Summary Analyses of Five-Year Data on Achievement and Teaching Progress with 14,000 Children in 20 Projects. Technical Report 73-2. Preliminary Report.

The technical report provides preliminary findings on the academic achievement of over 9,000 kindergarten through grade 3 children (78 percent economically disadvantaged) involved in the Follow Through program, a structured program of academic instruction based on the principles and materials (DISTAR) of S. Engelmann and W. Becker. The following results are reported: (1) poor children starting the program in the kindergarten leave third grade with average grade level scores on the Wide Range Achievement test of 5.21 in reading, 3.86 in arithmetic, and 3.74 in spelling; (2) poor children starting the program in first grade leave third grade with average grade level scores of 4.53 in reading, 3.55 in arithmetic, and 3.37 in spelling; (3) poor children starting the program in kindergarten have a projected IQ gain of 9.1 points which is maintained through grade 3; (4) poor children starting in first grade have a projected IQ gain of 8.55 points which is cumulative over each grade; and (5) scores on the Metropolitan Achievement Test in grade 3 are at or above grade level in most subtests. The model is described as including increased manpower in the classroom and a structured daily routine. The major portion of the report consists of statistical analyses and graphs showing student progress. (DB)