A study of the 2023-2024 school year showed that CommonLit usage predicted reading growth
CommonLit conducted a study of the 2023-2024 school year that included usage and achievement data from 237,899 students in Grades 3-12 taught by 4,689 teachers in 835 schools across the nation. This study found that CommonLit students saw significantly higher reading growth on the Assessment Series from the beginning to the end of the year compared to students who did not use CommonLit. In practical terms, the reading growth observed among CommonLit students can be translated into 4–6 percentile point gains. The Instructure Research Team reviewed this study and validated it to meet ESSA Tier 3 (“Promising Evidence”) standards.
About the Study
This study examined the relationship between CommonLit usage and reading growth on the Assessment Series. In the 2023-2024 school year, 237,899 students in Grades 3-12 completed the CommonLit Assessment Series at the beginning and end of the year. These students were taught by 4,689 teachers and were enrolled in 835 schools across 44 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.). All schools in this sample are schools that have paid partnerships with CommonLit or research partnerships with the CommonLit Evaluation Research team. Based on NCES data, 45% of the schools in this sample were eligible to receive Title I funding in 2023-2024.
Key Finding: CommonLit Usage Predicted Student Reading Growth
CommonLit usage was significantly associated with students’ reading growth on the CommonLit Assessment Series. This relationship was statistically significant, even when taking into account other factors that are often related to student growth. For example, the analysis controlled for students’ baseline scores on the CommonLit Pre-Assessment, their grade level, their schools’ Title I eligibility, and their roster designations (English Language Learner and Special Education). The figure below shows estimates of growth based on different levels of CommonLit usage.
Figure 1. Model-adjusted scaled score growth averages for each of the three usage groups: no usage (0 lessons), lower usage (1-35 lessons), and higher usage (36+ lessons). Differences between groups were statistically significant.
The differences between these groups were statistically significant. There was greater reading growth among students in the higher usage group than for students in the lower usage group as well as the no usage group. Additionally, there was greater reading growth among students in the lower usage group than for students in the no usage group. In other words, the more students used CommonLit, the higher reading growth they tended to see.
This finding can be translated into percentile point gains. The reading growth observed among this sample of students using CommonLit can be translated into 4–6 percentile point gains, relative to students who would score at the median without using CommonLit. Note that students in the no usage group still saw reading growth, as expected, with alternative instructional materials. The figure below shows the effect sizes (Cohen’s d) and estimated percentile point gains for each group.
Figure 2. Effect sizes and estimated percentile point gains for each usage group.
Read more about this study here.
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