To develop Pathway to Proficiency reports for Tennessee Star Reading and Star Math schools, we linked our scaled scores with the scaled scores from Tennessee's achievement test. This technical report details the statistical method behind the process of linking Tennessee's state test (TCAP) and Star Reading and Star Math scaled scores. The full report is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R52834>.

Accelerated Reader is a progress-monitoring system that provides feedback on the comprehension of books and other materials that students have read. It also tracks student reading over time. Currently, more than 180,000 different Accelerated Reader quizzes have been developed and are in use. This report provides reliability and validity data for Accelerated Reader quizzes. The reliability analyses use a large database of nearly 1 million quiz records. Validity is established through correlations with scores from 24 standardized reading tests and through a study that confirms that the quizzes are effective at discriminating between instances of students having read the book versus not having read the book. The report also includes descriptions of the purpose and intended classroom use of Accelerated Reader, descriptions of the types of quizzes, and the processes for quiz development. The report is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R35806>.

From the abstract: "The purpose of the study was twofold. The first purpose of the study was to determine if a correlation existed between the Standardized Test for the Assessment of Reading (STAR), created and distributed by Renaissance, and the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Achievement Test in Math and Reading for grade 3, grade 4, and grade 5. The second purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the percentile category of the STAR test and the TCAP test. The factor variable, identified as the percentile category, included three levels: Urgent Intervention, Intervention, and At/Beyond Benchmark. The dependent variable was the TCAP score. The study included 3rd-grade, 4th-grade, and 5th-grade students during the 2016-2017 school year who had taken the STAR reading and STAR math assessments and had taken the TCAP reading and TCAP math assessment.Based on the findings of this study, a strong correlational relationship does exist between the STAR and TCAP assessments. Overall, the strong correlation between the STAR and the TCAP were consistent across Math and Reading in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. Since the ANOVA was significant, a post hoc multiple comparisons was conducted to evaluate pairwise difference among the means of the three groups. Overall, the At/Beyond Benchmark group was significantly higher than both the Urgent Intervention group and the Intervention group in Math and Reading for 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade. There was not a significant difference between the Urgent Intervention group and the Intervention group, the exception was 5th grade math." Citation: Sampson, B. (2018). TCAP assessment in correlation with and as compared by STAR Assessment (Doctoral dissertation). East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. The full report is available online: <https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4810&context=etd>.

From the abstract: "The purpose of this study was to compare both rates of reading achievement growth and predictive power of two widely-used assessments representing two different approaches to measurement - a computer adaptive assessment called Star Reading and a curriculum based measurement called AIMSweb. A total of 117 students from a school district in Tennessee were included in the sample. Data collection spanned two school years, and included students who were progress monitored (taking a minimum of 4 tests per year) in grades 1 through 4 in one year, and in grades 2 through 5 the subsequent year. Across the two years, interventions for both groups of students were consistent. The results of this study indicate that both measures were able to detect incremental change, and provide further support that both computer adaptive measures such as Star Reading and CBMs such as AIMSweb R-CBM are acceptable for progress monitoring. Of the two measures, only Star Reading achieved a significant correlation with the state reading assessment."Citation: Shapiro, E. S., & Gibbs, D. P. (2014). Comparison of progress monitoring with computer adaptive tests and curriculum based measures. Bethlehem, PA: Center for Promoting Research to Practice, Lehigh University.The full report is available online: <https://ed.lehigh.edu/sites/ed.lehigh.edu/files/Shapiro%20and%20Gibbs%202014.pdf>.

DETAILS: Location: KY, AZ, CA, MS, SC, AR, CO, NV, NM, LA, AL, WV, and TN; Design: Independent, correlational; Sample: 140 local model literacy initiative programs; Measure: Star Reading, Star Early Literacy; Duration: 1 school year. RESULTS: During the 2010-11 school year, Save the Children supported several local programs in its model literacy initiative. Services at the 140 sites included the delivery of integrated in-school and afterschool literacy activities for children including using Accelerated Reader. This report describes implementation of the literacy model at each site, the characteristics of participating children, and the learning results achieved during 2010-11. During the 2010-11 school year, the proportion of participants reading at a level appropriate for their grade level or above increased. On the initial Star Reading test, 12% of students were at grade level or higher--a normal curve equivalent (NCE) score of 50 or more. The final Star Reading test showed that 29% were reading at grade level. The average pre-post change in Star Reading scores was 8.2 NCEs, which was statistically significant. AUTHORS: Richard N. White, Andrea S. Palmiter, Beth Sinclair, and Elizabeth R. Reisner. Report available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R61745>

DETAILS: Location: KY, AZ, CA, MS, SC, AR, CO, GA, NV, NM, LA, AL, and TN; Design: Independent, correlational; Sample: 122 local model literacy initiative programs; Measure: Star Reading, Star Early Literacy; Duration: 1 school year. RESULTS: During the 2009-10 school year, Save the Children supported several local programs in its model literacy initiative. Eighty-four of the 122 sites continued to offer literacy programming begun in 2003-04 through 2006-07, 24 during 2008-09, and 14 sites operated for the first time in 2009-10. Services at the 122 sites included the delivery of integrated in-school and afterschool literacy activities for children including using Accelerated Reader. This report describes implementation of the literacy model at each site, the characteristics of participating children, and the learning results achieved during 2009-10. During the 2009-10 school year, the proportion of participants reading at a level appropriate for their grade level or above increased. On the initial Star Reading test, 16% of students were at grade level or higher--a normal curve equivalent (NCE) score of 50 or more. The final Star Reading test showed that 29% were reading at grade level. The average pre-post change in Star Reading scores was 7.4 NCEs, which was statistically significant. AUTHORS: Richard N. White, Elizabeth A. White, Andrea S. Palmiter, and Elizabeth R. Reisner. Report available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R53347>

DETAILS: Location: KY, AZ, CA, MS, SC, AR, CO, GA, NV, NM, LA, and TN; Design: Independent, correlational; Sample: 118 local model literacy initiative programs; Measure: Star Reading, Star Early Literacy; Duration: 1 school year. RESULTS: During the 2008-09 school year, Save the Children supported several local programs in its model literacy initiative. Twenty of the 118 sites continued to offer literacy programming begun in 2003-04 or 2004-05, fifty-one began operating during 2005-2006 or 2006-07, 19 during 2007-08, and 26 sites operated for the first time in 2008-09. Services at the 118 sites included the delivery of integrated in-school and afterschool literacy activities for children including using Accelerated Reader. This report describes implementation of the literacy model at each site, the characteristics of participating children, and the learning results achieved during 2008-09. During the 2008-09 school year, the proportion of participants reading at a level appropriate for their grade level or above increased. On the initial Star Reading test, 16% of students were at grade level or higher--a normal curve equivalent (NCE) score of 50 or more. The final Star Reading test showed that 29% were reading at grade level. The average pre-post change in Star Reading scores was 5.8 NCEs, which was statistically significant. AUTHORS: Andrea S. Palmiter, Erickson R. Arcaira, Richard N. White, and Elizabeth R. Reisner. Report available online: <https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED508135.pdf>

DETAILS: Location: KY, AZ, CA, MS, SC, AR, CO, GA, NV, NM, and TN; Design: Independent, correlational; Sample: 47 local model literacy initiative programs; Measure: Star Reading; Duration: 1 school year. RESULTS: During the 2005-2006 school year, Save the Children supported several local programs in its model literacy initiative. Twenty of the sites operated for the first time that year, while 15 began operation in the spring of the 2004-2005 school year, and the remaining 12 began during the 2003-2004 school year. Services at the sites included delivery of integrated in-school, after-school, and summer-school literacy activities including using Accelerated Reader. This report describes implementation of the literacy model at each site, the characteristics of participating children, and the learning results achieved during 2005-06. During the 2005-06 school year, the proportion of participants reading at a level appropriate for their grade level or above increased. On the initial Star Reading test, 21.8% of students were at grade level or higher--a normal curve equivalent (NCE) score of 50 or more. The final Star Reading test showed that 27.3% were reading at grade level. The average pre-post change in Star Reading scores was 3.9 NCEs, which was statistically significant. Report available online: <https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED498796.pdf>.

