Effects of targeting reading interventions: Testing a skill-by-treatment interaction in an applied setting

Abstract

The current study compared the reading growth of (a) students who received targeted interventions, (b) students who received typical school interventions, and (c) students who were proficient readers at the study’s onset. The participants were 1,513 students in first through fifth grades who attended one of three treatment schools or one of three control schools. Students who received a targeted intervention had higher adjusted mean growth scores from fall to winter than students who received the typical school intervention, after controlling for grade and free or reduced-price lunch status, but had relatively equal mean growth score as the proficient readers. The data supported previous research but found positive effects for interventions that were selected and implemented by school personnel in an applied setting.