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Impact evaluation of a literacy program based on direct instruction and phonics method

Last registered on July 10, 2023
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Impact evaluation of a literacy program based on direct instruction and phonics method
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0011732
Initial registration date
July 05, 2023

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
July 10, 2023, 9:44 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
Brazil
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Guilherme Hirata
Affiliation
IDados
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Matheus Gomes
PI Affiliation
IDados
PI Name
Thais Barcellos
PI Affiliation
CEBE/SEDUC-RS

Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2019-07-15
End date
2019-12-20
Keywords
Education
Additional Keywords
Literacy, phonics method, direct instruction, first grade
JEL code(s)
I29, C93
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study evaluates the impact of a literacy program for first-grade students. Thirty-two public schools from a state capital in Brazil participate in the evaluation. Half of them was randomly assigned to the treatment group. Schools in the control group kept their standard routines. The program aims to teach students to how to read and write by combining direct instruction with the phonics method. The program provides training for teachers and pedagogical coordinators as well as the teaching materials for method implementation.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Barcellos, Thais, Matheus Gomes and Guilherme Hirata. 2023. "Impact evaluation of a literacy program based on direct instruction and phonics method." AEA RCT Registry. July 10. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.11732-1.1
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention consists of teaching first-grade students how to read and write by combining direct instruction with the phonics method. There was a 12-hour training section (divided into two days) for teachers and pedagogical coordinators and a 4-hour guidance section for school principals. Teaching materials for method implementation are also provided.
Intervention Start Date
2019-08-19
Intervention End Date
2019-12-09

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The outcome variable is an index based on four standardized measures of basic literacy skills. These measures come from students’ assessments to evaluate their abilities in phonological awareness, knowledge of letters and sounds, the alphabetic principle, and basic reading.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
The index is the average of four standardized variables. The variables are standardized to the control mean at baseline.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Treatment and control groups have the same number of schools. All first-grade students in the treatment group could participate in the program. The control group followed its routine. A random sample of students was assessed before and after the intervention. The instruments used in the baseline were used again in the follow-up assessment. The program impact is measured by comparing the outcome difference between groups in the follow-up controlled for the difference in the baseline.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
The randomization was done in office by a computer. Using location and school size, schools were first divided into 16 pairs. Within each pair, one school was assigned to the treatment group and the other to the control group.
Randomization Unit
School.
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
40 schools.
Sample size: planned number of observations
640 students to be assessed (16 in each school).
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Final sample: 16 each arm.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
Yes
Intervention Completion Date
November 18, 2019, 12:00 +00:00
Data Collection Complete
Yes
Data Collection Completion Date
December 03, 2019, 12:00 +00:00
Final Sample Size: Number of Clusters (Unit of Randomization)
32 schools
Was attrition correlated with treatment status?
No
Final Sample Size: Total Number of Observations
586 pupils.
Final Sample Size (or Number of Clusters) by Treatment Arms
16 schools treated, 16 schools control.
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
No
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials