An independent evaluation of NEARStar’s first implementation by WestEd showed significant impact on the reading achievement of students using the program.
During the spring of 2002, NEARStar’s research-based curriculum was implemented in selected schools in eight states and two U.S.-affiliated Pacific entities. The sites represented a range of urban, suburban, and rural settings, and served students of Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Island, and other ethnic groups from high-poverty, non-English language backgrounds.
Over 3 months of implementation, students engaged in up to 8 Web-delivered lessons with 48 instructional activities. Their teachers had access to the professional website, which provides access to over 600 resources correlated to the student program.
Evaluation of the implementation phase included a quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design on a subsample of students, with analyses of differences between treatment and comparison groups. Standardized assessments (including the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test) and informal assessments (including Fry’s Sight Word list, Potter’s Alphabet Recognition, and the Ohio State Letter Identification) were also administered. Results indicated positive effects for all kindergarten and 1st grade treatment and comparison student groups tested; there were significant differences in reading achievement from pre- to post-test in favor of the treatment group.
