DreamBox Reading Logic Model Rated Level IV by Evidence for ESSA
LearnPlatform by Instructure, a third-party edtech research company, worked with Discovery Education to develop a logic model for DreamBox Reading (formerly Reading Park). This logic model provides the program roadmap, program inputs, outputs, activities, and outcomes. The logic model is designed to satisfy Level IV requirements (Demonstrates a Rationale) according to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The next phase in this research is to plan an ESSA Level III study to examine the extent to which DreamBox Reading impacts student achievement.
Reading Plus rated strong evidence for ESSA
The Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University found Reading Plus to have “strong evidence” to support ESSA. Reading Plus was reviewed by the team at Evidence for ESSA in 2019. Reading Plus was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial examining the impact of the program on the reading proficiency development of 426 fourth- and fifth-grade students in a northeastern U.S. urban school district.
“The study found that students who engaged in Reading Plus showed significantly greater improvements in reading proficiency than did control students who received other types of targeted reading instruction… The results of this study qualify Reading Plus for the ESSA ‘Strong’ category.” – EVIDENCE for ESSA, Johns Hopkins University
National Center on Intensive Intervention
The Reading Plus InSight assessment was reviewed by the National Center for Intensive Intervention (NCII) as an academic screener. NCII evaluated InSight across a range of technical standards and concluded that InSight had “convincing evidence” of validity, reliability, and classification accuracy.
NCII published its review of InSight in June 2019. NCII’s Academic Screening Tools chart is a national list that evaluates the quality of assessments in reading and other academic areas. “Convincing evidence” is the top score granted in NCII’s criteria.
What Works Clearinghouse (WWC)
The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) is a trusted source of scientific evidence on education programs and solutions that works to answer the question, “What works in education?” As part of the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education, WWC reviews research, determines which studies meet rigorous standards, and summarizes the findings to inform decisions and improve student outcomes.
In recent years, the WWC has not regularly updated their reviews of literacy programs, and studies listed for most education publishers are from prior to 2014. While the WWC has not reviewed Reading Plus’ most recently submitted research, it has found Reading Plus to have potentially positive effects on comprehension for adolescent learners. Learn more about Reading Plus’ WWC Summary of Evidence, which includes a thorough study of Miami-Dade regions II and III reflecting statistically significant positive effects, examining 13,128 students in grades 5-9 across 98 schools.
The Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) endorses Reading Plus
The Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) endorses Reading Plus—a research-based program that is proven to meet the needs of special education students.
CASE is an international professional educational organization which is affiliated with the Council for Exceptional Children whose members are dedicated to the enhancement of the worth, dignity, potential, and uniqueness of each individual in society.
