The Evaluation of Enhanced Academic Instruction in After-School Programs
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NCEE 2008-4021 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION The Evaluation of Enhanced Academic Instruction in After-School Programs Findings After the First Year of Implementation The Evaluation of Enhanced Academic Instruction in After-School Programs Findings After the First Year of Implementation June 2008 Authors: Alison Rebeck Black Fred Doolittle Pei Zhu Rebecca Unterman MDRC Jean Baldwin Grossman Public/Private Ventures Project Officer: Elizabeth Warner Institute of Education Sciences NCEE 2008-4021 U.S. Department of Education U.S. Department of Education Margaret Spellings Secretary Institute of Education Sciences Grover Whitehurst Director National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance Phoebe Cottingham Commissioner June 2008 This report was prepared for the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, under contract no. ED-01-CO-0060/0004 with MDRC. This report is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted. While permission to reprint this publication is not necessary, the citation should read: Black, A. R., Doolittle, F., Zhu, P., Unterman, R., and Grossman, J. B. (2008). The Evaluation of Enhanced Academic Instruction in After-School Programs: Findings After the First Year of Implementation (NCEE 2008-4021). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. IES evaluation reports present objective information on the conditions of implementation and impacts of the programs being evaluated. IES evaluation reports do not include conclusions or recommendations or views with regard to actions policymakers or practitioners should take in light of the findings in the report. To order copies of this report, • Write to ED Pubs, Education Publications Center, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. 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Contents List of Exhibits ................................................................................................................................ v Acknowledgments......................................................................................................................... ix Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest ........................................................................... x Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................... xi 1 Overview of the Study.......................................................................................................... 1 Origins of the Study ................................................................................................................... 1 The Theory of Action for the Intervention ................................................................................ 2 Key Research Questions ............................................................................................................ 3 The Selection of the Instructional Models................................................................................. 4 Overview of the Intervention ..................................................................................................... 4 Overview of the Regular After-School Services ..................................................................... 10 The Structure of the Report.................................................................................................. .... 11 2 Sample Selection, Study Design, and the Analytic Approach ................................ 13 Sample Selection ...................................................................................................................... 13 Study Design ............................................................................................................................ 17 Overview of the Analytic Approach........................................................................................ 20 Measures..................................................................................................................... .............. 20 Analytical Approaches ............................................................................................................ 29 3 The Implementation of Enhanced After-School Math Instruction and the Contrast with Regular After-School Services ...................................................... 33 The Math Analysis Sample..................................................................................................... 33 The Implementation of the Enhanced Math Instruction ......................................................... 40 The Difference in After-School Academic Services Received by the Enhanced Program Group and the Regular Program Group .............................................................. 50 4 The Impact of Enhanced After-School Math Instruction ....................................... 59 Program Impacts on Student Academic Achievements and Behaviors ................................. 59 Variation in Impacts ................................................................................................................. 65 Linking Impact on Total Math Scores with School Characteristics ....................................... 67 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 71 5 The Implementation of Enhanced After-School Reading Instruction and the Contrast with Regular After-School Services ...................................................... 73 The Reading Analysis Sample ................................................................................................. 73 The Implementation of the Enhanced Reading Instruction .................................................... 81 The Difference in After-School Academic Services Received by the Enhanced Program Group and the Regular Program Group .............................................................. 93 iii 6 The Impact of Enhanced After-School Reading Instruction................................ 103 Program Impacts on Student Academic Achievements and Behaviors ............................... 103 Variation in Impacts ............................................................................................................... 109 Linking Impact on Total Reading Scores with School Characteristics ............................... 111 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 113 Appendixes A Random Assignment and the Target Sample Sizes............................................................... 117 B Statistical Precision and Minimum Detectable Effect Size ................................................... 119 C Response Rates for Outcome Measures and the Creation of the Analysis Sample ............. 123 D Structured Protocol Observations .......................................................................................... 139 E Outcome Measures............................................................................................................. .... 155 F Estimating Effects and Assessing Robustness ...................................................................... 165 G Exploratory Analysis......................................................................................................... ..... 189 H Service Contrast Subgroups................................................................................................... 193 References .................................................................................................................................... 203 iv List of Exhibits Box 2.1 Description of the Calculation and Presentation of Outcome Levels ................................... 31 D.1 Math Instructional Elements: Guidelines for Assigning Points .......................................... 140 D.2 Reading Instructional Elements: Guidelines for Assigning Points..................................... 143 Table 2.1 Sites Selected to Implement Mathletics and Adventure Island ............................................. 15 2.2 Data Collected for the Evaluation .......................................................................................... 21 2.3 Key Outcome Measures for the Impact Analysis.................................................................. 28 3.1 Characteristics of Schools Housing After-School Centers Implementing Mathletics ............................................................................................................................... 34 3.2 Characteristics of the Regular School Day in Schools Housing After-School Centers Implementing Mathletics.................................................................... 35 3.3 Baseline Characteristics of Students