Reading Mastery shows no discernible effects on reading comprehension for adolescent learners, with an average improvement index of –7 percentile points¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causalr2·q2
Currency · newest study 2010 · not yet checked against its sources · 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.
q2 i? For the comprehension domain, one quasi-experimental study showed indeterminate effects, mixing a significant positive effect for grade 4 and significant negative effects for grade 5. → What Works Clearinghouse 2010
Evidence¶
What Works Clearinghouse 2010¶
What Works Clearinghouse, U.S. Department of Education. (2010). WWC Intervention Report: Reading Mastery (Adolescent Literacy). http://www.mcgraw-hill.co.uk/sra/downloads/Reading%20Mastery/Reading%20Mastery%20Signature%20Edition%20Brochure.pdf
q2 · i? · causal · r2
A retrospective quasi-experimental study (Yu & Rachor, 2000) matching Reading Mastery schools to comparison schools on poverty level and minority percentage, with students matched on reading scores and demographics. Per WWC calculations, "the effects were not statistically significant, and the average effect across two cohorts was not large enough to be considered substantively important."
"Yu and Rachor (2000) found a statistically significant positive effect of Reading Mastery on the Riverside Publishing Off Grade Reading Proficiency test for the grade 4 cohort, and statistically significant negative effects on the State Reading Proficiency test for the grade 5 cohort."
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- WWC finds CIRC has potentially positive effects on general literacy achievement for adolescent learners (average improvement index +2 percentile points) — related
- WWC finds Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition® has potentially positive effects on comprehension for adolescent learners (average improvement index +7 percentile points) — related
- In a quasi-experimental study, CIRC showed no statistically significant effect on comprehension outcomes after WWC clustering and multiple-comparison adjustments — related
- Reading Mastery has potentially positive effects on reading fluency for adolescent learners, with a WWC improvement index of +19 percentile points — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
reading-mastery-no-discernible-comprehension-adolescents |
title |
Reading Mastery shows no discernible effects on reading comprehension for adolescent learners, with an average improvement index of –7 percentile points |
description |
Reading Mastery shows no discernible effects on reading comprehension for adolescent learners, with an average improvement index of –7 percentile points |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
weak |
newest_evidence |
2010 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-07 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — what-works-clearinghouse-2010 |
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