New York, NY (March 11, 2004) -- Scholastic's READ 180, an intensive research-based, proven-to-work reading intervention program for struggling students in grades 3 through 12, will be included in a $10 million U.S. Department of Education study that will assess the effectiveness of technology-based products for improving student achievement in reading and math. READ 180 will be used to measure students' improvement of reading comprehension in the fourth grade. The Congressionally mandated study, funded by the Department's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) in collaboration with the Office of Educational Technology (OET), will also examine the conditions and practices that increase the ability of teachers to use technology effectively. As mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act, the study will use scientifically based research methods to assess student achievement gains at the end of the 2004-2005 school year.
 
“READ 180 exemplifies the power and potential of technology in the classroom to motivate, monitor progress and tailor instruction to the needs of each individual student,” said Margery Mayer, President, Scholastic Education. “Scholastic is pleased that the Department of Education has selected READ 180 for this study, and we expect the IES will find, as we have found in past third-party evaluations, that the program has a remarkable success rate with even the hardest to reach struggling readers.”
 
Currently in use in over 3,000 schools across the country, READ 180 is one of the most thoroughly researched and documented reading intervention programs available today. Research by third-party evaluators shows that struggling readers in the program make on average two years growth in reading level in just one year. Three large-scale studies conducted in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the Department of Defense Schools (DoDs), and in four large, urban school districts, in conjunction with the Council of Great City Schools provide evidence of READ 180's impact on student learning, as well as attitudes toward reading and attending school.
 
READ 180, one of sixteen products selected for the study, is a unique program that combines whole and small group lessons, motivating software, high-interest, age-appropriate books, and ongoing assessment tools to stop the reading failure cycle. The program's technology component offers individualized, self-paced instruction as well as immediate, non-judgmental feedback to improve comprehension and increase vocabulary acquisition with the goal of helping students become fluent readers. Due to the success of READ180 stages A and B with elementary and middle school students from 1999 to 2002, Scholastic expanded the program in 2003, adding stage C specifically designed for struggling readers in high schools.
 
READ 180 was chosen for inclusion in this study in a peer-review process from a pool of 163 applicants. Mathematica Policy Research of Princeton, NJ will conduct the study for the Department of Education.
 
About READ 180
READ 180 is based on scientifically proven principles, offering intensive intervention for students in grades 3 through12 who are reading at the elementary and middle school level. Students receive daily, intensive and individualized reading instruction for 90 minutes through data-driven technology, high interest reading materials and ongoing assessment tools that are implemented in special READ 180 classrooms. The unique set-up includes 5-7 computers, a comfortable library area for independent reading, and an area for small group instruction.
 
To engage the older struggling reader, the program uses cross-curriculum CD-ROMs and libraries of more than 150 leveled audiobooks and paperback books with high interest content. These materials are written specifically for teens who are reading at the elementary school level and help motivate students to learn, practice and master key reading skills.
 
READ 180 has its roots in a collaborative effort between Vanderbilt University and the Orange County Public Schools in Florida. The prototype program served more than 10,000 students from 1994-1999, where students made quantifiable improvements in reading and overall school achievement. Scholastic significantly enhanced the prototype program based on research and evaluation of implementation and launched READ 180 in 1999. More information is available at www.scholastic.com/read180.
 
About Scholastic
Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, and school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries, and television networks; and the Company's Internet Site, www.scholastic.com .

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