Research

What Works Clearinghouse Report

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), a branch of the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Institute for Education Sciences (IES), released its three-year independent review of experimental research on Reading Recovery on March 19. The evidence that Reading Recovery is an intervention based on scientific research is now documented and acknowledged by the USDE and IES. 

The WWC found that Reading Recovery, a one-on-one tutoring program for the lowest-achieving first graders, has positive effects on students' alphabetic skills and general reading achievement. A finding of positive effects is the WWC's highest rating. Potentially positive effects, their next highest rating, were found on fluency and comprehension outcomes.

Currently there are 261 schools in 85 districts that implement Reading Recovery in Kentucky. Many of these districts and schools are making a positive impact on the reading achievement of their struggling readers.

The full WWC Intervention Report on Reading Recovery is available here.