Effectiveness of the Hill Model of Instruction : A Program Evaluation of the Greenville Learning Center

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of the methodology utilized by the Hill Center, an educational program for children with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders in Durham, North Carolina. This methodology, the Hill Method, incorporates components from the Orton-Gillingham model of instruction such as multisensory instruction, mastery learning, and formative feedback. Specifically, this study evaluated the Greenville Learning Center in Greenville, North Carolina, a replication site of the Hill Center's Half-Day Model. Fourteen students enrolled in the Greenville Learning Center were evaluated at three points during the school year using oral reading fluency and math fluency CBM probes. Information on each student's instructional level was recorded and used as a metric for further assessment. Scores on the WJ-III Achievement were examined from 2010 (pre-test) and 2011 (post-test). W scores and standard scores were examined for the Basic Reading and Math Calculation composites, as well as the Reading Fluency Subtest. Results indicated that students' W scores improved significantly, though standard scores did not reflect the same growth. CBM measures indicated a positive though modest growth in reading and math fluency, though many students were already reading at a level above their current grade at baseline. These results provided moderate support for the effectiveness Greenville Learning Center and the Hill Center's methodology as a whole.