U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today announced the release of the Institute of Education Sciences' report: Reading First Impact Study: Final Report. This report presents an additional year of data from 2006-2007 on student reading comprehension and classroom instruction. In addition, the report includes information on the impact of the program on first-grade students' decoding skills.

The study was conducted in 248 schools (125 Reading First schools, 123 non-Reading First schools) in 18 sites (17 districts and 1 statewide program) in 13 states. It measured Reading First schools against other schools in Reading First districts—schools that may have implemented the same reforms.

Findings include:

• While this evaluation found no statistically significant difference in reading comprehension, Reading First had a significant impact on students’ decoding, phonics, and fluency skills—three of the five basic components of reading. This impact means that scores of students in Reading First schools were higher by the equivalent of 3 months in a 9-month school year.
• Teachers in Reading First classrooms engaged in more of the practices emphasized by Reading First than teachers in non- Reading First classrooms.
• Reading First had a statistically significant impact on the total time that teachers spent on the five essential components (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension) of reading instruction promoted by the program in grades one and two.
• Reading First produced positive and statistically significant impacts on multiple practices that are promoted by the program, including professional development in scientifically based reading instruction (SBRI), support from full-time reading coaches, amount of reading instruction, and provision of extra classroom practice for struggling readers.

"Reading First helps our most vulnerable students learn the fundamental elements of reading while helping teachers improve instruction," said Secretary Spellings. "Instead of reversing the progress we have made by cutting funding, we must enhance Reading First and help more students benefit from research based instruction."

Reading First builds on a solid foundation of scientifically based research and provides struggling K-3 students in the nation's highest need schools with the necessary resources to make significant progress in reading achievement Reading First funds professional development; scientifically based instructional programs, materials and strategies; valid and reliable screening; diagnostic and ongoing classroom assessments and statewide accountability and leadership structures. Through Reading First, schools and teachers have the technical knowledge and the practical training to ensure every child gets the help he or she needs to excel in reading.

For a fact sheet on Reading First, visit http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/reading/readingfirst-report.html. For more information about Reading First, please visit http://www.ed.gov/programs/readingfirst/index.html.

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