Explore · I4I

Matter and Energy for Growth and Activity (MEGA)

2019

Matter and Energy for Growth and Activity (MEGA) is a twelve-week high school biology curriculum unit designed to help students gain a deeper and more integrated understanding of energy-releasing and energy-requiring chemical reactions in simple physical systems and complex biological systems, and how these reactions are coupled so that living organisms can carry out basic life functions. The unit engages students in explaining physical and life science phenomena using evidence, models, and science ideas about matter and energy changes within systems and transfers between systems. The unit is delivered face-to-face by classroom teachers after they participate in two days of face-to-face professional development. The curriculum intervention consists of instructional materials for students and additional resources for teachers.

9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade

Pirate Math Equation Quest (PMEQ)

2019

Pirate Math Equation Quest (PMEQ) is a word-problem intervention for third-grade students with mathematics difficulty. The intervention teaches students to solve word problems using three additive schemas (Total, Difference, and Change) and includes a pre-algebraic reasoning component focused on understanding the equal sign as relational and solving equations. Students receive individual tutoring sessions three times per week for 30 minutes over 16 weeks (45 sessions total). Each session includes five activities: math fact flashcards, Equation Quest (pre-algebraic reasoning instruction using manipulatives, drawings, and equations), Buccaneer Problems (explicit schema instruction), Shipshape Sorting (schema identification practice), and Jolly Roger Review (timed independent practice). Students earn pirate coins for motivation and select prizes from a treasure box. Tutors require training on intervention content and implementation.

3rd Grade

Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC)

2018

Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) is a two-year professional development program designed to support teachers in implementing Common Core State Standards to teach literacy skills throughout content areas. The intervention focuses on developing teacher competencies through job-embedded professional development and professional learning communities (PLCs). Teachers work collaboratively with LDC coaches to design standards-driven, literacy-rich writing assignments (modules and mini-tasks) within their existing curricula across all content areas. The program serves K-12 teachers and includes online courses via CoreTools platform, virtual coaching through Zoom meetings and written feedback, in-person coaching visits, and weekly PLC meetings (ideally 60+ minutes). Teachers create or adapt modules using LDC templates and implement them in their classrooms. The intervention requires teacher participation in PLCs, completion of online course materials, module creation/adaptation, classroom implementation, and engagement with coaches for feedback and support.

Prekindergarten Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade 9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade

Parent Leadership Institute

2019

The Parent Leadership Institute (PLI) is a parent engagement program operated by Children's Aid in six schools in the South Bronx community of Morrisania. The program aims to improve parents' capacity to effectively engage in the school community in support of their children and increase school staff capacity to create welcoming environments for parent engagement. PLI serves parents of students in grades PK-12 through three core components: (1) parent engagement coordinators (PECs) who collaborate with parents, school staff, and community organizations; (2) dedicated parent resource rooms in schools; and (3) tailored adult education workshops, leadership development activities, and support services. Services include ESL and GED classes, health and wellness workshops, parent leadership training, community resource connections, and activities designed to build parent capacity and comfort in the school environment. The program operated from 2014-15 through 2018-19 school years with funding from an i3 development grant.

Prekindergarten Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade 9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade

Xtreme Reading

2011

Xtreme Reading is a 1-year targeted intervention program designed for middle and high school students in Grades 7-10 who are reading at least 2 years below grade level. The program focuses on teaching 6 reading strategies: Word Mapping, Word Identification, Self-Questioning, Visual Imagery, Paraphrasing, and Inference. Xtreme Reading uses direct instruction, teacher modeling, paired student practice, and independent practice as core instructional approaches. The curriculum includes trade books for strategy practice and independent reading, along with student binders containing strategy cue cards, worksheets, and fluency/comprehension tests. Students receive the intervention during a dedicated class period, with group sizes typically around 30 students per class. In Year 1, classes were co-taught by two teachers, but in Years 3-5 classes were taught by a single teacher. Teachers receive professional development including summer training sessions and monthly meetings throughout the school year.

