PALS effects on the learning-disability subsets analyzed separately were not statistically significant, while the full-sample effect was significant in one study (Fuchs et al., 1997) and not in the other (Saenz et al., 2005)¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · reviewr3·q3
Currency · newest study 2012 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (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 i? In Fuchs et al. (1997), the full sample showed significantly higher scores for PALS students on both reading outcome measures, but WWC calculations on the learning-disability subset found no statistically significant difference. → What Works Clearinghouse 2012
q3 i? In Saenz et al. (2005), the full sample showed no significant difference between PALS and comparison students on either reading outcome measure, and WWC calculations on the learning-disability subset also found no statistically significant difference. → What Works Clearinghouse 2012 (2)
Evidence¶
What Works Clearinghouse 2012¶
What Works Clearinghouse, U.S. Department of Education. (2012). Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies. WWC Intervention Report, Students with Learning Disabilities. http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/pals/
q3 · i? · review · r3
WWC table note on Fuchs et al. (1997), a study across three student types in which schools were randomized but which the WWC reviewed as a quasi-experimental design (teachers knew their condition when selecting students). The authors' full-sample analysis was significant, but WWC calculations on the 40-student learning-disability subset found no statistically significant difference between PALS and comparison students.
"For the full sample, the authors found that PALS students scored significantly higher than comparison students on each of the two outcome measures. The study authors found no significant difference in effects between student types, leading them to conclude that PALS was effective for each of the three types of students."
What Works Clearinghouse 2012 (2)¶
What Works Clearinghouse, U.S. Department of Education. (2012). Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies. WWC Intervention Report, Students with Learning Disabilities. http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/pals/
q3 · i? · review · r3
WWC table note on Saenz et al. (2005), an RCT across four student types in ELL classrooms. Neither the authors' full-sample analysis nor WWC calculations on the 20-student learning-disability subset found statistically significant differences.
"For the full sample, the authors found no significant difference between PALS students and comparison students on either of the two outcome measures. The study authors found no significant difference in effects between student types, leading them to conclude that PALS was not effective for any of the four types of students."
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- PALS shows potentially positive effects on reading comprehension for students with learning disabilities (average effect size 0.75, not statistically significant) — related
- PALS shows potentially positive effects on reading fluency for students with learning disabilities, with a substantively important but not statistically significant WWC-calculated effect size of 0.41 in Saenz et al. (2005) — related
- The WWC Adolescent Literacy review rates PALS as having potentially positive effects on reading comprehension from one trial of students averaging 9.8 years old, with an effect size of 0.48 that is not statistically significant when adjusted for clustering — related
- The evidence base for PALS in the Adolescent Literacy review rests on a single randomized trial of 120 students across 12 schools, rated as meeting standards with reservations — related
- PALS shows no discernible effects on mathematics for students with learning disabilities — related
- In the meeting-standards study, PALS classrooms used more one-on-one and peer-mediated instruction and less teacher-led instruction than comparison classrooms — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
pals-full-sample-significant-ld-subset-not |
title |
PALS effects on the learning-disability subsets analyzed separately were not statistically significant, while the full-sample effect was significant in one study (Fuchs et al., 1997) and not in the other (Saenz et al., 2005) |
description |
PALS effects on the learning-disability subsets analyzed separately were not statistically significant, while the full-sample effect was significant in one study (Fuchs et al., 1997) and not in the other (Saenz et al., 2005) |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
mixed |
newest_evidence |
2012 |
source_checked |
2026-10-20 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-07 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
2 — what-works-clearinghouse-2012, what-works-clearinghouse-2012-2 |
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