An "Inside " Look at Success for All: A Qualitative Study df

This is the final report of a 2-year qualitative study of 3 elementary schools implementing the Success for All (SFA) program. Success for All is a research-based reform model that organizes resources to focus on prevention and early intervention to ensure that students succeed in reading throughout the elementary grades. Data were gathered in 61 interviews with school staff, 60 classroom observations, and relevant school documents. All three schools achieved full implementation of SFA, and all of the major components of the program were in place and mostly functioning as planned. Administrators influenced the adoption of SFA in all three schools. A number of positive outcomes were observed in the three schools. Student engagement in reading was high, and classroom instruction in reading was more effective than instruction in other academic subjects. Teachers had acquired new and valuable skills for teaching reading. Evidence was not found for other types of whole school changes, such as improved teacher collaboration, interest in reform in other areas, changes in governance, or changes in the relationships among administrators and staff. These outcomes, however, are not major goals of the SFA model. An appendix contains an overview of activities during the 90-minute SFA reading period. (Contains 2 figures and 43 references.) (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Resea(Cn ono improvemen