@article {1284086, title = {Scaffolding fidelity and adaptation in educational program implementation: Experimental evidence from a literacy intervention}, journal = {American Educational Research Journal }, volume = {54}, number = {6}, year = {2017}, pages = {1187-1220}, abstract = {In a common approach for scaling up effective educational practice, schools adopt evidence-based programs to be implemented with fidelity. An alternative approach assumes that programs should be adapted to local contexts. In this randomized trial of a reading intervention, we study a scaffolded sequence of implementation in which schools first develop proficiency by implementing the program with fidelity before implementing structured adaptations. We find evidence supporting the scaffolded sequence: A fidelity-focused approach promoted learning and instructional change more so for teachers inexperienced with the intervention, while a structured adaptive approach was more effective for teachers experienced with the intervention. Students benefited more from the structured adaptive approach but only when their teacher had prior experience with the fidelity-focused version.}, url = {http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3102/0002831217717692}, author = {Quinn, David M. and Kim, James S.} } @article {1284081, title = {Experimental effects of program management approach on teachers{\textquoteright} professional ties and social capital}, journal = {Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Theory and empirical work suggest that teachers{\textquoteright} social capital influences school improvement efforts. Social ties are prerequisite for social capital, yet little causal evidence exists on how malleable factors, such as instructional management approaches, affect teachers{\textquoteright} ties. In this cluster-randomized trial, we apply a decision-making perspective to compare a literacy intervention managed under a {\textquotedblleft}fidelity-focused{\textquotedblright} approach, in which teachers were expected to implement researcher-designed procedures faithfully, versus a {\textquotedblleft}structured adaptive{\textquotedblright} approach, in which teachers collaboratively planned program adaptations. In the short term, the adaptive approach increased teachers{\textquoteright} accessing of intervention-related social capital, but decreased their accessing of social capital unrelated to the intervention. Short-term effects varied based on participants{\textquoteright} role in the intervention. No group differences were found on social capital measures one year later, suggesting that the structured adaptive approach did not make teachers more likely to form ties that would be useful outside of the intervention.}, url = {http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3102/0162373717742198}, author = {Quinn, David M. and Kim, James S.} } @article {480636, title = {Peer influence on children{\textquoteright}s reading skills: A social network analysis of elementary school classrooms}, journal = {Journal of Educational Psychology}, volume = {109}, number = {5}, year = {2017}, pages = {727-740}, abstract = {Research has found that peers influence the academic achievement of children. However, the mechanisms through which peers matter remain underexplored. The present study examined the relationship between peers{\textquoteright} reading skills and children{\textquoteright}s own reading skills among 4,215 total second- and third-graders in 294 classrooms across 41 schools. One innovation of the study was the use of social network analysis to directly assess who children reported talking to or seeking help from and whether children who identified peers with stronger reading skills experienced higher reading skills. The results indicated that children on average identified peers with stronger reading skills and the positive association between peer reading skills and children{\textquoteright}s own reading achievement was strongest for children with lower initial levels of reading skills. The study has implications for how teachers can leverage the advantages of peers via in-class activities.}, url = {http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=buy.optionToBuy\&id=2016-59626-001}, author = {Cooc, N. and Kim, J.S.} } @article {487151, title = {Effectiveness of structured teacher adaptations to an evidence-based summer literacy program}, journal = {Reading Research Quarterly}, volume = {52}, number = {4}, year = {2017}, pages = {443{\textendash}467 }, abstract = { The authors conducted a cluster-randomized trial to examine the effectiveness of structured teacher adaptations to the implementation of an evidence-based summer literacy program that provided students with (a) books matched to their reading level and interests and (b) teacher scaffolding for summer reading in the form of end-of-year comprehension lessons and materials sent to students{\textquoteright} homes in the summer months. In this study, 27 high-poverty elementary schools (75{\textendash}100\% eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch) were matched by prior reading achievement and poverty level and randomly assigned to one of two implementation conditions: a core treatment condition that directly replicated implementation procedures used in previous experiments, or a core treatment with structured teacher adaptations condition. In the adaptations condition, teachers were organized into grade-level teams around a practical improvement goal and given structured opportunities to use their knowledge, experience, and local data to extend or modify program components for their students and local contexts. Students in the adaptations condition performed 0.12 standard deviation higher on a reading comprehension posttest than students in the core treatment. An implementation analysis suggests that fidelity to core program components was high in both conditions and that teachers in the adaptations condition primarily made changes that extended or modified program procedures and activities in acceptable ways. Adaptations primarily served to increase the level of family engagement and student engagement with summer books. These results suggest that structured teacher adaptations may enhance rather than diminish the effectiveness of an evidence-based summer literacy program. }, url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/rrq.178/full}, author = {Kim, James S. and Mary A. Burkhauser and Quinn, David M. and Jonathan Guryan and Kingston, Helen Chen and Kirsten Aleman} } @article {452316, title = {Engaging struggling adolescent readers to improve reading skills}, journal = {Reading Research Quarterly}, year = {2016}, abstract = {This study examined the efficacy of a supplemental, multicomponent adolescent reading intervention for middle school students who scored below proficient on a state literacy assessment. Using a within-school experimental design, the authors randomly assigned 483 students in grades 6{\textendash}8 to a business-as-usual control condition or to the Strategic Adolescent Reading Intervention (STARI), a supplemental reading program involving instruction to support word-reading skills, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, and peer talk to promote reading engagement and comprehension. The authors assessed behavioral engagement by measuring how much of the STARI curricular activities students completed during an academic school year, and collected intervention teachers{\textquoteright} ratings of their students{\textquoteright} reading engagement. STARI students outperformed control students on measures of word recognition (Cohen{\textquoteright}s d = 0.20), efficiency of basic reading comprehension (Cohen{\textquoteright}s d = 0.21), and morphological awareness (Cohen{\textquoteright}s d = 0.18). Reading engagement in its behavioral form, as measured by students{\textquoteright} participation and involvement in the STARI curriculum, mediated the treatment effects on each of these three posttest outcomes. Intervention teachers{\textquoteright} ratings of their students{\textquoteright} emotional and cognitive engagement explained unique variance on reading posttests. Findings from this study support the hypothesis that (a) behavioral engagement fosters struggling adolescents{\textquoteright} reading growth, and (b) teachers{\textquoteright} perceptions of their students{\textquoteright} emotional and cognitive engagement further contribute to reading competence.}, url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/rrq.171/full}, author = {Kim, James S. and Hemphill, Lowry and Troyer, Margaret and Thomson, Jenny M. and Stephanie M. Jones and LaRusso, Maria and Donovan, Suzanne} } @article {408051, title = {Delayed effects of a low-cost and large-scale summer reading intervention on elementary school children{\textquoteright}s reading comprehension}, journal = {Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, pages = {1-22}, publisher = {Taylor \& Francis}, abstract = {To improve the reading comprehension outcomes of children in high-poverty schools, policymakers need to identify reading interventions that show promise of effectiveness at scale. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a low-cost and large-scale summer reading intervention that provided comprehension lessons at the end of the school year and stimulated home-based summer reading routines with narrative and informational books. We conducted a randomized controlled trial involving 59 elementary schools, 463 classrooms, and 6,383 second and third graders and examined outcomes on the North Carolina End-of-Grade (EOG) reading comprehension test administered nine months after the intervention, in the children{\textquoteright}s third- or fourth-grade year. We found that on this delayed outcome, the treatment had a statistically significant impact on children{\textquoteright}s reading comprehension, improving performance by .04\ SD(standard deviation) overall and .05\ SD\ in high-poverty schools. We also found, in estimates from an instrumental variables analysis, that children{\textquoteright}s participation in home-based summer book reading routines improved reading comprehension. The cost-effectiveness ratio for the intervention compared favorably to existing compensatory education programs that target high-poverty schools.}, isbn = {1934-5747}, url = {http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19345747.2016.1164780}, author = {Kim, James S. and Jonathan Guryan and Thomas G. White and Quinn, David M. and Lauren Capotosto and Kingston, Helen Chen} } @article {446236, title = {Effects of a summer mathematics intervention for low-income children}, journal = {Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Prior research suggests that summer learning loss among low-income children contributes to income-based gaps in achievement and educational attainment. We present results from a randomized experiment of a summer mathematics program conducted in a large, high-poverty urban public school district. Children in the third to ninth grade (N\ = 263) were randomly assigned to an offer of an online summer mathematics program, the same program plus a free laptop computer, or the control group. Being randomly assigned to the program plus laptop condition caused children to experience significantly higher reported levels of summer home mathematics engagement relative to their peers in the control group. Treatment and control children performed similarly on distal measures of academic achievement. We discuss implications for future research.}, url = {http://epa.sagepub.com/content/early/2016/08/09/0162373716662339.abstract}, author = {Lynch, K. and Kim, J.S.} } @article {408056, title = {Literacy discussions in low-income families: The effect of parent questions on fourth graders{\textquoteright} retellings}, journal = {First Language}, volume = {36}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, pages = {50-70}, publisher = {SAGE Publications}, abstract = {This study examines the effects of four types of reading comprehension questions {\textendash} immediate, non-immediate, summary, and unanswerable questions {\textendash} that linguistically diverse and predominantly low-income parents asked their fourth graders on children{\textquoteright}s text retellings. One-hundred-twenty (N\ = 120) parent and child dyads participated in a home visit study in which they talked about narrative and informational texts. Moderation analyses indicated that immediate questions and non-immediate questions had a more positive effect on student retellings of an informational text and a narrative text, respectively, for less proficient than more proficient readers. These findings suggest that parents may be able to help their children, particularly less proficient readers, with text memory and text comprehension by asking specific types of questions.