Ongoing Research

In addition to the ongoing educational research projects and archival data within the umbrella of FCRR (described below under “Resources”), program faculty have a large number of ongoing education research projects as well as large archival data sets. Brief descriptions of some of the ongoing or recently completed research of program faculty are included below.

• Promoting the school readiness skills of Spanish-speaking English language learners (Lonigan, NICHD: 2009-2014). Multi-state cluster-randomized study to evaluate the impacts of preschool curricula and language of instruction.



• Test of Emergent Writing Skills (Lonigan, IES: 2008-2012). Development of measure to assess preschool children’s emergent writing skills.



• Preschool Classification & Prevention of Reading Disabilities (Lonigan/Phillips, NICHD: 2006-2011). Longitudinal study investigating different methods and models of identifying and defining early reading disability, and randomized evaluation of response to instruction model of intervention for children at risk of reading disability or problems.



• Randomized Trial of Preschool Instructional Strategies to Improve School Performance and Reduce Use of Special Education (Lonigan/Phillips, IES: 2006-2010). Multi-state cluster-randomized evaluation of three preschool curricula with children at high-risk of being classified as eligible for special education services.



• Preschool Curricula: Outcomes and Developmental Processes (Lonigan, NICHD: 2005-2010). Multi-state cluster-randomized evaluation of school readiness curricula with at-risk 4-year-olds and at-risk 2/3-year-olds. Examines impact of variations of explicit versus implicit socio-emotional components of curricula and teachers’ use of assessment on child outcomes in language, literacy, math, and socio-emotional domains.



• Evaluating the Effectiveness of Preschool Literacy Curriculum for Children At-Risk (Lonigan, IES: 2003 - 2009). Cluster-randomized evaluation impact of two distinct preschool early literacy curricula on the academic outcomes of young children at-risk of later academic difficulties. Study also designed to evaluate the relative impact of various teacher, school, and child characteristics on curriculum impact, the relative impact of first versus second year of curriculum implementation, and how variations in professional development for teachers affects fidelity of implementation and impact on educational outcomes for the children.



• Enhancing Literacy Outcomes for Young Children (Lonigan, NSF: 2001-2008). Cluster-randomized study of an early literacy curriculum with preschool children at risk of reading difficulties. In addition to the curriculum evaluation, the study examines two models of professional development and the incremental benefit of adding a parent intervention component. Examine how characteristics of children, families, and teachers relate to the impact of the program variations.



• Predicting and Preventing the Development of Learning Disabilities: Classification and Behavior Genetics of Reading Disabilities (Schatschneider, NICHD: 2006-2011). Investigation of factors surrounding the classification, identification, and prevention of reading disabilities, including genetic influences.



• Influences on Early Reading: A Twin Study (Schatschneider, NICHD: 2005-2010). Investigation of genetic and environmental influences on reading development in a sample of twins with data being collected longitudinally.



• Social Communication Phenotype of Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Second Year (Schatschneider, NICHD: 2005-2010). Examination of early markers for autism spectrum disorders.


• Phase I Early Reading Intervention Study: Getting Ready for Scale-up (Schatschneider, NSF: 2004-2006). This project uses RCT design to examine the impact of different components of reading instruction (two different tutoring conditions).



• Preventing Reading Difficulty in Young Children. (Schatschneider, NSF: 2001-2006). This project involves a large longitudinal study of approximately 1,400 children who are currently enrolled in “high risk” schools in the state of New York. Project employs cluster-randomized design to evaluate effectiveness of professional development, tutoring, and the combination.



• Florida Longitudinal Study (Wagner, NICHD: 2006-2011). Four-year longitudinal study beginning in first grade that examines how fluency, comprehension, writing, and spelling develop.



• Profoundly Impaired Readers Project (Wagner, NICHD: 2006-2011). Behavioral and molecular genetic study of individuals with dyslexia intended to identify genetic and behavioral liabilities and assets that affect the occurrence and severity of reading problems.



• Alternative Classifications of Reading Disabilities (Wagner, NICHD: 2006-2011). Large-scale studies using PMRN to compare alternative approaches for identification and classification of readers.



• Origins of Individual and Developmental Differences in Reading Comprehension (Wagner, IES: 2003-2007). This study uses both RCT and longitudinal correlational methods to examine potential origins of both individual and developmental differences in reading comprehension.



• K-16 Multi-University, Reading, Mathematics and Science Initiative (MURMSI) (Lang, IES: 2003-2005). Project involving series of studies, some using RCT, designed to improve teaching and learning in Reading, Mathematics and Science in Florida’s K-12 schools with a special emphasis on students considered at risk.



• Individualizing Student Instruction Project (Connor, IES & NICHD: 2005-2011). Series of randomized control field trials examines the effect of child characteristics by instruction interactions on children's literacy growth from first through third grade. Over 100 teachers and 2000 students have participated in this project, which uses both quantitative and qualitative methods, including classroom observations.



• The Lexile Framework for Reading: Scientific Foundations and Application in Florida Schools (Radach, State of FL). Examines the use of the Lexile Framework for Reading as a tool for measuring text difficulty and assessing reading ability in a large sample of students selected from the PMRN. Experimental studies explore strategies of good vs. poor readers in dealing with standardized reading test items used to obtain Lexile scores, and a teacher survey examines actual use of Lexiles for instructional decision making.



• Reading in Aphasia: Word Processing and Oculomotor Control (Radach, German Science Foundation: 2006-2010). Programmatic series of eye tracking experiments examining differential impairments in a population of aphasic patients on the levels of visual, orthographic, phonological, lexical and semantic word processing. Goal is to advance assessment techniques for use in diagnosis and intervention with moderately and severely impaired patients.



• School Identification and Classification of Reading Disabilities (Al Otaiba/Connor: 2006-2011). School-based RTI study examining school-based classification and prevention, involving two longitudinal RCT intervention studies.



• Teacher Quality Research (Roehrig, IES: 2004 - 2008). The purpose of this project is to identify constructs related to teachers’ attributes, knowledge, and classroom practices that are highly predictive of student growth in reading and to develop valid, reliable, and efficient instruments to tap them.



• Evaluation of the Florida Reading Initiative (Roehrig, State of FL). Study using historical student achievement analyses, classroom observations, teacher, reading coach and principal surveys of the school climate and helpfulness of FRI training, and case studies of several schools based on these data as well as interviews with teachers and coaches.



• Development and Validation of a Reading Coach Survey (Roehrig, State of FL). Development of a measure of the quality of reading coaches’ efforts and examine the processes related to student achievement as well as to log data that policy requires all coaches to complete regarding amount of time spent on discrete activities.



• Integrated Math, Science, and Technology in the Middle Grades (Lang, State of FL). Evaluation of effectiveness of an integrated approach to instruction in math, science, and technology in grades 6-8 at a high-minority middle school in Leon County.



• Individualizing Science Instruction (Connor, State of FL). Develop and test the effectiveness of Assessment-to-Instruction (A2i) software to increase science learning.