National Staff Development Council: Elementary Grades, Middle Grades, and High School

The National Staff Development Council reviewed evaluation results from school programs involving teacher development in order to identify programs in which teacher development led to significant, measurable student achievement.

Junior Great Books is cited as an effective content-specific staff development program that increases student achievement. Only 16 literacy programs were cited for elementary grades, and only five literacy programs were cited for all three school levels—elementary, middle, and high school.

Students in a variety of settings made significant gains in reading as measured by achievement tests and documented in studies by independent researchers, district evaluators, and the Great Books Foundation.

The National Staff Development Council carried out three studies. The first reviewed middle school programs and was supported by the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation. The second and third studies reviewed elementary and high school programs, and were carried out with the support and assistance of the National Education Association.

References

Killion, J. (2003). Use these 6 keys to open doors to literacy. Journal of Staff Development, 24, no. 2. 10–16.

Killion, J. (2002). What works in the elementary grades: Results-based staff development. Oxford, OH: National Staff Development Council.

Killion, J. (2002). What works in the high school: Results-based staff development. Oxford, OH: National Staff Development Council.

Killion, J. (1998). Results-based staff development for the middle grades. Oxford, OH: National Staff Development Council.

Killion, J. (1998). Scaling the elusive summit. Journal of Staff Development, 19, no. 4. 12–16.

American Federation of Teachers

Based on the work of its Task Force on Improving Low-Performing Schools, the American Federation of Teachers published a review of research-based school literacy programs to help schools raise academic achievement, especially for struggling students in low-performing schools seeking reform. Junior Great Books was recognized as one of only seven language arts programs cited by the study.

The study found that students in low-performing schools made significant gains in reading as measured by achievement tests and documented by independent researchers; also, the program supports high academic standards and offers "professional development, materials, and ongoing implementation support."

References

Gursky, D. (March 1998). What works for reading. American Teacher, 12–13.

American Federation of Teachers. (1998). Building on the best, learning from what works: Seven promising reading and English language arts programs.

U.S. Department of Education, Panel for Comprehensive School Reform

Comprehensive School Reform grants are awarded to designated low-performing schools as part of a proposal process administered by state departments of education. In their applications, schools must propose to use effective programs with significant teacher development. The grants are based on federal funding.

Junior Great Books is certified as a school reform model offering an instructional program and teacher development appropriate for disadvantaged students in Title I settings.

The panel concluded that with Junior Great Books at-risk students and less-able readers made significant gains in reading as measured by achievement tests and documented by independent researchers, district evaluators, and the Great Books Foundation. The program offers appropriate school support and teacher development.

Reference

Northwest Regional Education Laboratory. (1998). Comprehensive School Reform recommended models.

Texas Center for Educational Research

The Texas Center for Educational Research reviewed research-based programs for reading instruction in the early grades, including comprehensive programs, supplemental programs, small-group programs, and tutoring approaches, in order to help educators upgrade their curricula with effective programs.

Junior Great Books was recognized as an effective classroom reading supplement. Only nine nontutorial reading programs and three reading supplements were cited in the study.

The study found that students in the early elementary grades made significant gains in reading as measured by achievement tests and documented in studies with control-group design over a period of at least a full semester.

Reference

Texas Center for Educational Research. (1997). Reading programs for students in the lower elementary grades: What does the research say?

Kentucky Department of Education

The Division of School Improvement of the Kentucky Department of Education studied school programs with previously documented student results in order to make them available to Kentucky schools. The study identified programs in reading, math, and other subjects that have a "a definitive pedagogy and a strong sense of getting all kids to the standard."

Junior Great Books is approved as an effective program for elementary, middle, and high schools. Only 61 of the 450 programs reviewed were approved.

The study cited documentation that with Junior Great Books students' reading improved at least 20 percent over two to three years of implementation as measured by achievement tests and documented by independent researchers and district evaluators.

Reference

Kentucky Department of Education. (1997). Results-based practices showcase.

California Department of Education

The District and School Support Division of the California Department of Education produced a review of school reform programs and instructional programs as part of a series of efforts to help underperforming schools meet higher standards. The study identified nine features of successful approaches for low-achieving students and reviewed research-based programs showing promise of success with these students.

Junior Great Books is cited as one of the six promising instructional approaches (reading and math) for students in low-performing schools.

Junior Great Books was found to have helped students in disadvantaged schools make documented gains in reading and critical thinking. The program design was considered to be appropriate for the needs of teachers and students in underperforming schools.

Reference

Bell, J. A., Meza, A., & Williams, T. L. (1995). Promising practices and programs for improving student achievement. California Department of Education.

National Javits Project for Language Arts

The National Javits Project was developed to help teachers of gifted students identify or develop appropriate materials. The project produced the Curriculum Assessment Guide and also the Consumer's Guide to English-Language Arts Curricula.

Junior Great Books received the highest rating of the language arts programs reviewed. The reviewers concluded that "Great Books programs promote higher levels of reading comprehension" and foster "in-depth, meaningful encounters with literature."

The program features materials and teaching strategies that are appropriate for highly able learners across many areas, including curricular features, literacy content, learner's engagement, and community development. Great Books programs were found to be very appropriate for highly able learners with regard to both content and process.

The Javits Project was funded by the U.S. Department of Education and carried out by the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES Resource Center for Gifted Education.

Reference

Aldrich, P. W. (1995). Consumer's guide to English-language arts curricula, Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES Resource Center for Gifted Education.

U.S. Department of Education, National Diffusion Network

The National Diffusion Network was mandated by the U.S. Department of Education to validate the effectiveness of educational programs and to support schools and teachers in adopting proven programs to create systemic school reform at the local level. The Program Effectiveness Panel, composed of experts in evaluation, reviewed evaluation findings submitted by programs and recommended programs for the Network. The Network provided a yearly publication, Educational Programs That Work, and its facilitators in every state promoted implementation of recommended programs.

Junior Great Books was certified as a reading program of proven effectiveness for achieving national goals for education. A wide variety of students made significant gains in critical thinking and reading, documented in research with a control-group design. The program was also found to be readily replicable for a variety of students and settings, and economical for its learning results. It was one of about 25 programs certified in reading/language arts.

Federal funding for the National Diffusion Network ended in 1996.

Reference

National Diffusion Network. (1994–1996). Educational programs that work: The catalogue of the National Diffusion Network. Longmont, CO: Sopris West.

Edna McConnell Clark Foundation Middle School Curriculum Review

Two researchers in thinking skills, Stanley Pogrow and Blanche Perrotta of the University of Arizona, reviewed more than 80 language arts programs to identify "thinking-in-content" curricula for educationally at-risk middle school students.

Junior Great Books was found to offer "the only exemplary language arts materials available" for middle schools and "by far the best of the available curricula" among 56 programs reviewed.

Junior Great Books was found to have a "problem-solving approach that facilitates guided, open-ended forms of discussion and engages students." It also had the important features of flexibility for teachers, appropriateness of thinking activities, involvement of students in issues significant to them, and broad representation in content.

The study was supported by the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation.

Reference

Pogrow, S. & Perrotta, B. (April 1993). Middle school exemplary curricula: Language arts, Middle School Curriculum Review Series, Issue 4.