}, isbn = {0142-7237}, url = {http://fla.sagepub.com/content/36/1/50.short}, author = {Lauren Capotosto and Kim, James S.} } @article {446231, title = {Motivation and incentives in education: Evidence from a summer reading experiment}, journal = {Economics of Education Review}, volume = {55}, year = {2016}, pages = {1-20}, abstract = {Policymakers and economists have expressed support for the use of incentives in educational settings. In this paper, rather than asking whether incentives work, we focus on a different question: For whom and under what conditions do incentives work? This question is particularly important because incentives{\textquoteright} promise relies on the idea that they might take the place of some cognitive failing or set of preferences that otherwise would have led students to make choices with large long-term benefits. In this paper, we explore whether that is the case. In the context of a summer reading program called Project READS, we test whether responsiveness to incentives is positively or negatively related to the student{\textquoteright}s baseline level of motivation to read. As a part of the program, elementary school students are mailed books weekly during the summer. We implemented this book-mailing program as a randomized experiment with three treatment arms. Students in the first treatment arm were mailed books as a part of the standard Project READS program. Students in the second treatment arm were mailed books as a part of Project READS, and were also offered an incentive to read the books they were mailed. Students in the third experimental group served as a control and were given books after posttesting occurred in the fall. We find that, if anything, more motivated readers are more responsive to incentives to read, suggesting that to the extent that incentives are effective, they may not effectively target the students whose behavior they are intended to change}, url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272775716304101}, author = {Guryan, J. and Kim, J.S. and Park, K.S.} } @article {210866, title = {Replicating the effects of a teacher-scaffolded voluntary summer reading program: The role of poverty}, journal = {Reading Research Quarterly}, volume = {49}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, pages = {5-30}, abstract = {A randomized trial involving 19 elementary schools (K{\textendash}5) was conducted to replicate and extend two previous experimental studies of the effects of a voluntary summer reading program that provided (a) books matched to students{\textquoteright} reading levels and interests and (b) teacher scaffolding in the form of end-of-year comprehension lessons. Matched schools were randomly assigned to implement one of two lesson types. Within schools, students were randomly assigned to a control condition or one of two treatment conditions: a basic treatment condition replicating procedures used in the previous studies or an enhanced treatment condition that added teacher calls in the summer. During summer vacation, students in the treatment conditions received two lesson books and eight books matched to their reading level and interests. Overall, there were no significant treatment effects, and treatment effects did not differ across lesson type. However, there was a significant interaction between the treatment conditions and poverty measured at the school level. The effects of the treatments were positive for high-poverty schools (Cohen {\textquoteright} s d = .08 and .11, respectively), defined as schools where 75{\textendash}100\% of the students were receiving free or reduced-price lunch ( FRL ). For moderate poverty schools (45{\textendash}74\% FRL ), the effects of the treatments were negative (Cohen {\textquoteright} s d = -.11 and -.12, respectively). The results underscore the importance of looking at patterns of treatment effects across different contexts, settings, and populations.}, url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/rrq.62/abstract}, author = {Thomas G. White and Kim, James S. and Kingston, Helen C. and Foster, Lisa} } @article {78691, title = {The effects of summer reading on low-income children{\textquoteright}s literacy achievement from kindergarten to grade 8: A meta-analysis of classroom and home interventions}, journal = {Review of Educational Research}, volume = {83}, number = {3}, year = {2013}, pages = {386-431}, abstract = {This meta-analysis reviewed research on summer reading interventions conducted in the United States and Canada from 1998 to 2011. The synthesis included 41 classroom- and home- based summer reading interventions, involving children from kindergarten to Grade 8. Compared to control group children, children who participated in classroom interventions, involving teacher-directed literacy lessons, or home interventions, involving child-initiated book reading activities, enjoyed significant improvement on multiple reading outcomes. The magnitude of the treatment effect was positive for summer reading interventions that employed research-based reading instruction and included a majority of low-income children. Sensitivity analyses based on within-study comparisons indicated that summer reading interventions had significantly larger benefits for children from low-income backgrounds than for children from a mix of income backgrounds. The findings highlight the potentially positive impact of classroom- and home-based summer reading interventions on the reading comprehension ability of low- income children.}, url = {http://rer.