We are conducting a series of meetings to examine the feasibility of developing analytic tools to predict the impact of literacy interventions at both the community and individual student level. These models will consider a range of factors contributing to how student populations develop proficiency in reading and will support the long-range planning of policy makers as they work to promote reading achievement. The project explores the potential of using available data to examine the educational context from a 'macro' perspective - looking at the role that multiple school- and community-level factors may play in supporting or impeding student literacy development. The project includes two phases.

Phase one consists of a series of exploratory meetings to which experts from multiple fields will be invited. These meetings draw on the relatively new field of 'Service Sciences' with the goal of improving the 'service' of quality education through quantitative, multidisciplinary methodological approaches. Meetings will focus on the development of a predictive simulation or model that can indicate the likelihood of a positive literacy outcome for a particular community or individual given a range of in- and out-of-school factors.

Phase two will focus on the development of a white paper outlining key elements drawn form Phase one meetings, and will provide a framework for the development of these models.