K-12 Education

North Carolina North Carolina Department of Public Instruction: Evaluation of Statewide Reading First Initiative

Following a competitive process, in 2004 the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction selected Metis to evaluate its statewide Reading First Initiative.  With funding from the U.S. Department of Education, the initiative serves 35 school districts and four charter schools for a six-year period.  Metis has completed three annual evaluations of the Reading First initiative, assessing the impact of North Carolina’s scientifically based reading research (SBRR) framework on reading achievement within participating schools.  The evaluation assessed the extent to which the implementation of the Reading First programs (including professional development and classroom practice) was aligned to the SBRR framework, the impact of Reading First professional development activities on teachers’ knowledge and changes in practice and pedagogy, and the impact of SBRR classrooms on improving student achievement in reading. 

Metis developed and administered school implementation surveys, teacher content assessments, and teacher surveys; provided staff training on conducting classroom observations; and analyzed student assessment and achievement results, including the Texas Primary Reading Inventory, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, and curriculum-based measurement.  Metis provided ongoing feedback to project staff based on the data derived from these sources and synthesized annual findings, reporting continuously to the project leadership, Reading First district and school stakeholders, the State Board of Education, and the U.S. Department of Education.