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/04/23/0034654313483906.abstract}, author = {Kim, James S. and Quinn, David M.} } @article {78696, title = {Enhancing the interpretive reading and analytical writing of mainstreamed English learners in secondary school: Results from a randomized field trial using a cognitive strategies approach}, journal = {American Educational Research Journal}, volume = {49}, number = {2}, year = {2012}, pages = {323-355}, abstract = {In this study, 72 secondary English teachers from the Santa Ana Unified School District were randomly assigned to participate in the Pathway Project, a cognitive strategies approach to teaching interpretive reading and analytical writing, or to a control condition involving typical district training focusing on teaching content from the textbook. Pathway teachers learned how to use an on-demand writing assessment to help mainstreamed English learners understand, interpret, and write analytical essays. In Year 2, treatment effects were replicated on an on-demand writing assessment (d = .67) and showed evidence of transfer to improved performance on a standardized writing test (d = .10). The results underscore the efficacy of a cognitive strategies reading/writing intervention for mainstreamed ELs in the secondary grades.}, url = {http://aer.sagepub.com/content/49/2/323.abstract}, author = {Carol Booth Olson and Kim, James S. and Robin Scarcella and Jason Kramer and Matthew Pearson and David A. van Dyk and Penny Collins and Robert E. Land} } @article {78701, title = {Can a mixed-method literacy intervention improve the reading achievement of low-performing elementary school students in an after-school program? Results from a randomized controlled trial of READ 180 Enterprise}, journal = {Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis}, volume = {33}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, pages = {183-201}, abstract = {This article describes an independent evaluation of the READ 180 Enterprise intervention designed by Scholastic, Inc. Despite widespread use of the program with upper elementary through high school students, there is limited empirical evidence to support its effectiveness. In this randomized controlled trial involving 312 students enrolled in an after-school program, we generated intention-to-treat (ITT) and treatment-on-the-treated (TOT) estimates of the program{\textquoteright}s impact on several literacy outcomes of fourth, fifth, and sixth graders reading below proficiency on a state assessment at baseline. READ 180 Enterprise students outperformed control group students on vocabulary (d = .23) and reading comprehension (d = .32), but not on spelling and oral reading fluency. We interpret the findings in light of the theory of instruction underpinning the READ 180 Enterprise intervention.}, url = {http://epa.sagepub.com/content/33/2/183.abstract}, author = {Kim, James S. and Capotosto, L.C. and Hartry, A. and Fitzgerald, R.} } @article {78706, title = {A randomized experiment of a cognitive strategies approach to text-based analytical writing for mainstreamed Latino English language learners in grades 6-12}, journal = {Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness}, volume = {4}, number = {3}, year = {2011}, pages = {231-263}, abstract = {This study reports year 1 findings from a multi-site cluster randomized controlled trial of a cognitive strategies approach to teaching text-based analytical writing for mainstreamed Latino English Language learners (ELLs) in 9 middle schools and 6 high schools. 103 English teachers were stratified by school and grade and then randomly assigned to the Pathway Project professional development intervention or control group. The Pathway Project trains teachers to use a pretest on-demand writing assessment to improve text-based analytical writing instruction for mainstreamed Latino ELLs who are able to participate in regular English classes. The intervention draws on well documented instructional frameworks for teaching mainstreamed ELLs. Such frameworks emphasize the merits of a cognitive strategies approach that supports these learners{\textquoteright} English language development. Pathway teachers participated in 46 hours of training and learned how to apply cognitive strategies by using an on-demand writing assessment to help students understand, interpret, and write analytical essays about literature. Multilevel models revealed significant effects on an on-demand writing assessment (d = .35) and the California Standards Test in English Language Arts (d = .07).}, url = {http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/recordDetails.jsp?ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ932553\&searchtype=keyword\&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no\&_pageLabel=RecordDetails\&accno=EJ932553\&_nfls=false\&source=ae}, author = {Kim, James S. and Carol Booth Olson and Robin Scarcella and Jason Kramer and Matthew Pearson and van Dyk, David and Penny Collins and Robert E. Land} } @magazinearticle {78711, title = {Solving the problem of summer reading loss}, journal = {The Phi Delta Kappan}, volume = {92}, number = {7}, year = {2011}, pages = {64-67}, url = {http://www.kappanmagazine.org/content/92/7/64.abstract}, author = {Kim, James S. and Thomas G. White} } @inbook {78786, title = {Can silent reading in the summer reduce socioeconomic differences in reading achievement?}, booktitle = {Revisiting Silent Reading: New Directions for Teachers and Researchers}, year = {2010}, pages = {67-94}, publisher = {International Reading Association}, organization = {International Reading Association}, address = {Newark, DE}, abstract = {This chapter addresses an important issue for education policymakers and practitioners in the United States. The question we ask is whether socioeconomic differences in reading achievement can be reduced by programs that encourage silent reading in the summer months.1 In the years following school entry, children of low socioeconomic status (SES) lose ground in reading relative to their high-SES counterparts. This widening achievement gap may be largely the result of different rates of learning during the summer months (e.g., Alexander, Entwisle, \& Olson, 2001; Cooper, Nye, Charlton, Lindsay, \& Greathouse, 1996; Heyns, 1978). Even small differences in summer learning can accumulate across years resulting in a substantially greater achievement gap at the end of elementary school than was present at the beginning (Alexander, Entwisle, \& Olson, 2004; see also Borman \& Dowling, 2006; Lai, McNaughton, Amituanai- Toloa, Turner, \& Hsiao, 2009).}, url = {http://www.reading.org/General/Publications/Books/bk833.aspx}, author = {Thomas G. White and Kim, James S.}, editor = {Hiebert, E.H. and Reutzel, D.R.} } @article {78731, title = {A randomized experiment of a mixed-methods literacy intervention for struggling readers in grades 4 to 6: Effects on word reading efficiency, reading comprehension and vocabulary, and oral reading fluency}, journal = {Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal}, volume = {23}, number = {1}, year = {2010}, pages = {1109-1129}, abstract = {The purpose of this study was (1) to examine the causal effects of READ 180, a mixed- methods literacy intervention, on measures of word reading efficiency, reading comprehension and vocabulary, and oral reading fluency and (2) to examine whether print exposure among children in the experimental condition explained variance in posttest reading scores. A total of 294 children in Grades 4 to 6 were randomly assigned to READ 180 or a district after-school program. Both programs were implemented four days per week over 23 weeks. Children in the READ 180 intervention participated in three 20-minute literacy activities, including (1) individualized computer-assisted reading instruction with videos, leveled text, and word study activities, (2) independent and modeled reading practice with leveled books, and (3) teacher- directed reading lessons tailored to the reading level of children in small groups. Children in the district after-school program participated in a 60-minute program in which teachers were able to select from 16 different enrichment activities that were designed to improve student attendance. There was no significant difference between children in READ 180 and the district after-school program on norm-referenced measures of word reading efficiency, reading comprehension, and vocabulary. Although READ 180 had a positive impact on oral reading fluency and attendance, these effects were restricted to children in Grade 4. Print exposure, as measured by the number of words children read on the READ 180 computer lessons, explained 4\% of the variance in vocabulary and 2\% of the variance in word reading efficiency after all pretest reading scores were partialed out.}, url = {http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007\%2Fs11145-009-9198-2.pdf}, author = {Kim, James S. and Jennifer F. Samson and Robert Fitzgerald and Ardice Hartry} } @report {78741, title = {Summer reading summer not: How Project READS can advance equity}, year = {2010}, institution = {The Mid-Atlantic Equity Center, The George Washington University Center for Equity and Excellence in Education}, address = {Arlington, VA}, abstract = {This paper has three goals. First, it describes the broader research on summer reading loss. Second, it discusses how research and development efforts informed the key components of Project READS (Reading Enhances Achievement During Summer), a scaffolded voluntary summer reading intervention for children in grades 3 to 5. The second part of the paper also describes results from four randomized experiments, which provide rigorous evidence on the efficacy of the READS logic model. Third, it concludes with a checklist to guide districts and schools interested in implementing and evaluating a scaffolded voluntary summer reading program like Project READS.}, url = {http://maec.ceee.gwu.edu/node/371}, author = {Kim, James S.} } @article {78721, title = {Teacher Study Group: Impact of the professional development model on reading instruction and student outcomes in first grade classrooms}, journal = {American Educational Research Journal}, volume = {47}, number = {3}, year = {2010}, pages = {694-739}, abstract = {Randomized field trials were used to examine the impact of the Teacher Study Group (TSG), a professional development model, on first grade teachers{\textquoteright} reading comprehension and vocabulary instruction, their knowledge of these areas, and on the comprehension and vocabulary achievement of their students. The multi-site study was conducted in three large urban school districts from three states. A total of 81 first grade teachers and their 468 students from 19 Reading First schools formed the analytic sample in the study. Classrooms observations of teaching practice showed significant improvements in TSG schools. TSG teachers also significantly outperformed control teachers on the teacher knowledge measure of vocabulary instruction. Confirmatory analysis of student outcomes indicated marginally significant effects in oral vocabulary.}, url = {http://aer.sagepub.com/content/early/2010/03/31/0002831209361208}, author = {Russell Gersten and Joseph Dimino and Madhavi Jayanthi and Kim, James S. and Lana Edwards Santoro} } @article {215231, title = {The efficacy of a voluntary summer book reading intervention for low-income Latino children from language minority families}, journal = {Journal of Educational Psychology}, volume = {102}, number = {1}, year = {2010}, pages = {20-31}, abstract = { The effects of a voluntary summer reading intervention with and without a parent training component were evaluated with a sample of low-income Latino children from language minority families. During the last month of fourth-grade, 370 children were pretested on a measure of reading comprehension and vocabulary and randomly assigned to (1) a treatment group in which children received 10 self-selected books during summer vacation, (2) a family literacy group in which children received 10 self-selected books and were invited with their parents to attend 3 2- hour summer literacy events, and (3) a control group. Although children in the treatment group and family literacy group reported reading more books than the control group, there was no significant effect on reading comprehension and vocabulary. Recommendations for improving the efficacy of the intervention are discussed, including efforts to improve the match between reader ability and the readability of texts and the instructional goals of the family literacy events. }, url = {http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/edu/102/1/20/}, author = {Kim, James S. and Jonathan Guryan} } @report {78756, title = {Putting the pieces of the puzzle together: How systematic vocabulary instruction and expanded learning time can address the literacy gap}, year = {2009}, month = {May 2009}, institution = {Center for American Progress}, address = {Washington, DC}, url = {http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education/report/2009/05/18/6140/putting-the-pieces-of-the-puzzle-together/}, author = {Claire E. White and Kim, James S.