Into Reading: Arizona QED Study

To determine the impact of HMH Into Reading® on K–3 students’ reading outcomes, Cobblestone Applied Research & Evaluation, Inc. (Cobblestone) conducted a quasi-experimental design (QED) study, comparing K–3 Acadience Reading® achievement data from a carefully matched sample of students from two Arizona school districts: one district that used HMH Into Reading and one district that did not use the program during the study year (2021–2022). This retrospective QED study compared Acadience Reading achievement data from two Arizona school districts, including 1,350 (treatment) students who used HMH Into Reading and 1,350 well-matched (control) students. Propensity score matching was used to match students based on similar characteristics: grade level, Acadience beginning of year score, gender, free/reduced-price lunch (FRPL) status, English learner (EL) status, and disability status, forming the analytic sample.

Two research questions addressed the reading outcomes of K–3 students using HMH Into Reading during the 2021–2022 school year: performance over time (Research Question 1) and a comparison between students who used the program and those who did not (Research Question 2). To address each research question, Acadience Reading assessment scores were analyzed separately for each grade level. The first analyses compared students’ performance using HMH Into Reading at three time points (beginning, middle, and end of year) — results indicate that students in all grade levels (K, 1, 2 and 3) had significant improvement on their reading achievement. The second analyses compared students using HMH Into Reading with carefully matched control students. Results indicated that HMH Into Reading students in Kindergarten and Grade 3 significantly outperformed control students at the end of the year, and students in Grades 1 and 2 performed similarly in both study groups. These findings suggest that HMH Into Reading significantly improved students’ reading skills in Kindergarten and Grade 3, with differences not likely attributable to other factors. The study results provide Tier 2 ESSA Moderate evidence for HMH Into Reading.

Download the full study report to learn more about the study, including the participants, propensity score matching procedures, and the results.