Open Court Reading: Texas Study

The study evaluates the effectiveness of the Open Court Reading program, a comprehensive K–5 literacy curriculum that employs an explicit and systematic approach to teaching English Language Arts (ELA). The research was conducted in Texas, comparing four elementary schools within a charter school district (OCR District) that implemented Open Court Reading in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years with four elementary schools from a similar charter school district (Comparison District) that did not use the program. The study involved over 350 students across multiple sites, meeting ESSA Tier II criteria for quasi-experimental design.

Statistical analyses examined literacy achievement, including growth in phonemic awareness, graphophonemic knowledge, word reading, and comprehension, using methods such as McNemar’s chi-square tests and regression analyses. Assessments included the Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI) for Grades K–2 and the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) for Grades 3–5.

Key findings revealed significant improvements in literacy outcomes for OCR District students. For Grades K–2, students exposed to Open Court Reading showed higher proportions of “Low Risk” status by the end of the school year. In Grades 3–5, OCR District students demonstrated accelerated literacy growth, with Grade 5 students showing significant improvement on STAAR Reading assessments compared to their Grade 4 performance. Statistical significance was observed (e.g., p<.001 for K-2 improvements), and marginal significance (p=.07) was noted for Grade 5 STAAR percentile scores.

Teachers generally perceived the program positively, highlighting foundational skills and comprehension components as beneficial, though some suggested improvements in training.