Education strategies to improve outcomes by adolescence
Education strategies can help elementary school students improve their reading skills by third grade, help middle school students succeed in math, and ensure that all children develop healthy social-emotional skills and habits.
Children who have achieved strong academic and social outcomes by adolescence are more likely to graduate from high school, continue on to post-secondary education, and obtain high-quality employment.
How do outcomes in elementary and middle school affect economic mobility?
- Reading at grade level by third grade is among the strongest predictors of high school graduation and college attendance. 1 2
Until the end of third grade, children are learning to read. Starting in fourth grade, they are reading to learn. After third grade, struggling readers have difficulty comprehending curriculum materials, diminishing their ability to keep up with classmates and reducing their overall academic motivation.
- Reading interventions before third grade increase adolescent and adult literacy. 3
For 85-90 percent of poor readers, evidence-based programs implemented before third grade can increase skills to grade level. If interventions are delayed until children are nine years or older, 75 percent of below average readers will continue to have literacy problems through high school and adulthood.
- Middle school math performance is a strong predictor of future academic and professional success. 4 5
Students who complete algebra by 8th grade attend college at higher rates than students who do not complete algebra.
- Completing algebra early has a positive impact on highly mobile career trajectories. 6
The earlier that students are able to complete algebra, the earlier they are able to move on to more advanced math coursework. This has strong implications for career trajectory, particularly the ability to pursue STEM majors in college.
- Strong high school math accomplishment helps students avoid remedial coursework in college. 7 8
Between 60 and 70 percent of entering freshman in community colleges enroll in remedial coursework, with the majority of these students needing remediation in math. 40 percent of students in remedial courses at two-year colleges and 25 percent of students in four-year colleges do not complete their degree.
Categories of successful interventions
- Child wellness programs: School-based programs that seek to improve student wellbeing, create healthier learning environments, and reduce conflict between students
- Effective teaching: Strategies that improve teacher quality, provide professional development opportunities for teachers, and attract and retain effective instructors
- Evidence-based curricula: Structured classroom programs that build specific reading and math skills
Evidence-based interventions
Intervention | Type | Category | Evidence Level |
---|---|---|---|
Cognitive Tutor - Algebra 1 | Program |
|
Proven (highest tier) |
Community schools | Strategy |
|
Strong (second-highest tier) |
Everyday Mathematics | Program |
|
Strong (second-highest tier) |
Fraction Face Off | Program |
|
Strong (second-highest tier) |
Full-day kindergarten | Policy |
|
Proven (highest tier) |
Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) | Program |
|
Proven (highest tier) |
Leveled Literacy Intervention | Program |
|
Strong (second-highest tier) |
Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing | Program |
|
Strong (second-highest tier) |
Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies | Program |
|
Strong (second-highest tier) |
Reading Recovery | Program |
|
Strong (second-highest tier) |
Small Schools of Choice | Strategy |
|
Strong (second-highest tier) |
Small elementary school classes | Policy |
|
Promising (Third-highest tier) |
Sound Partners | Program |
|
Strong (second-highest tier) |
SpellRead | Program |
|
Strong (second-highest tier) |
Stepping Stones to Literacy | Program |
|
Proven (highest tier) |
Success for All | Program |
|
Strong (second-highest tier) |
Summer learning programs | Strategy |
|
Proven (highest tier) |
Teach for America | Program |
|
Strong (second-highest tier) |
The Expert Mathematician | Program |
|
Strong (second-highest tier) |
Universal teacher classroom management practices | Strategy |
|
Proven (highest tier) |