A Report on the Effects of SRA/McGraw Hill Reading Mastery: A Response to Intervention Solution

The study examines the impact of SRA/McGraw-Hill’s Reading Mastery Signature Edition, a Direct Instruction-based reading intervention program, on student performance. The program targeted grades PreK–4 at PS 396, a public school in the Bronx, New York, serving an economically disadvantaged and ethnically diverse population of 280 students. The research involved non-randomized comparison groups, with PS 396 compared to four peer schools based on demographics and prior academic performance.

Methodology included teacher training, placement tests, weekly lesson logs, monthly consultant visits, and assessments of fluency, accuracy, and comprehension. Outcomes were measured using New York State English Language Arts (ELA) tests and Rigby Reading Diagnostic and Evaluation System (Rigby READS) assessments. Results showed significant improvements: third graders meeting ELA standards rose from 30% to 88%, and fourth graders meeting standards increased by 11 percentage points. Rigby READS results revealed substantial gains, with second graders reading on or above grade level jumping from 36% to 94%, and fourth graders improving from 44% to 77%. PS 396’s percentile ranking on ELA tests increased by 18 points, outperforming peer schools.