The study, by Sarah Novicoff, a Stanford graduate student, and Thomas S. Dee, a professor of education, compared schools that participated in the program to a similar set of schools that did not. It has not yet been peer reviewed. Timothy Shanahan, a literacy expert and professor emeritus at the University of Illinois, Chicago, said the paper’s results left him “very cautiously optimistic.”He noted that education reforms that focus on the early grades often show positive results, but as students age into more conceptual learning, improvements fade out. “Will the schools build on this in any way?” he asked. The intervention also took place during difficult years, with high rates of student absenteeism, mental health challenges and school staff shortages.

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Persons: Sarah Novicoff, Thomas S, Timothy Shanahan, “, ” Organizations: Stanford, University of Illinois Locations: Chicago