Promoting Adolescents’ Comprehension of Text

Contact Information:

Michael Solis,
Project Director
Phone: (512) 232-7545

Principal Investigators

Sharon Vaughn

Elizabeth Swanson

Funding Agency

U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences

Overview

MCPER has partnered with the University of Houston, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Texas A&M University, and Florida State University to improve the reading comprehension of students in grades 7 through 12.

The focused program of research of the project, Promoting Adolescents’ Comprehension of Text (PACT), is designed to answer key questions about the role of cognitive processes, motivation, engagement, and components of interventions to improve reading comprehension. During 5 years, the project will conduct a series of integrated research studies with the following overarching aims:

  • Improve the knowledge of cognitive processes associated with reading comprehension to identify malleable processes that may be targets for intervention
  • Provide knowledge about the role of engagement and motivation in enhancing reading comprehension outcomes
  • Integrate and apply the findings from these studies and the empirical bases to develop and test the efficacy of interventions for students with reading comprehension difficulties in grades 7 through 12

Scope of Work

PACT Overview Handout

PACT Information Slides

Timeline

2010 to 2015

Participants

Students with and without reading comprehension difficulties in grades 7 through 12

Sites

Middle schools and high schools in Texas and Florida

Outcomes

Research is ongoing.

Presentations

Denton, C., & Wolters, C. (2011). Promoting adolescents’ comprehension of text. Presentation at the Summer Program Evaluation and Research Series Annual Conference, Houston, TX.

Downloads

Some materials are available on the password-protected PACT downloads page.