Feds: $6-billion spent, but reading program made no difference

The $6-billion reading program at the heart of President Bush's No Child Left Behind education law has failed to make a difference in how well children understand what they read, according to a study by the program's own champion, the U.S. Department of Education.

Schools that use Reading First, which provides grants to improve grade-school reading instruction, scored no better on reading comprehension tests than peers in schools that don't participate, says the study from the Institute of Education Sciences, part of the Education Department.

The conclusion is likely to reignite the long-standing "reading wars." Critics have argued that the program, aimed at improving reading skills among students from low-income families, places too much emphasis on explicit phonics instruction and doesn't do enough to foster understanding.

The program has been plagued by allegations of mismanagement and financial conflicts of interest, and Thursday's findings threw its future into doubt. The Bush administration has strenuously backed the effort, saying it helps disadvantaged children learn to read. About 1.5-million children in about 5,200 schools nationwide participate in Reading First.

"We need to seriously re-examine this program and figure out how to make it work better for students," said California Democratic Rep. George Miller, chairman of the House education committee.

Reading First was created as part of the 2002 No Child Left Behind law, which aims to get all children doing math and reading at their proper grade level. Bush and Education Secretary Margaret Spellings have championed the reading program as an important part of the law.

Institute director Russ Whitehurst said the study focused on reading comprehension rather than other aspects of reading, such as whether kids grasp phonics, because comprehension is the ultimate goal when teaching reading.

The congressionally mandated study, completed by an independent contractor, focused on tens of thousands of first-, second- and third-grade students in 248 schools in 13 states. The children were tested, and researchers observed teachers in 1,400 classrooms.

Researchers did find that among schools participating in Reading First, higher levels of funding led to some improvement in scores. Congress recently reduced funding to the program — over Bush's objections — due to budget constraints and controversies surrounding it.

A 2006 report from the Education Department's inspector general, John Higgins Jr., found that some program officials steered states to certain tests and textbooks. Congressional testimony last year revealed that some of those people benefited financially.

"It's no surprise that Reading First has been a failure," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, D-Wis., who led the fight to cut the program's budget.

Spellings hailed the program as a success last year when she released data showing scores in Reading First schools were up. However, those scores weren't compared with schools where Reading First wasn't in place. The new study compares those using the program to those not using it.

Amanda Farris, deputy assistant secretary for policy and strategic initiatives at the Education Department, said that Reading First remains popular and that the department will look to the report, along with other data, to "enhance its implementation." President Bush's fiscal 2009 budget seeks to restore funding to previous levels.

Information from the Washington Post and Associated Press was used in this report.

By the numbers

$1-billion Amount spent annually on Reading First, which was created as part of the 2002 No Child Left Behind law.

45 School districts in Florida use Reading First, including Pinellas and Hillsborough.

$300-million
Total Reading First funding Florida has received in six years.

$40-million Amount paid to contractor RMC Research Corp. at the outset of the program; it has been criticized for failing to adequately address conflict-of-interest issues.

. fast facts

The Reading
First drill

Teachers in Reading First classrooms spent about 10 minutes more each day on instruction in the five areas emphasized by the program — awareness of individual sounds, phonics, vocabulary, reading fluency and comprehension — than colleagues in schools that didn't receive program grants, the study concluded.

But there was no difference when children were tested on how well they could read and understand material on a widely used exam.

Comments on this article

by Margaret	May 5, 2008 1:59 PM
As a Reading coach in a school that is considered"failing" this does not surprise me! Students must be taught strategies that work together to improve comprehension skills. Teaching phonics- students can read orally but they don't

by Republican War Monger	May 4, 2008 11:52 AM
$6 Billion? That money could've kept us in Iraq for 2 extra weeks!

by sue	May 4, 2008 11:47 AM
Let's add the millions of dollars wasted on that to the millions wasted on LFS in Pasco. It is not the program that makes the difference it is the teacher. Good teachers are more valuable than a silly program. Give us the miilions!!!

by Lisa	May 3, 2008 1:01 PM
Dyslexia is usually the reason a child fall behind in reading. Ususally the casue is genetic. Some of the worlds greatest Doctors, Inventors & engineers are Dyslexic. The Schools need to stop tying to fit these square pegs in a round hole.

by Heidi	May 2, 2008 10:12 PM
Jerry, I hope you are not responsIble for your children's homework, else their scores be miserable! That red line under a word means it's spelled incorrectly. The government needs to stop shelling out BIG $ for quick fixes and let the teach

by J.J.	May 2, 2008 10:09 PM
Maybe if you take the anchor babies and all the kids who have english as a second language out of the equation, the scores wouldn't be as bad. Anybody ever thought about that?

by Bob	May 2, 2008 10:06 PM
NCLB is working- just not for what we thought. It did put millions of dollars into Neil Bush's pockets. How nice that he and he alone sells the software schools need to prep kids to pass the tests. I'm sure his brothers had nothing to

by m	May 2, 2008 10:02 PM
Wow, most have no clue. Reading First is a PRIVATE (not public education founded) program. Large segments of public institutions are being privatized/ sold off to corporations and the majority of the public is not paying attention/ doesn�

by Rqye	May 2, 2008 10:01 PM
Way to go, JEB!!! Congrats REPUBS!!!

