The present evaluation study sought to determine how LightSail is implemented within schools in three public school districts, Evergreen Public Schools (EPS), Denver Public Schools (DPS), and Oakland Unified School District (OUSD). Case studies conducted in a subsample of schools within the three districts included classroom observations,…

Teachers know that establishing a robust independent reading program takes more than giving kids a little quiet time after lunch. But how do they set up a program that will maximize their students' gains? Teachers have to know their students' reading levels inside and out, help them find just-right books, and continue to guide them during…

Accelerated Reader (AR) is a whole-group reading management and monitoring program that aims to foster the habit of independent reading among primary and early secondary age pupils. The internet-based software initially screens pupils according to their reading levels, and suggests books that match their reading age and reading interest. Pupils…

This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate improving the reading performance of fifth-grade students through an afterschool reading program to determine whether it was effective in teaching Native American and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). This study compared the reading performance of fifth-grade students who struggle…

This report presents the results from an evaluation of the fourth year of the Memphis Striving Readers Project (MSRP) conducted by Research for Better Schools (RBS). MSRP, funded for five years by the United States Department of Education, comprises two interventions aimed at improving adolescent literacy and the quality of literacy instruction…

"Accelerated Reader"[TM] is a guided reading intervention used to supplement regular reading instruction in K-12 classrooms. Its aim is to improve students' reading skills through reading practice and quizzes on the books students read. The "Accelerated Reader"[TM] program calls for students to select and read a book and then…

This mixed-methods study combined the use of qualitative, comparative case study methods with other data analysis procedures to investigate an afterschool enriched reading program for academically gifted students who had also been identified as talented readers. The Schoolwide Enrichment Model-Reading Framework (SEM-R) was used to provide…

Notes that California undertook a new commitment to improve the basic reading skills of its elementary students; lists several components of this commitment, the "California Reading Initiative." Describes the state's definition of a balanced and comprehensive approach to reading. Argues that independent reading is a crucial component and…

One of the programs included in "Effective Reading Programs...," this program serves more than 1,800 children in grades 1-8. Begun in 1972, this program is designed to provide a strong foundation in reading. The teachers in the district defined by behavioral objectives those reading skills essential to decode and comprehend unfamiliar…

SIXTEEN ARTICLES PRESENT DISCUSSIONS OF THE ROLE OF THE LIBRARY AND CHILDREN'S LITERATURE IN THE TOTAL SCHOOL READING PROGRAM. THE ARTICLES OFFER SUGGESTIONS FOR BUILDING POSITIVE ATTITUDES IN READING, PLANNING THE LITERATURE PROGRAM, USING BASAL READERS TO FOSTER READING, STIMULATING READING HABITS, AND DEVELOPING THE LIBRARY SKILLS AND READING…

This paper discusses the evaluation of the Intensive Reading Instructional Team (IRIT) program, a supplementary reading and language development program for third and fourth graders in the Hartford, Connecticut, public schools. The IRIT program and evaluation design are described, with tables illustrating evaluation data. Results indicate that the…

This is the fifth report describing notable reading projects funded under Title Two of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The project descriptions were supplied by ESEA Title Two coordinators and media supervisors in the State departments of education for Arkansas, California, Georgia, Guam, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York,…

ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS WERE SET UP IN NINE DIFFERENT REGIONAL CENTERS IN MINNESOTA TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM OF TEACHING READING SKILLS IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE. EACH CENTER WAS ASSIGNED SPECIFIC AND RELATED TOPICS TO WORK ON, FOREIGN LANGUAGE SPECIALISTS TO SERVE AS GROUP INSTRUCTORS, AND GUEST SPEAKERS. THE FIRST FOUR WORKSHOPS WERE CONCERNED WITH…

Reports on a study that found that children who read, write, and discuss whole texts of their own choice show remarkable insights into literature and its making, and that the insights match those of experienced adult literary critics. (SKC)