| For Immediate Release: February 12, 2010 |
For more information, contact: Lindsay Moore, 202-478-6159 lmoore@experiencecorps.org |
The What Works Clearinghouse Gives Washington University in St. Louis Study of Experience Corps Highest Honors
This week the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), an initiative of the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education and one of the most trusted sources of scientific evidence for what works in education, recognized the strength and rigorousness of Washington University in St. Louis's 2009 study of Experience Corps. The WWC called the study "consistent with WWC evidence standards" - a rare designation - and "a well-implemented randomized controlled trial."
The WWC's glowing February 2010 Quick Review of "Evaluation of Experience Corps: Student Reading Outcomes" confirms the study's strengths. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis conducted a randomized, control-group study of Experience Corps, a national program that engages Americans over 55 in helping struggling students learn to read, to assess its effectiveness. The two-year, $2 million study, funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies, was one of the largest of its kind, involving more than 800 first, second and third graders (half with Experience Corps tutors, half without) at 23 elementary schools in three cities.
Over a single school year, students with Experience Corps tutors made over 60 percent more progress in learning two critical reading skills - sounding out new words and reading comprehension - than similar students not served by the program.
As researcher Dr. Nancy Morrow-Howell said, "I am very pleased that the What Works Clearinghouse recognized the strength of this evaluation. The study's successful completion is a testament to how much the principals and teachers liked the program and were willing to put up with research staff. Clearly, this study adds to a growing evidence base about the positive effects of this program on the children."
CEO Lester Strong said, "The groundbreaking Washington University research and this crucial acknowledgement from the WWC show that the achievement gap in reading for public school students can be effectively addressed through tutoring by trained older adults."
Read the review in PDF form.
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The Experience Corps program brings older adults aged 55+ into public elementary schools to tutor and mentor children who are at risk of academic failure. The Experience Corps program began in 1995 in five cities and has grown to include 22 sites. Currently, there are nearly 2,000 Experience Corps tutors serving more than 20,000 students.
Experience Corps is supported by public and private funders, including The Atlantic Philanthropies, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Corporation for National and Community Service (AmeriCorps), and the Deerbrook Charitable Trust.