7th Grade 8th Grade 9th Grade 10th Grade

Passport Reading Journeys III

2012

Passport Reading Journeys III (PRJ III) is a supplemental reading intervention for ninth grade students reading below grade level. The program consists of 14 Expeditions taught daily in 50-minute periods (or 90-minute block scheduling) over one school year. Each Expedition includes 10 lessons alternating between whole group instruction and individual practice, with lessons 5 and 10 dedicated to review, extension, and assessment. The intervention incorporates explicit vocabulary instruction, direct comprehension strategy instruction, reading foundational skills, writing, and technology components (VocabJourney). Materials include teacher guides, student workbooks, DVDs, and a library of age-appropriate fiction and non-fiction books. Teachers receive launch training, ongoing coaching from Voyager Implementation Specialists, and access to online professional development modules.

9th Grade

Personalized Learning

2014

Personalized Learning is an educational approach implemented across multiple schools that emphasizes individualized instruction tailored to each student's needs, interests, and learning pace. The intervention integrates technology extensively, with students using computers, tablets, or smartphones for approximately 50% of instructional time on average. Teachers deliver instruction using a variety of approaches including adaptive online curriculum materials, data-driven decision making, flexible grouping, and individualized pacing. Students work on different topics or skills simultaneously, with teachers frequently adapting content and regrouping students based on assessment data received at least weekly. The approach utilizes learner profiles and learning plans to document student strengths, weaknesses, and personalized goals. Teachers receive professional development focused on personalizing instruction, using technology, and interpreting student data. Implementation requires technology-rich environments with adequate devices, robust data systems, and supportive school cultures emphasizing collaboration and continuous improvement.

Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade 9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade

Passport Reading Journeys (PRJ)

2012

Passport Reading Journeys (PRJ) is a supplemental reading intervention for students in grades 6-9 who are reading below grade level. For seventh and eighth grade students in VSRII, PRJ provides daily 50-minute lessons (or 90-minute block schedule adaptations) throughout the school year. The intervention is organized into 15 Expeditions, each comprising 10 lessons that follow a structured sequence: whole-group instruction (lessons 1, 3, 6, 8), whole-group review with small group practice (lessons 2, 4, 7, 9), and computer-based independent practice using SOLO (lessons 5, 10). Content includes explicit instruction in word study, vocabulary, comprehension strategies, fluency, and writing in response to reading. Materials include teacher guidebooks, student workbooks, DVDs, classroom library of fiction/nonfiction books and magazines, and web-based SOLO component. Teachers receive 16 hours of launch training, 30 hours of online professional development on adolescent literacy, ongoing coaching from Voyager Implementation Specialists (up to 50 hours), and data analysis training.

7th Grade 8th Grade

Springfield-Chicopee School Districts Striving Readers (SR) Program

2012

The Springfield-Chicopee Striving Readers Program implements two targeted reading interventions (READ 180 and Xtreme Reading) and one whole-school intervention (SIM-CERT) for struggling readers in grades 9-12 across five high schools in Massachusetts. READ 180 is an intensive literacy curriculum using computer-assisted instruction, small-group work, and independent reading to improve phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension for students reading at least two years below grade level. Xtreme Reading uses explicit meta-cognitive strategy instruction focusing on vocabulary development, reading comprehension, and writing for students reading at or above fourth-grade level but at least two years below grade level. Both targeted interventions are delivered as 90-minute or 45-minute daily add-on classes to regular ELA instruction. SIM-CERT is a whole-school professional development intervention training teachers in Content Enhancement Routines to improve content literacy across all disciplines. Teachers receive initial training (4 days in Year 1, 2 days in Year 2) and ongoing coaching support from school-based literacy coaches. All interventions require substantial professional development and materials before implementation.

9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade

Four Reading Interventions: Corrective Reading, Failure Free Reading, Spell Read P.A.T., and Wilson Reading

2006

This study evaluates four widely used remedial reading programs for struggling readers in grades 3 and 5: Corrective Reading, Failure Free Reading, Spell Read P.A.T., and Wilson Reading. The interventions were delivered as pull-out programs in small groups of three students, meeting five days per week for approximately 50-minute sessions from November 2003 through May 2004, totaling about 90 hours of instruction on average. Three interventions (Corrective Reading, Spell Read P.A.T., and Wilson Reading) focus primarily on word-level skills including phonemic awareness, phonemic decoding, and reading fluency through systematic and explicit instruction. Failure Free Reading focuses on building sight vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension through computer-based lessons, workbook exercises, and teacher-led instruction. Teachers were recruited from participating schools and received approximately 70 hours of professional development and support during the implementation year, including 30 hours of initial intensive training, 24 hours during a practice period, and 14 hours of supervision during the intervention phase.

3rd Grade 5th Grade