Claims

CALI significantly improves social studies knowledge (g = 2.27) and science knowledge (g = 2.10) in K-4 students compared to business-as-usual control.

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · causal r2 · q3 · i3 large
Currency · newest study 2017 · checked against its sources 2026-10-24 (automated, 2 of 2 entries) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims

Reading the evidence codes

q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.

This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.

q3 i3 Students randomly assigned to CALI achieved significantly higher social studies post-unit scores than control students (g = 2.27). → Dombek 2017 q3 i3 Students randomly assigned to CALI achieved significantly higher science post-unit scores than control students (g = 2.10). → Dombek 2017 (2)

Evidence

Dombek 2017

Dombek, J., Crowe, E. C., Spencer, M., Tighe, E. L., Coffinger, S., Zargar, E., Wood, T., Petscher, Y., & Connor, C. M. (2017). Acquiring Science and Social Studies Knowledge in Kindergarten Through Fourth Grade: Conceptualization, Design, Implementation, and Efficacy Testing of Content-Area Literacy Instruction (CALI). Journal of Educational Psychology, 109(3), 301-320. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000128

q3 · i3 · causal · r2

RCT with 418 K-4 students randomly assigned within classrooms to CALI or business-as-usual, analyzed with HLM controlling for pre-test unit scores and grade level. Found "significant treatment effects of CALI" with g = 2.27 for social studies and g = 2.10 for science.

"We found significant treatment effects of CALI for both Social Studies (g = 2.27) and Science (g = 2.10). Students randomly assigned to CALI achieved significantly higher social studies and science post-unit scores on the proximal measures."

Dombek 2017 (2)

Dombek, J., Crowe, E. C., Spencer, M., Tighe, E. L., Coffinger, S., Zargar, E., Wood, T., Petscher, Y., & Connor, C. M. (2017). Acquiring Science and Social Studies Knowledge in Kindergarten Through Fourth Grade: Conceptualization, Design, Implementation, and Efficacy Testing of Content-Area Literacy Instruction (CALI). Journal of Educational Psychology, 109(3), 301-320. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000128

q3 · i3 · causal · r2

Same RCT and HLM analysis; science post-unit scores on proximal measures significantly favored CALI with g = 2.10, measured with researcher-developed pre-post unit assessments including counterfactual items.

"We found significant treatment effects of CALI for both Social Studies (g = 2.27) and Science (g = 2.10). Students randomly assigned to CALI achieved significantly higher social studies and science post-unit scores on the proximal measures."

Discussion

Page metadata
Field Value
type claim
id cali-improves-content-knowledge-k4
title CALI significantly improves social studies knowledge (g = 2.27) and science knowledge (g = 2.10) in K-4 students compared to business-as-usual control.
description CALI significantly improves social studies knowledge (g = 2.27) and science knowledge (g = 2.10) in K-4 students compared to business-as-usual control.
status review
evidence_strength moderate
newest_evidence 2017
source_checked 2026-10-24
generated by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-24
trust unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources 2 — dombek-2017, dombek-2017-2

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