A team of three independent researchers has been awarded a $4 million grant from the Institute Of Education Sciences (IES) to investigate the impact of a widely used teacher professional development program in literacy. With this grant, Dr. Young-Suk Kim (University of California, Irvine), Dr. Shayne Piasta (The Ohio State University), and Dr. Ben Kelcey (University of Cincinnati) will examine the effects of Lexia LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) on teacher knowledge, instructional practice, and student literacy outcomes in grades K-3.
LETRS professional learning from Lexia, a Cambium Learning Group brand, is a two-year course that is designed to provide teachers with deep knowledge to be literacy and language experts in the science of reading. Developed by Dr. Louisa Moats and leaders in the literacy field, LETRS is used by over 250,000 educators in 47 states, and over 2,500 school districts. The course teaches the skills needed to master the fundamentals of reading and writing instruction—phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and written language.
“Teachers are the most essential factor in student success, but according to a recent report by the National Council on Teacher Quality only 25% of teaching programs adequately address all five core components of reading instruction when preparing teachers for literacy instruction,” said Lexia President, Nick Gaehde. “We are proud to have LETRS be a part of this independent research project, which will provide valuable insights into how investing in teachers’ literacy knowledge and professional practice can transform student learning.”
Through the new IES-funded project, the research team will evaluate the impact of LETRS on implementation, teacher knowledge, and student outcomes in language, reading, and writing across two years. The randomized, controlled trial will involve approximately 60 schools, 240 teachers, and their students located in California.
“The study of professional learning in literacy education has profound implications for elementary educators across the country,” said Dr. Young-Suk Kim. “By evaluating LETRS under real-world conditions within authentic, diverse educational contexts, we aim to deepen and advance our current understanding of effective literacy instructional practices and share that knowledge with multiple audiences.”
The IES grant was awarded through a competitive, independent review process. IES is the statistics, research, and evaluation arm of the U.S. Department of Education.
The American Consortium for Equity in Education, publisher of the "Equity & Access" journal, celebrates and connects the educators, associations, community partners and industry leaders who are working to solve problems and create a more equitable environment for historically underserved pre K-12 students throughout the United States.
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
