U.S., the UK, and China, world leaders in evidence-based reform. Findings: The article suggests ways in which Chinese, U.S., UK, and other scholars might improve the worldwide quality of evidence-based reform in education. One indicator of this partnership is an agreement among the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Nanjing Normal University, and Johns Hopkins University to work together on Chinese and English versions of the website Best Evidence in Brief and a collaboration between Johns Hopkins and the ECNU Review of Education at East China Normal University. Originality/Value: This article is the first to compare developments in evidence-based reform in education in China with parallel developments in the U.S. and UK Building understanding of current evidence-based policies should help all countries learn how evidence can play a greater role in education policy and benefit many students.

One of the most important problems in improving educational practice and outcomes is the very limited role that evidence plays in decisions about adopting books, software, professional development, and other materials and services. Instead, these are sold using relationship marketing in which sales reps work to build friendships with key decision makers. Word of mouth among educators with similar jobs also has a powerful influence. Why should evidence of effectiveness be a major criterion in the selection of educational products and services? The most important answer is that programs with a strong evidence base that are implemented as they were in the validating research are likely to produce better outcomes for children. Further, making evidence a basis for program adoption would put education into a virtuous cycle of innovation, evaluation, and progressive improvement like that which has transformed fields such as medicine, agriculture, and technology.

We assess the impact of eyeglasses provided through a school-based vision program (SBVP) on achievement in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics.

This chapter tells a personal history of forms of cooperative learning developed and researched at Johns Hopkins University: initially Teams-Games-Tournaments (TGT) and Student Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD), and later Success for All (SFA). These programs strongly emphasize achievement as the goal of cooperative learning and have been primarily applied in grades K to 12 reading, mathematics, and writing. A series of experimental studies with both STAD and TGT showed the effectiveness of these approaches in comparison to traditional control groups. In two major reviews of cooperative learning research, Slavin concluded that cooperative learning methods that use group goals/rewards and individual accountability consistently increase student achievement more than control methods in elementary and secondary classrooms, and that cooperative learning methods that use group study but not group rewards for individual learning do not increase student achievement more than control methods. The programs of STAD, TGT, and SFA developed from a focus on individual teachers to the school as the unit of change. They emphasize group goals and individual accountability. Today, our main emphasis is on Success for All, which operates in about 1,000 schools in the United States and the United Kingdom. The chapter includes a description of the Success for All program and research supporting its effectiveness. Cooperative learning is one of the major components of the SFA program.

This paper investigates South Korean educational responses to school closures amid the COVID-19 pandemic, viewed with a risk and resilience framework. The COVID-19 crisis emerged and worsened right before the beginning of the new school year (March 2) in South Korea, and immediately led to students' limited access to educational facilities. Well-established IT infrastructure and national curriculum facilitated the adoption of distance learning in South Korean schools. However, educational inequality due to family influences, and financial instabilities in early care and education settings disrupted students' optimal learning during the changes. The situation brought both benefits and challenges to South Korean education system. The adoption of distance learning potentially downgraded overall educational quality, but it also provided opportunities to improve educational content and professional development for teachers, and to promote individualized learning for students. Despite some challenges, distance learning was an effective alternative for South Korean schools during the COVID-19 crisis. More practical and research efforts are needed in order to reduce educational inequality and maximize the effectiveness of distance learning.

Evidence-based reform in education refers to policies that enable or encourage the use of programs and practices proven to be effective in rigorous research. This article discusses the increasing role of evidence in educational policy, rapid growth in availability of proven approaches, and development of reviews of research to summarize the evidence. A highlight of evidence-based reform was the 2015 passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act, which defines strong, moderate, and promising levels of evidence for educational programs and ties certain federal funding to use of proven approaches. To illustrate how coordinated use of proven approaches could substantially improve educational outcomes, the article proposes use of proven programs to populate each of Tiers 1, 2, and 3 in response to intervention policies.

Rigorous evidence of program effectiveness has become increasingly important with the 2015 passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). One question that has not yet been fully explored is whether program evaluations carried out or commissioned by developers produce larger effect sizes than evaluations conducted by independent third parties. Using study data from the What Works Clearinghouse, we find evidence of a “developer effect,” where program evaluations carried out or commissioned by developers produced average effect sizes that were substantially larger than those identified in evaluations conducted by independent parties. We explore potential reasons for the existence of a “developer effect” and provide evidence that interventions evaluated by developers were not simply more effective than those evaluated by independent parties. We conclude by discussing plausible explanations for this phenomenon as well as providing suggestions for researchers to mitigate potential bias in evaluations moving forward.

This paper examines the United States federal and state educational responses to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as states' plans for reopening schools. The virus entered the United States in January 2020. As the virus spread, most school districts began to close in March. At the end of June, the United States has experienced the highest number of cases and deaths due to COVID-19 in the world, and infection rates appear to be rising once again. Given the great physical and socioeconomic diversity of the United States, the federal and state response to COVID-19 and plans to reopen schools in the autumn have emphasized flexibility and adaptation. However, the implementation of remote (online) learning has highlighted and exacerbated long-standing racial and economic inequalities in US society related to technology access, school engagement, and school-parent relationships. These inequalities may be exacerbated as schools attempt to reopen and students continue to face inconsistent access to learning, learning loss during the spring semester and summer, and COVID-19 spread among the most at-risk population groups. Further research and practical interventions, such as tutoring, should be implemented to address educational equality issues and improve access, whether to in-person or remote instruction.

This meta-analysis examined the effect of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) on mathematics achievement in mainland China. Using rigorous inclusion criteria, we identified 36 qualifying studies, covering 13,438 students in grades 1-12. They produced a moderate overall effect (ES=+0.38) in comparison to traditional instruction. Of the various types of CAI, Cooperative-CAI and Inquiry-CAI had the largest effects. This finding seemed to support the logic behind the recent curriculum reform in mainland China, namely that CAI produced better results when combined with new teaching models. Even Supplemental-CAI and Transmission-CAI were more efficient than traditional transmission teaching. The impact of other substantive and methodological study features on the variation of effect sizes by moderator analysis are also discussed.

In the past two decades, evidence-based reform in education has been gaining momentum worldwide. China is no exception. Though many Chinese scholars have acknowledged the importance of evidence-based reform in education, some remain skeptical. In this paper, we address the three major concerns about evidence-based reform in education and offer some clarifications on the issues raised by critics.

PURPOSE To assess the patterns and predictors of glasses wear in a 2-year school-based study. METHODS Second and third graders underwent an eye examination at school. Two pairs of glasses were provided if they met prescribing criteria. Replacements were provided as needed. Students received follow-up examinations and completed survey questionnaires during the same and the following academic year. RESULTS Of the 197 students prescribed glasses who completed year 1 follow-up, 172 (87%), were observed to still be wearing glasses. However, less than two-thirds of students reported wearing glasses as prescribed (eg, full-time if prescribed full-time). Most students, 175 (89%), reported being happy with their glasses and 135 (69%) reported improvement in vision. Thirty-nine students (20%) reported being teased about their glasses. Replacement glasses were required by 136 students (66%). Refractive error was not associated with likelihood of requiring replacement. Being observed wearing glasses correlated with parent (OR = 4.2; 95% CI, 1.2-15.0) and teacher reminders (OR = 6.4; 95% CI, 1.5-28.4) in year 2. CONCLUSIONS Most children continued to wear glasses during follow-up, yet not always as prescribed. A substantial proportion of students required replacements, underscoring the importance of school-based programs developing mechanisms to monitor eyeglasses usage and mechanisms to replace lost or broken pairs.