Indiana's Early Literacy Intervention Grant Program Implementation Study

This study examined the implementation of the Indiana Early Literacy Intervention Grant Program during the first program year, when the program funded a total of 133 projects and served 9,685 students in its first year. The study incorporated an analysis of existing databases, a systematic review of the research literature on reading interventions, and the analysis of a survey of funded projects (Reading Recovery, Early Literacy Learning Initiative, full-day kindergarten, and other early literacy interventions). Four research questions were addressed: What is the early literacy challenge in Indiana? Did the funded school corporations implement interventions with a high probability of success? What is the most appropriate way to evaluate the impact of the program? And, How can the administration of the Early Literacy Intervention Grant Program be enhanced to further improve program impact? Key findings indicated taht: (1) the program reached school corporations that were in need of supplemental services; (2) the funded projects used intervention methods that have inherently high probability of increasing the number of Hoosier children who read on grade level by the end of third grade; and (3) the costs of these interventions were reasonable, relative to their anticipated effects. (Contains 83 references, and 6 figures and 29 tables of data; appendeces contain a list and description of program features by category, the revew format, a list of funded projects, survey methods and responses, and the survey instrument).

St. John, E.P., Hu, S., Clements, M.M., Asker, E.H. (1999).  Are Indiana’s public colleges still affordable?  A summary report on the effects of state grants on persistence by full-time students in Indiana.  Technical report prepared for the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.  Bloomington, IN:  Indiana Education Policy Center.

This report investigates the influence of state grants on improving equalizing persistence rates among full-time resident students in Indiana's public colleges and universities. Furthermore, how state finance strategies are coordinate to maintain affordability in Indiana's public system of higher education are analyzed. The findings indicate that Indiana has maintained a balanced approach to higher education finance, with increases in state grants to correspond to tuition increases. This strategy has been sufficient to equalize opportunities to persist in higher education.

           St. John, E.P., Bardzell, J., Manoil, K., Michael, R.S., Asker, E., Clements M., & Jacob S. (1999).  Improving early literacy: Designing research-based interventions, Technical report prepared for the Indiana Department of Education.  Bloomington, IN:  Indiana Education Policy Center. 

            St. John, E. P., Clements, M. M., Asker, E. H., Michael, R. S. (1998).  Assessment of the effects of prices and price subsidies on persistence in Indiana public higher education.  Technical report prepared for the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.  Bloomington, IN:  Indiana Education Policy Center.

            St. John, E. P., Bardzell, J., Michael, R.S., Hall, G., Manoil, K., Asker, E., & Clements, M. (1998).  Indiana’s early literacy intervention grant program implementation study.  Prepared for the Indiana Department of Education.  Bloomington, IN:  Indiana Education Policy Center. 

            St. John, E.P., Michael, R.S., Bardzell, J., Asker, E., & Clements, M. (1998).  Meeting the early literacy challenge:  Implementation of Indiana’s early intervention program.  Technical report prepared for the Indiana Department of Education.  Bloomington, IN:  Indiana Education Policy Center.

            St. John, E.P., Michael, R.S., Bardzell, J., Manoil, K., Clements, M., & Asker, E. (1998).  Full-day kindergarten:  A briefing on research literature and budgeting strategies.  Technical report presented to the Indiana School Finance Committee. Bloomington, IN:  Indiana Education Policy Center. 

            St. John, E.P., Michael, R.S., Bardzell, J., Manoil, K., Clements, M. & Asker, E. (1998).  Early age entry, preschool, and full-day kindergarten: Options for Indiana. Technical report to the Indiana State School Finance Committee.  Bloomington, IN:  Indiana Education Policy Center.

            St. John, E., Michael, R. S., Bardzell, J., Asker, E., & Clements, M. (1998, June).  Meeting the early literacy challenge:  Implementation of Indiana’s early intervention program.  Technical report prepared for the Indiana Department of Education.  Bloomington, IN:  Indiana Education Policy Center.