What is Leveled Literacy Intervention?

1:3
Teacher-to-student ratio

30-minute lessons,
5 days per week

14-18 weeks
of explicit, direct instruction

18-24+ weeks 
of explicit, direct instruction

Classroom-Based Efficacy and Research

 PROVEN EFFECTIVE: WHAT WORKS CLEARINGHOUSE

*The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) systematic review of the evidence from independent research studies found Leveled Literacy Intervention to have POSITIVE EFFECTS on general reading achievement.  

• Rating of Effectiveness:

Positive Effects: STRONG evidence of a positive effect with no overriding contrary evidence.

In the two studies that reported findings, the estimated impact of LLI on outcomes in the general reading achievement domain was positive and statistically significant for two studies, both of which meet WWC group design standards without reservations.

For the combined K-2 sample, the WWC found a statistically significant positive difference between the intervention and comparison groups. This result was large enough to be considered substantially important. The WWC characterizes this study finding as a statistically significant positive effect. The WWC-calculated effect size was large enough to be considered substantially important.

PROVEN EFFECTIVE: EVIDENCE FOR ESSA

*Evidence for ESSA’s review of the independent research studies on LLI found STRONG evidence of effectiveness for students.

*Robert Slavin, Director of the Center for Research & Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University, a co-founder and Chairman of the Board of the Success for All foundation and co-creator (with colleagues) of Evidence for ESSA, named LLI in a recent NPR article as a well-documented program to help children gain learning ground.

Outcomes:

LLI has been evaluated in two qualifying studies. In one, in rural and suburban Georgia and New York, students were randomly assigned to LLI or control conditions. Across 5 DIBELS scales, the average effect size was +0.17, with significant differences on Non-Word Fluency and Oral Reading Fluency. In a second study in Denver, there were very positive outcomes on the DRA2 in kindergarten but not in first or second grade, for a significant but small meaningful effect size of +0.10. Averaging the two studies, the effect size was +0.13.

PROVEN EFFECTIVE: INDEPENDENT EFFICACY STUDIES

*The Center for Research in Educational Policy (CREP) at the University of Memphis examined the efficacy of LLI instruction on struggling readers in districts across the country. The results of the LLI Efficacy Studies revealed that LLI POSITIVELY IMPACTS students’ literacy achievement.

NOTE: The Center for Research in Educational Policy’s report on LLI was evaluated and is recommended by The National Center on Response to Intervention (NCRTI).

INDEPENDENT DATA COLLECTION PROJECT

*Heinemann, in partnership with third-party, independent researchers, analyzed self-reported district/school data that corroborated the findings of the LLI Efficacy Studies. Read the Data Collection reports here.

*2009/2010 Study Key Findings:

• On average, the total sample of 4,881 LLI students demonstrated reading progress comparable to expected reading progress over eight months during the school year. This progress was achieved during participation in LLI for an average of 17 weeks, or 4.2 months.
• Post-LLI, 68% of the total sample of 4,881 LLI students demonstrated an instructional reading level at least three levels higher than their pre-LLI level and 12.5% raised their reading skills seven or more levels.
• On average, the subset of 1,118 LLI students who received LLI as designed demonstrated reading progress comparable to expected progress over an average of almost ten months. This progress was achieved during participation in LLI for an average of 21.1 weeks, or 5.3 months.
• Post-LLI, 79.2% of the subset of 1,118 LLI students were within two text reading levels of grade-level expectation and 64.8% were at or within one text reading level of grade-level expectation.
• The 2009-10 study included 824 kindergarten through fifth-grade students with an IEP for Reading or other categories (SPED). With LLI these students made an average of 7.5 months of progress in a little more than 4.5 months.
• The 2009-10 study included 925 kindergarten through fifth-grade students reported to be English Learners made almost twice the amount of reading progress when compared to typical reading progress over time.

*2010/2011 Study Key Findings:

• This report analyzed data collected during 2010-2011 school year. Over 2,600 students from 114 schools from 11 states participated. Results show on average a time equivalent gain in reading level of about 9 months after just 4.5 months of LLI.

Teacher Efficacy

Research shows that teachers are the single most important classroom factor in a child’s learning achievement.

*John Hattie’s extensive research:

• The greatest influence on student progression in learning is having highly expert, inspired and passionate teachers and school leaders working together to maximize the effect of their teaching on all students in their care” (Hattie 2015, p 2).
• “Collective teacher efficacy” ranked highest on this list of 252 influences on student achievement and is defined as teachers’ belief that they are able to make a difference in student achievement through high expectations.” 

Hattie, J. 2015. What Works Best in Education: The Politics of Collaborative Expertise. London, UK: Pearson

Hattie’s research synthesis showed an effect size of 1.57 on student achievement for collective teacher efficacy, compared to an average effect size of 0.4 for all the interventions and factors he studied. “Collective teacher efficacy” ranked highest on this list of 252 influences on student achievement and is defined as teachers’ belief that they are able to make a difference in student achievement through high expectations. 

*Hattie, J. (2017). Hattie Ranking: 252 Influences and Effect Sizes Related To Student Achievement. (link)

LLI System Overview

LLI K-2 Systems (2nd Edition)

LLI 3-5+ Systems