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Using School Reform Models to Improve Reading Achievement: A Longitudinal Study of Direct Instruction and Success For All in an Urban District

This research examined the effectiveness in an urban school district of 2 of the most widely used Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) programs-Direct Instruction (DI), implemented in 9 district elementary schools, and Success for All (SFA), implemented in 2 elementary schools. In examining impacts on student achievement and school change outcomes (e.g., teacher buy-in, school climate), a mixed-method research design was employed, encompassing both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Student achievement results on the reading sections of the Ohio Proficiency Test and the Stanford Achievement Test showed that both DI and SFA schools performed comparably to other district schools after statistically adjusting for school and student variables. Qualitative measures indicated generally positive support for both models by teachers, principals, and parents. However, in the case of DI, findings indicated weaknesses in implementation due largely to uncertainties involving school versus district roles and inadequate training. Results are discussed with regard to the influences of contextual and implementation variables on judging CSR model effectiveness in general and for specific schools and districts.