} } @magazinearticle {78796, title = {Flawed assumptions: How No Child Left Behind fails principals}, journal = {Principal Leadership}, volume = {6}, number = {8}, year = {2008}, pages = {16-19}, abstract = {Under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), every school is subject to the controversial mandates for annual test score gains contained in the federal law. The law represents a profound change in the relationship between the federal government and state and local education agencies regarding who controls education and has direct implications for what happens educationally in schools and classrooms. Although NCLB affects these and other important areas of the educational system and imposes great pressure on school leaders, it is silent on the role of principals in fostering school improvement. Yet many of NCLB{\textquoteright}s provisions have important implications for principals. The law is based on the assumption that external accountability and the imposition of sanctions will force schools to improve and motivate teachers to change their instructional practices, resulting in better school performance. By relying on the threat of sanctions and market mechanisms{\textendash}choice and supplemental educational services{\textendash}to force school improvement, the law tends to place the principals of low-achieving schools in the role of trying to produce very large gains every year for every subgroup of students. In this article, the authors highlight the contradictions and oversimplifications in the existing law. They also discuss the findings of a teacher survey which they conducted to understand teachers{\textquoteright} views of the assumptions underlying NCLB and the implications of these findings for principals.}, url = {http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true\&_\&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ767031\&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no\&accno=EJ767031}, author = {Gail L. Sunderman and Gary Orfield and Kim, James S.} } @magazinearticle {78791, title = {Research and the reading wars}, journal = {The Phi Delta Kappan}, volume = {89}, number = {5}, year = {2008}, pages = {372-375}, abstract = {The author describes how researchers have resolved scientific controversies in early reading instruction and explains why good research seems to have a delayed and limited effect on reading policy and practice. The article summarizes findings from major syntheses of early reading instruction over the past four decades and concludes with ideas for accelerating the communication of research to practitioners and empowering teachers to establish norms of excellent practice. (4 pp.)}, url = {http://www.kappanmagazine.org/content/89/5/372.abstract}, author = {Kim, James S.} } @report {78841, title = {How to make summer reading effective}, year = {2008}, institution = {Johns Hopkins University, National Center for Summer Learning}, address = {Baltimore, MD}, abstract = {Summer{\textquoteright}s always been a great time to kick back with a book. But a strong body of research shows that, without practice, students lose reading skills over the summer months and children from low-income families lose the most. With the prevalence of television, computers and other electronic distractions, how can parents, educators and librarians encourage kids to immerse their minds and imaginations in books over the summer months?}, url = {http://www.summerlearning.org/?page=research_brief}, author = {Kim, James S.} } @inbook {78781, title = {Research and the reading wars}, booktitle = {When Research Matters: How Scholarship Influences Education Policy}, year = {2008}, pages = {89-111}, publisher = {Harvard Education Press}, organization = {Harvard Education Press}, address = {Cambridge, MA}, url = {http://hepg.org/hep/book/79}, author = {Kim, James S.}, editor = {Hess, F.M.} } @article {78766, title = {Teacher and parent scaffolding of voluntary summer reading}, journal = {The Reading Teacher}, volume = {62}, number = {2}, year = {2008}, pages = {116-125}, abstract = {The authors designed and implemented a voluntary reading program that was intended to reduce loss in reading achievement over the summer months, particularly for low-income and ethnic minority children. The program had two major components: providing eight books that were well matched to each child{\textquoteright}s reading level and interests end-of-year lessons and activities for teachers and parents to provide support or scaffolding for children{\textquoteright}s summer reading Teacher and parent scaffolding consisted of comprehension strategies instruction and oral reading practice. The results of two experiments demonstrated that the program had positive and educationally meaningful effects on reading achievement. These effects were largest for black and Hispanic children, ranging from 1.7 to 5.1 months of additional learning. Simply giving children books without any form of scaffolding did not have positive effects.}, url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1598/RT.62.2.3/abstract}, author = {Thomas G. White and Kim, James S.