Curriculum and standards alignment of Touchstones curricula

Delaware Education and Research Development Center. (2009). Touchstones evaluation report. University of Delaware.

Researchers at the University of Delaware analyzed the Touchstones curriculum for its effect on teacher skills and student skills in varius domains.

A description of the Touchstones process written by two of its co-founders

Comber, G., & Zeiderman, H. (1994, Fall). The Touchstones Discussion Project: Learning to teach yourself. Crossroads: California Journal of Middle Grades Research.

In this article, Touchstones co-founders Geoffrey Comber and Howard Zeiderman describe the Touchstones experience and outcomes in different school contexts.

A description of how the Touchstones process supports all learns

Comber, G., Zeiderman, H., & Maistrellis, N. (1989, March). The Touchstones project: Discussion classes for students of all abilities. Educational Leadership, 47, 39-42.

In this article, the three founders of Touchstones describe its history, process, and potential impact for all students.

One teacher’s experience with Touchstones in the classroom

Barry, C. (2010, March). From great texts to great thinking. Educational Leadership, 67(6), 42-46

Classroom teacher Cynthia Barry describes her experience in using Touchstones to change from a focus on texts for discussion to a focus on thinking and interaction.

Touchstones program evaluation at SEED Public Charter School

SEED Charter School. (2004). Touchstones at SEED Public Charter School: Evaluation Summary Based on Critical Reading and Thinking Tests and Teacher Questionnaire. Unpublished internal data.

Students showed significant improvement in all areas after implementation of Touchstones in a Washington DC charter school. The quality and depth of student answers (particularly an increase in their supporting their opinions with examples and explanation) accounted for a large part of the increase.

Research at Paul Dunbar High School on the effect of Touchstones on reading test scores

Dunbar High School. (1992). Evaluation of Touchstones use by the Abell Foundation, Baltimore, MD.

This study shows that the reading test scores in grades 9-11 rose an average of 15-25% as a result of Touchstones implementation. The data show that students were less likely to leave any answers blank on the post test, which suggests that students are more willing to offer answers and opinions after a year of Touchstones discussions.

Research on the effect of Touchstones on English language learners

Purser, M., (2019, March). Pump up the volume: Amplifying student dialogue in 21st century ELL classrooms. Doctoral dissertation, East Carolina University.

This project aimed to create a new, equitable classroom environment for ELL students at the Thai Chinese International School by implementing Touchstones. The study revealed that middle school ELL students fostered relationships, improved academic interaction, and showed deeper understanding of literary content.

Research on student growth over time in Touchstones discussions

Miller, S. (1990, April). Critical thinking in classroom discussion of texts: An ethnographic perspective. State University of New York–Albany. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Boston, MA.

This study used Touchstones to examine the collaborative learning in text discussions over time to address three questions:(1) How does classroom social context affect student thinking and collaboration? 2) How do students collaborate to develop interpretations of texts? and 3) To what extent are critical thinking and collaboration evident in discussion? Major positive changes in case-study classes occurred after six months of discussion.

Research on the effectiveness of the Touchstones on SAT Preparation in a higher ed bridge program

Guyot, J. (2010). Touchstones discussions and target practice as enhancers of SAT critical reading scores. Data courtesy of School of Public Affairs, Baruch College CUNY.

In this study, over a two-year span, the SAT test scores of Myanmar students who used the Touchstones SAT Preparation for Critical Reading volume increased an average of 40.16 points from an initial average score of 494.84.

Research on the effectiveness of the Touchstones on SAT Preparation in a public school district

Washington County Public Schools (MD). (1998). Study of SAT Preparation for Critical Reading for test preparation. Internal unpublished data.

Students who used the Touchstones SAT Preparation for Critical Reading volume increased their scores by an average of 39% on the critical reading section of the SAT. Students who scored lower than 400 on their first SAT test had the greatest increases on their second critical reading scores.

Research on student growth when implementing the Touchstones at the University of Oklahoma

University of Oklahoma. (2010). Touchstones student surveys. Unpublished data.

Students in a course called Leader in You, Leader in Us used the Touchstones volume Mapping the Future and took turns preparing and leading the discussions. Students reported significant changes in group dynamics and in their individual growth as participants.

Doctoral research using Touchstones to improve online discourse at the University of Rhose Island

Topper, P. K. (2023). Missing voices: A formative experiment to improve dialogue in one online college classroom during the COVID-19 pandemic. Doctoral dissertation, University of Rhode island.

The purpose of this study was to develop and implement an intervention drawn from theories of dialogic pedagogy. Results indicated that the instructor’s understanding and facilitation of dialogue improved and students’ participation in classroom discussion increased.

Doctoral research on changes in behavior and interactions after using a short-term Touchstones program at a correctional facility

Merritt, J. C. (1999). Using the Touchstones philosophy discussion curriculum to enhance community among incarcerated men. Doctoral dissertation, University of Virginia.

At a regional jail, 13 male students (teens through adulthood) engaged in a 6-week Touchstones group. After week 3, students demonstrated significant behavioral changes across multiple dimensions.

Research on the effect of gender on discussion dynamics in a group of older adults

de Medeiros, K., Harris-Trovato, D., Bradley, E., Gaines, J., & Parrish, J. (2007). Group dynamics in a discussion group for older adults: Does gender play a role? Educational Gerontology, 33(2), 111-125.

Does gender play a role in group dynamics for older adults? Two groups of volun­teers (age 62 to 96 years) enrolled in a 16-week Touchstones discussion group. Results revealed that, although men were the minority, they accounted for a substantial proportion of the turns at talk for both groups.