Evaluation of Teacher Training and Student Achievement in the Reading First Program

National attention has been focused on improving students' ability to read since the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. The California Reading First Program was implemented throughout the state with the goal of improving reading skills for students from kindergarten through third grade. This research study was designed to determine whether there is a relationship between teacher training and student achievement. An ex post facto quasi-experimental design was utilized to demonstrate that exposure to Reading First in second and third grades has a positive effect on the third-grade California Standards Test, English Language Arts scores of low- and mid-achieving second-grade students compared to similar students in a comparison condition. High-achieving second-grade students exposed to Reading First in second and third grades, however, perform less well when compared to similar students who were not instructed using Reading First. The teachers' responses to the California Reading First Teacher Survey produced a school average that was correlated with the mean ELA student score. The responses were positively and significantly correlated with second or third grade ELA scores, while the perceived effectiveness of the program in the respective schools was not. The hypothesized relationship between professional development and student performance was not observed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]