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Beyond the Surface: Leveraging High-Quality Instructional Materials for Robust Reading Comprehension. Learning Brief

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Beyond the Surface: Leveraging High-Quality Instructional Materials for Robust Reading Comprehension. Learning Brief
Language: English
Authors: Dan Reynolds, Sara Rutherford-Quach, Lauren Cassidy, Anna Jennerjohn, Katrina Woodworth, SRI Education
Source: SRI Education, a Division of SRI International. 2025.
Availability: SRI International. 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Tel: 650-859-2000; e-mail: customer.service@sri.com; Web site: https://www.sri.com/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 18
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Descriptors: Reading Comprehension, Instructional Materials, Reading Instruction, Elementary School Students, Elementary School Teachers, Curriculum Implementation, Educational Practices, Educational Quality
Abstract: Inspired by the increased national attention on literacy, more districts are implementing "high-quality instructional materials" (HQIM) to support students' reading comprehension. In implementing comprehension HQIM, a critical distinction is whether instruction facilitates the development of students' "surface-level" or "robust" comprehension. This brief examines the extent to which teachers in districts using comprehension HQIM implemented them in ways that supported students' robust comprehension. Findings are based on a study of four districts receiving support through the Schusterman Family Philanthropies' School System Partnerships to improve their students' literacy outcomes. These districts were at the national vanguard of HQIM implementation: Each had adopted highly rated knowledge-rich comprehension curriculum, including Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA), Wit & Wisdom, and EL Education, for several years before our study, giving us a unique opportunity to examine mature implementation of these commonly used curricula. Findings show that these districts have all reached a level of implementation that features near-universal focus on comprehension with quality texts and active student participation across hundreds of classrooms. However, most lessons--two thirds--resulted in teachers and students doing work that only facilitated surface-level understanding of texts. In this brief, we explain how we discovered this problem hiding in plain sight and identify high-leverage comprehension practices that could help districts, schools, and teachers maximize the potential of comprehension HQIM and consistently deliver high-quality instruction to every student.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED679855
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Inspired by the increased national attention on literacy, more districts are implementing "high-quality instructional materials" (HQIM) to support students' reading comprehension. In implementing comprehension HQIM, a critical distinction is whether instruction facilitates the development of students' "surface-level" or "robust" comprehension. This brief examines the extent to which teachers in districts using comprehension HQIM implemented them in ways that supported students' robust comprehension. Findings are based on a study of four districts receiving support through the Schusterman Family Philanthropies' School System Partnerships to improve their students' literacy outcomes. These districts were at the national vanguard of HQIM implementation: Each had adopted highly rated knowledge-rich comprehension curriculum, including Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA), Wit & Wisdom, and EL Education, for several years before our study, giving us a unique opportunity to examine mature implementation of these commonly used curricula. Findings show that these districts have all reached a level of implementation that features near-universal focus on comprehension with quality texts and active student participation across hundreds of classrooms. However, most lessons--two thirds--resulted in teachers and students doing work that only facilitated surface-level understanding of texts. In this brief, we explain how we discovered this problem hiding in plain sight and identify high-leverage comprehension practices that could help districts, schools, and teachers maximize the potential of comprehension HQIM and consistently deliver high-quality instruction to every student.