Accelerating Literacy for Adolescents (ALFA): Evaluating ALFA Lab Using a Regression Discontinuity Study

Abstract

This article investigates the impact of assignment to the Accelerating Literacy for Adolescents (ALFA) Lab, an additional semester-long class taken during an elective period, on ninth-grade student reading achievement, motivation, and frequency. We conducted a regression discontinuity (RD) study where 1,378 students from diverse high schools in four states over 3 years were assigned either to the treatment (ALFA, n = 540) if their score on a pre-assignment reading measure fell below a threshold cutoff or to business as usual (BAU, n = 838) if they scored at or above the cutoff. The study found positive but nonsignificant effects on reading achievement, motivation, and frequency. Bayesian sensitivity analyses suggest that positive effects are more likely than not. We discuss several issues that may have contributed to the failure to detect significant impacts: Student absences, student attrition, and limited instructional time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.