by Lisa	May 2, 2008 10:00 PM
hey, it's not all bad- don't forget how many millions NCLB made for Neil Bush, who just happens to sell the software to 'help' kids pass. A dozen Bush cronies made countelss millions from this- and you thought it was sop

by kitty	May 2, 2008 10:00 PM
Pat P, did you even bother to read the article? This program was your hero, boy george's doing. There weren't enough dems on the house/senate to veto this stinkbomb, so you have nobody to thank but yourself for this debacle.

by Dorothy	May 2, 2008 9:59 PM
Education is a local issue. Close the Dept.s of Education and Health, Ed, and Welfare. Washington can't even give us a stable currency.

by Mike	May 2, 2008 9:58 PM
My parents taught me how to read and it cost nothing. They also read constantly, which instilled the same desire in me. Teachers just polished the ability. Today I am a professional writer. Now people seem to think, "I pay taxes. That's THE

by Theresa	May 2, 2008 2:31 PM
Parents, parents...teaching your kids reading, writing etc. is also part of your job. Accept that responsiblity and see how your kids succeed in school and in life. Stop already with the fluff!

by Bill	May 2, 2008 2:25 PM
Can't blame the program or teachers on this failure. What is taught at school NEEDS to be enforced at home with homework. And in some households it is not going to happen. There will always be that left side Gaussian curve that no $$ amount can

by Kim	May 2, 2008 2:21 PM
To see if there is progress, we need to look at the beginning scores of each particular group of students and then track how they improve. If a school goes from 30% to 50% they may be average but it is a big improvement for that particular

by Kim	May 2, 2008 2:21 PM
Please keep in mind that the Reading First grants went to Title 1 schools (50% or more of students are on free lunch) which were not performing adequatly. If their comprehension scores are now the same as non-Title 1 schools, thi

by Jerry	May 2, 2008 2:11 PM
It all goes back to what the student does when they go home. Read, video games other. Parents should not be responsable for their childrens homework.

by Al	May 2, 2008 8:05 AM
Hello...where are parents? I could read very well by the time I started school at 5. I was taught the phonics etc...and so were my brothers. We were not homeschooled, my mom was no more a teacher than any other mom, BUT we HAD to read every day!

by Stan	May 2, 2008 8:05 AM
I wonder why kids can't read? Maybe because they all "talk like dis yo, wachew doin homie, lol" and ignorant things like that...

by jimmy	May 2, 2008 8:04 AM
The liberals among America's academics (which means ALL?) are applauding. They shouldn't! Their agenda didn't work for fifty years and they're eager to bring it back.

by Buddy	May 2, 2008 8:04 AM
Without the Reading First program, their scores could have been worse. No difference between the scores indicates improvement for poor students.

by Jim D	May 2, 2008 8:04 AM
Here's a surprise.Another government mandated,underfunded program poorly designed which does nothing but line the pockets of textbook publishers.Americans are much more interested in Miley and Brittany and other mind pap to know what really matt

by Mary Bernice	May 2, 2008 8:04 AM
You have micro-managed us to death. We don't need more "stuff". I watch crowds of kids waiting after school for tutoring. Half of them wouldn't need to be there if they didn't waste the 6 hours they just spent in class.

by Keith	May 2, 2008 8:03 AM
Notwistanding this study, our educators will still demand more money to funnel into a broken system. I suppose the old adage "money fixes everything" is more important than personal and professional accountability with educators.

by Ann	May 2, 2008 8:03 AM
Told you so. I've seen this program in action in our schools w/ our kids as test subjects. It's called dibels and focuses on getting kids reading faster, GREAT if they understand it. Seems they don't.

by RM	May 2, 2008 8:03 AM
Parents, parents, parents! Teachers can only do so much the parents have to re-enforce what we the teachers do!

by sue	May 2, 2008 8:03 AM
Lazy parents are the problem. Put down the remote and spend time with your kids reading.

by Pat P	May 2, 2008 8:03 AM
Wow, so you mean that throwing money at problems doesn't fix them? Liberals will be shocked....but will keep doing it.

by Shelly	May 2, 2008 8:03 AM
Get rid of the teacher's unions and retrain teachers to actually teach. Get the psychs, their allies, their drugs and their "feel good" programs out of all government schools. Re-institute true learning of the basics.

by Kim	May 2, 2008 8:03 AM
If you do not know your phonics by the end of second grade then you have to use somthing else like whole word. Phonics is very hard. The you have to deal with what one is capable of doing. If you do not have the IQ you are out.

by Scott	May 2, 2008 8:03 AM
Spend all you want but if the parents don't care if the kids can't read why should the teachers. Mom and dad get off the couch and encourage your kids to read. They are your kids, you take care of them.

by Manny	May 2, 2008 8:03 AM
So why not pay the teachers & let them teach? Stop spending money on GIMMICKS!!!!!!!!!! The problem for every "GIMMICK" someone is getting a kickback or a new management position!