} } @article {215221, title = {Scaffolding voluntary summer reading for children in grades 3 to 5: An experimental study}, journal = {Scientific Studies of Reading}, volume = {12}, number = {1}, year = {2008}, pages = {1-23}, abstract = { The effects of a voluntary summer reading intervention with teacher and parent scaffolding were investigated in an experimental study. A total of 24 teachers and 400 children in Grades 3, 4, and 5 were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions: control, books only, books with oral reading scaffolding, and books with oral reading and comprehension scaffolding. Books were matched to children{\textquoteright}s reading levels and interests. Children were pre- and posttested on measures of oral reading fluency (DIBELS) and silent reading ability (Iowa Test of Basic Skills [ITBS]). Results showed that children in the books with oral reading and comprehension scaffolding condition scored significantly higher on the ITBS posttest than children in the control condition. In addition, children in the two scaffolding conditions combined scored higher on the ITBS posttest than children in the control and books only conditions combined. Practical implications for summer voluntary reading interventions are discussed. }, url = {http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10888430701746849$\#$.U6rdK5RdWSp}, author = {Kim, James S. and Thomas G. White} } @article {78816, title = {The expansion of federal power and the politics of implementing the No Child Left Behind Act}, journal = {Teachers College Record}, volume = {109}, number = {5}, year = {2007}, pages = {1057-1085}, abstract = {The federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) expanded the federal role in American education, and by doing so altered the distribution of power among the federal government, states, and local districts. When the law was enacted, it was unclear how this change in the dis- tribution of power would play itself out. This study examines the developing set of relationships between federal, state, and local officials under the new law and the factors that have contributed to a growing conflict over implementation. To fully understand the implications of NCLB requires examining these interactions as well as understanding the substantive educational issues it raises. We identify three factors that contributed to the growing dissatisfaction with the law, namely, the Bush administration{\textquoteright}s approach to federalism, the states{\textquoteright} limited capacity to meet the new requirements, and the fiscal constraints facing state governments. We argue that these factors have contributed to the conflict with federal officials, eroded state commitment to the law, and complicated implementation efforts.}, url = {http://www.tcrecord.org/Content.asp?ContentId=12227}, author = {Sunderman, G.L. and Kim, James S.} } @inbook {78811, title = {The relative influence of research on class-size policy}, booktitle = {Brookings Papers on Education Policy 2006/2007}, year = {2007}, pages = {273-295}, publisher = {Brookings Institute Press}, organization = {Brookings Institute Press}, address = {Washington, DC}, url = {http://www.brookings.edu/research/journals/2007/brookingspapersoneducationpolicy20062007}, author = {Kim, James S.}, editor = {Loveless, T. and Hess, F.M.} } @article {215216, title = {The effects of a voluntary summer reading intervention on reading activities and reading achievement}, journal = {Journal of Educational Psychology}, volume = {99}, number = {3}, year = {2007}, pages = {505-515}, abstract = { The causal effects of a voluntary summer reading intervention on children{\textquoteright}s reading activities and reading achievement were assessed in a randomized experiment involving 331 children in Grades 1 to 5. Children were pretested in the spring on a standardized test of reading achievement (Stanford 10th edition), the Elementary Reading Attitudes Survey (ERAS), and a reading preference survey. At the end of the school year, children were stratified by their grade level and classroom and randomly assigned to receive 10 books matched to their reading levels and preferences during summer vacation or after the administration of posttests. Children in the treatment group received books through airmail in July and August. In September, children were re-administered the reading test and completed a survey of their summer reading activities. Although the treatment group reported reading more books and participating in more literacy activities than the control group, there was no significant difference in reading achievement. Recommendations for enhancing the effects of voluntary reading through teacher-directed instruction and for conducting a replication study are discussed. }, url = {http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/edu/99/3/505/}, author = {Kim, James S.} } @article {215226, title = {Effects of a voluntary summer reading intervention on reading achievement: Results from a randomized field trial}, journal = {Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis}, volume = {28}, number = {4}, year = {2006}, pages = {335-355}, abstract = { The effects of a voluntary summer reading intervention were assessed in a randomized field trial involving 552 students in 10 schools. In this study, fourth-grade children received 8 books to read during summer vacation, and were encouraged by their teachers to practice oral reading at home with a family member and to use comprehension strategies during independent, silent reading. Reading lessons occurred during the last month of school in June, and 8 books were mailed to students on a biweekly basis during July and August. The estimated treatment effects on a standardized test of reading achievement (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) were largest for Black students (ES = .22), Latino students (ES = .14), less fluent readers (ES = .17), and students who reported owning fewer than 50 children{\textquoteright}s books (ES = .13). The main findings suggest that a voluntary summer reading intervention may represent a scaleable policy for improving reading achievement among lower-performing students. }, url = {http://epa.sagepub.com/content/28/4/335.short}, author = {Kim, James S.