Intervention Organization and Dosage for Middle School Students With or At Risk for Reading Disabilities

Abstract

Middle school students with or at risk for reading disabilities (MS-SwRD) have difficulty accessing grade-level content, yet educators lack clear guidance on how to structure interventions to meet these students’ diverse needs. This study examined how the internal design of an intervention, specifically, the organization and dosage of reading components, influences outcomes for MS-SwRD. Student data ( N = 740) were pooled from six multisite randomized controlled trials in four states implementing AMP-IT-UP: The Power of Reading (AMP-IT-UP), a modular, multicomponent reading intervention based on the Science of Reading. Five AMP-IT-UP module conditions systematically varied the amount and sequence of instruction in phonics, spelling, fluency, and comprehension. Growth model results revealed that modules balancing decoding and comprehension instruction produced significantly larger gains than business-as-usual intensive reading classes across multiple reading outcomes, with effect sizes reflecting large educational impact. Modules emphasizing only one component yielded no advantage over usual practice. Findings offer guidance for structuring effective, balanced support for MS-SwRD.