The Institute of Education Sciences' recent study entitled Effects of the Pacific CHILD Professional Development Program examines the impact of the Pacific Communities with High Performance in Literacy Development (Pacific CHILD) professional development program on student achievement in reading comprehension and on teacher pedagogical knowledge and instructional practice in English language arts classes.

Pacific CHILD is a two-year professional development program that trains fourth and fifth grade teachers in research-based reading comprehension strategies and instructional practices for enhancing student reading comprehension. The study used a randomized design and involved 45 elementary schools across three entities in the Pacific region. The study found positive impacts of Pacific CHILD on reading comprehension and on teachers’ instructional practices and knowledge of theories and strategies related to effective reading instruction.

The Pacific region is comprised of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI); the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)—Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap; Guam; Hawai'i; the Republic of the Marshall Islands; and the Republic of Palau. The prevailing regional needs and challenges include three overarching areas: strengthening teacher effectiveness, engaging families and communities in education, and ensuring career and college readiness. Optimizing data readiness among stakeholders is a dominant need across these three areas.

A PDF of the full report can be downloaded from the IES website.