Regarding NCTQs standard on reading, why should anyone teach the five components of scientifically based reading instruction when Reading First didn live up to its billing?
The evaluation of Reading First did not in any way, shape or form show that scientifically based reading instruction is ineffective. The impact study only showed that Reading First schools did not experience greater gains in student reading achievement than control-group schools. One of the primary theories for why this is so promulgated by, among others, one of the contractors that conducted the impact study is that there was a high level of spill-over of scientifically based reading instruction into the control schools. The study, in other words, was inconclusive.
