SCHOLASTIC'S READ 180® RESEARCH-VALIDATED READING INTERVENTION PROGRAM APPROVED BY THE NATIONAL CENTER ON EDUCATION AND THE ECONOMY FOR ITS AMERICA'S CHOICE™ SCHOOLS
New York,
NY (May
20,
2002) --
Scholastic Inc., the leading provider of reading improvement programs for struggling middle and high school students, announced this week that it has been recognized and approved for its breakthrough reading intervention program, READ 180® by the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE). A non-profit organization committed to standards-based education, NCEE's America's Choice school design is in more than 450 schools across the country. NCEE has recommended the use of Scholastic's intensive research-validated READ 180 program, proven to increase the reading skills and test scores of students in grades 4-12 reading below grade level.
Research-based and standards-aligned, Scholastic READ 180 supports the America's Choice school design and literacy focus with a highly motivating program that provides intensive instruction for at-risk students, including daily individualized reading instruction on computers; high interest reading materials for independent and modeled reading practice; small group instruction with the teacher; and on-going assessment. America's Choice schools utilize a standards-based school design that focuses persistently on getting results using assessments, sound research-based instructional programs, as well as an organizational system of planning and management all aligned to standards.
"As soon we saw it, we decided to use READ 180 to complement our own program for secondary students who do not read fluently," said Marc Tucker, President National Center on Education and the Economy. "This is one of the most powerful applications of modern technology to education I have seen anywhere. I can recommend it without qualification to secondary schools everywhere that are concerned about students whose reading skills make it difficult or impossible for them to keep up."
"For far too long struggling students have fallen through the cracks, dismissed as discipline problems or unable to learn," said Margery Mayer, President, Scholastic Education. "Like no other program of its kind, READ 180 has been proven to effectively raise reading scores and provide at-risk middle and high school students with the critical literacy skills they need to be successful. At the same time, the program is delivered in a way that is engaging and respectful. NCEE shares our mission to serve the specific needs of older struggling readers. We look forward to an exciting partnership for the coming school year."
Thousands of schools in urban, rural and suburban areas from across the country are seeing dramatic improvements in student performance and behavior using READ 180. Response from numerous large-scale validation studies are unequivocal in their findings - implementation of READ 180 has resulted in solid gains in student reading scores. Many successes are even more significant because they were achieved in some of the nation's largest urban school districts, with students who had fallen far behind their peers. The program continues to undergo long-range research on its effectiveness.
The development of READ 180 was 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.
About NCEE:
The National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) was created with the belief that all children in the United States can achieve at the same high standards reached by their counterparts in other countries. NCEE exists to develop the policies and tools to provide the professional development and technical support for schools, districts and states need to implement comprehensive programs of standards-based education and training, especially those of low income and minority populations.
About Scholastic Corporation:
Scholastic is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. As a global children's publishing and media company serving the needs of parents, teachers, and children, Scholastic provides proprietary book and software distribution through school book clubs, school book fairs and to classrooms, as well as through the retail trade. Since 1920, Scholastic has created quality educational materials for schools and has expanded its reach to include the distribution of books, software, toys, online learning services and television programming directly to the home. Scholastic's Grolier division is the leading print and online publisher of children's reference materials and the leader in children's direct-to-home book clubs. Internationally, Scholastic operates wholly owned companies in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, The Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom. The U.S. Scholastic web site is a leading provider of educational services online for parents, teachers and children.
Contacts:
Aimee Spengler Dolan
212-343-6570
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