An Evaluation of Teaching Assistant-Based Small Group Support for Literacy
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN18254678 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN18254678 |
| Protocol serial number | N/A |
| Sponsor | Education Endowment Foundation |
| Funder | Education Endowment Foundation |
- Submission date
- 27/11/2014
- Registration date
- 20/01/2015
- Last edited
- 18/07/2018
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Many children do not leave primary school with the expected level of literacy. This has an impact on subsequent educational performance and is also linked to poor labour market outcomes. While much is known about the characteristics of struggling readers, there is much less known about practical programmes capable of helping educators prevent or remediate early reading deficits. In this study, we intend to analyse the effects of two methods (treatments) of small group tuition for literacy for Year 1 students in English schools. In particular, the study is designed to answer the following questions:
1. Do the treatments have an impact on reading outcomes within one academic year?
2. What treatment is more effective?
3. Do the treatments produce different results across students with different characteristics?
4. Is there any evidence of effects on the group of non-treated students?
5. Do any effects persist one year later?
Who can participate?
Coventry University will attempt to recruit 60 schools in Birmingham, Coventry, Warwickshire, Worcester and Solihull. In particular, an effort will be made to encourage schools with disadvantaged students to participate during the recruitment stage. Coventry University is running the recruitment event.
What does the study involve?
Schools will be paired according to different characteristics, like the percentage of disadvantaged students. Within each pair of schools, one school will be randomly assigned to the treatment group and the other school will be part of the control group. Schools in the treatment group will receive the treatment in Year 1. Control schools will receive the treatment in Year 2.
Students in treatment schools will be randomly assigned to one of 3 groups:
1. Support from small group teaching assistance for literacy using a computer programme
2. Support from small group teaching assistance for literacy using other methods
3. No additional support other than the normal (‘business as usual’ control group)
Baseline reading tests will be organised by Coventry University at the beginning of the academic year, and compared with the results of additional reading tests by the end of Year 1.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
There are no risks of participating for either the schools or the students.
The benefits of participating for schools is in terms of the training that their teaching assistants will undertake, either in Year 1 or 2. The benefits of participating for students are the hypothesised positive effects of using teaching assistants for small group tuition for literacy outcomes.
The benefits of the study are also for teachers and schools, since the results will provide guidance on how best to use both teacher and school resources to improve the attainment of pupils.
Where is the study run from?
The development and implementation of the intervention will be led by Dr Janet Vousden and Professor Clare Wood, Coventry University (recruitment of schools, administering baseline tests, training teacher assistants, administer assessments by the end of Year 1, etc.).
The recruitment will be in 60 schools in Birmingham, Coventry, Warwickshire, Worcester and Solihull (UK).
The impact evaluation will be led by Professor Sandra McNally, Centre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics.
The process evaluation will be led by Dr. Heather Rolfe, National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR). The purpose of the process evaluation is to assess the fidelity of the intervention and to help explain the impact of small group tuition as measured by the study.
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
October 2013 to July 2017.
The preparation and recruitment of schools will be done between January and July 2014. Baseline tests will be organised in all participating schools in September 2014. Randomisation will be conducted after the baseline tests have been administered, in October 2014. For schools that take part in the study, those allocated to the treatment group will receive the treatments in academic year 2014-2015, those allocated to the control group will receive the treatments in academic year 2015-2016.
Who is funding the study?
The Education Endowment Foundation, an independent charity originally funded by a grant from the Department for Education, dedicated to raising the educational attainment of disadvantaged pupils in primary and secondary schools in England.
Who is the main contact?
Professor Sandra McNally
Director of the Education and Skills Programme at the Centre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics
Contact information
Scientific
Centre for Economic Performance
London School of Economics
Houghton Street
London
WC2A 2AE
United Kingdom
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Study design | Pair matching cluster randomisation across schools into treatment and control groups. Student level randomisation across the 3 conditions in the treated schools. |
| Secondary study design | Randomised cross over trial |
| Study type | Participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | An Evaluation of Teaching Assistant-Based Small Group Support for Literacy: a cluster randomised trial |
| Study objectives | The main hypothesis we would like to test whether small group tuition using teacher assistants for students in Year 1 (of the English National Curriculum) improves the literacy of students in treated groups. Additionally, we would like to test which of two treatments is better: 1. Support from small group teaching assistance for literacy using a computer programme; 2. Support from small group teaching assistance for literacy using other methods. |
| Ethics approval(s) | The recruitment of schools and implementation of the treatments has been approved by the Coventry University Ethics Committee (ethics.uni@coventry.ac.uk), 16/12/2013, Reference number P19172. |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Small group teaching assistance for literacy |
| Intervention | Students in treatment schools will be randomly assigned to one of 3 groups: 1. Support from small group teaching assistance for literacy using a computer programme; 2. Support from small group teaching assistance for literacy using other methods 3. No additional support other than the normal (“business as usual" control group) |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
General reading ability, as measured by progress on the PIRA assessment |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
1. Word reading (Diagnostic Test of Word Reading Performance) |
| Completion date | 01/07/2016 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Other |
|---|---|
| Age group | Child |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 60 |
| Key inclusion criteria | Coventry University will attempt to recruit 60 primary schools in Birmingham, Coventry, Warwickshire, Worcester and Solihull All students in Year 1 in participating schools are part of the study group (except where parents have signed the opt-out consent form) |
| Key exclusion criteria | Students whose parents sign opt-out consent forms |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/01/2014 |
| Date of final enrolment | 31/07/2014 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- United Kingdom
- England
Study participating centres
Coventry
CV1 5FB
United Kingdom
32 Lincoln's Inn Fields
London
WC2A 3PH
United Kingdom
London
SW1P 3HE
United Kingdom
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Stored in repository |
| IPD sharing plan | Data was securely sent to the funder of the trial (the Education Endowment Foundation: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/), via the fft education datalab (https://ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/). All the data used to produce the findings in the report for the Education Endowment Foundation was sent, together with the code that produced the results. This includes individual data regarding the baseline and endline reading tests, as well as data collected by the implementation team and data coming from the National Pupil Database. The data includes an individual anonymous identifier (the Pupil Matching Reference number used by the National Pupil Database). With regards to consent, parents were asked to opt-out if they did not wish their child to participate in the trial. |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funder report results | results | No | No | ||
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
| Study website | Study website | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
Editorial Notes
18/07/2018: IPD sharing statement added.
11/07/2018: Publication reference added.