} } @article {78826, title = {Measuring academic proficiency under the No Child Left Behind Act: Implications for educational equity}, journal = {Educational Researcher}, volume = {34}, number = {8}, year = {2005}, pages = {3-13}, abstract = {The accountability requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 place high-poverty schools and racially diverse schools at a dis- advantage because they rely on mean proficiency scores and require all subgroups to meet the same goals for accountability. In this arti- cle, student achievement data from six states are used to highlight differences in the demographic characteristics of schools identified as needing improvement and schools meeting the federal adequate yearly progress requirements. School-level data from Virginia and California are used to illustrate that these differences arise both from the selection bias inherent in using mean proficiency scores and from rules that require students in racially diverse schools to meet multiple performance targets. The authors suggest alternatives for the design of accountability systems that include using multiple mea- sures of student achievement, factoring in student improvement on achievement tests in reading and mathematics, and incorporating state accountability ratings of school performance.}, url = {http://edr.sagepub.com/content/34/8/3.abstract}, author = {Kim, James S. and Gail L. Sunderman} } @article {215201, title = {Summer reading and the ethnic achievement gap}, journal = {Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk}, volume = {9}, number = {2}, year = {2004}, pages = {169-188}, abstract = { A number of studies have shown that low-income and minority students undergo larger summer reading losses than their middle-class and White classmates and that reading books is the only activity that is consistently related to summer learning. The purpose of this study was to explore whether reading summer books improved fall reading proficiency and whether access to books increased the volume of summer reading. The results from the multivariate regression analyses suggest that the effect of reading four to five books on fall reading scores is potentially large enough to prevent a decline in reading achievement scores from the spring to the fall. Furthermore, children who reported easy access to books also read more books. The findings have implications for designing school-based summer reading programs and for conducting future experiments that confirm the correlational findings from this study. }, url = {http://www.ala.org/research/librariesmatter/node/161}, author = {Kim, James S.} } @article {78851, title = {The relative equitability of high-stakes testing versus teacher-assigned grades: An analysis of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)}, journal = {Harvard Educational Review}, volume = {71}, number = {2}, year = {2001}, pages = {173-216}, abstract = {Which is more equitable, teacher-assigned grades or high-stakes tests? Nationwide, there is a growing trend toward the adoption of standardized tests as a means to de- termine promotion and graduation. {\textquotedblleft}High-stakes testing{\textquotedblright} raises several concerns re- garding the equity of such policies. In this article, the authors examine the question of whether high-stakes tests will mitigate or exacerbate inequities between racial and ethnic minority students and White students, and between female and male stu- dents. Specifically, by comparing student results on the Massachusetts Comprehen- sive Assessment System (MCAS) with teacher-assigned grades, the authors analyze the relative equitability of the two measures across three subject areas {\textemdash} math, Eng- lish, and science. The authors demonstrate that the effects of high-stakes testing pro- grams on outcomes, such as retention and graduation, are different from the results of using grades alone, and that some groups of students who are already faring poorly, such as African Americans and Latinos/Latinas, will do even worse if high- stakes testing programs are used as criteria for promotion and graduation.}, url = {http://hepg.org/her/abstract/104}, author = {Brennan, R.T. and Kim, James S. and Wenz-Gross, Melodie and Siperstein, Gary N.} } @article {215196, title = {The effects of summer vacation on the academic skills of White, Black, Latino, and Asian students}, year = {2001}, abstract = { To what extent do summer learning losses depend on ethnicity and socioeconomic status? Prior research indicates that poor students undergo larger summer reading losses than their middle-class counterparts, and all students undergo similar losses in math. To explain this finding, scholars have relied on surveys of summer activities, which show that poor children have fewer opportunities to practice reading than middle-class children. As a result, socioeconomic gaps in reading are heightened during summer vacation, suggesting that differences in family background{\textemdash}not differences in school quality{\textemdash}create achievement inequalities. Using data from a heterogeneous sample that includes all four major ethnic groups, this study reveals one predictable finding and one surprising finding. First, as suggested by prior research, summer reading losses are sensitive to income status. Low- income Asians and Latinos, and to a lesser extent low-income Blacks, lose ground in reading. Middle-income minorities also undergo reading losses, but these losses are smaller than those for low-income students. Second, low-income Blacks and both low- and middle-income Asians enjoy summer math gains, and the gains for middle-income Asians are especially large. This finding challenges the widely accepted research finding that all children{\textquoteright}s math skills remain flat or decline during summer vacation. Suggested explanations for both sets of findings focus on home and community circumstances, which influence achievement during summer vacation. Researchers, policymakers, and educators should look outside of schools to understand why achievement gaps form and how to remedy them. This paper concludes with some recommendations for policy and future research. }, author = {Kim, James S.} }