DETAILS: Location: Memphis, Tennessee; Design: Independent, experimental, peer-reviewed; Sample: 1,665 students and 76 teachers at 11 elementary schools; Measures: Star Early Literacy, Star Reading; Duration: 1 school year. RESULTS: In this study, teachers at urban elementary schools were randomly assigned to use or not use Accelerated Reader. Star Early Literacy and Star Reading results showed significant gains and moderate to large effect sizes in grades K-2 and small to moderate effect sizes in grades 3-6. Eighty-three percent of the students in grades 3-6 were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Students with learning disabilities benefited most in classrooms with high-implementation of Accelerated Reader compared to those in low- or no-implementation classrooms. PLEASE NOTE: The Summary of this peer-reviewed journal article: Nunnery, J. A., Ross, S. M., & McDonald, A. (2006). A randomized experimental evaluation of the impact of Accelerated Reader/Reading Renaissance implementation on reading achievement in grades 3 to 6. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 11(1), 1-18. is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R37112>. For a copy of the Full Article, email the Renaissance Research Department: research@renaissance.com. The initial report upon which this article is based, Ross, S. M., Nunnery, J., & Goldfeder, E. (2004). A randomized experiment on the effects of Accelerated Reader/Reading Renaissance in an urban school district: Final evaluation report. Memphis, TN: University of Memphis, Center for Research in Educational Policy, is also available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R40767>.

DETAILS: Design: Quasi-experimental; Sample: All schools in the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) database during the 1995-1996 school year. RESULTS: Statistically significant results indicated that Accelerated Reader schools performed better than non-Accelerated Reader schools in reading, language arts, math, science, and social studies. Transition schools performed better than non-Accelerated Reader schools, but not as well as fully implementing Accelerated Reader schools. Email research@renaissance.com to request a copy of this study from the Renaissance Research Department.

DETAILS: Location: Tennessee; Design: Independent, quasi-experimental, peer-reviewed; Sample: 62,739 students in grades 2-8; Measures: Accelerated Reader, Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS); Duration: 1 school year. RESULTS: This study showed that both student reading volume and percent correct on Accelerated Reader quizzes had a positive impact on teacher effectiveness as measured by TVAAS. In particular, the best practice recommendations of 85% correct and reading within the zone of proximal development (ZPD) were confirmed. Furthermore, teachers completing best practices training were significantly more effective than control teachers who had not completed training. This study supports the National Reading Panels recommendation that teachers need to be actively involved in the process of reading development, and it shows that Accelerated Reader is useful in this process. PLEASE NOTE: The Summary of this peer-reviewed journal article: Topping, K. J., & Sanders, W. L. (2000). Teacher effectiveness and computer assessment of reading: Relating value-added and learning information systems data. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 11(3), 305-337 is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R15381>. For a copy of the Full Article, email the Renaissance Research Department: research@renaissance.com.

DETAILS: Location: Throughout the US; Design: Independent, peer-reviewed; Sample: 659,214 students in grades K-12 at 2,193 schools; Measure: Accelerated Reader data. RESULTS: This study provided further evidence of the positive relationship between amount of reading practice and reading ability. In addition to gathering Accelerated Reader data for the study sample, 13,000 schools were also surveyed for the project, and the ethnicity and socioeconomic status of these students were found to be generally similar to U.S. students as a whole. Consistent with other research in the field, the study found that students in the highest quartile practiced reading 3.4 to 4.1 times more than students in the lowest quartile. In addition, the top 5% of readers read 144 times more than bottom 5%. The data also suggested that, on average, amount of reading practice increases until 6th grade and then declines. Finally, it was observed that schools using Accelerated Reader for 4 or more years had a 64% higher level of reading practice compared to schools using Accelerated Reader for 1 year. PLEASE NOTE: The Summary of this peer-reviewed journal article: Topping, K. J., & Paul, T. D. (1999). Computer-assisted assessment of practice at reading: A large scale survey using Accelerated Reader data. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 15(3), 213-231 is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R33255>. For a copy of the Full Article, email the Renaissance Research Department: research@renaissance.com.

DETAILS: Design: Correlational; Sample: Data for 659,214 students in grades K-12. RESULTS: This study of reading is one of the largest ever conducted and collected reading performance data for 659,214 K-12 students. Key findings concluded students spend only seven minutes per day practicing reading, and reading practice declines markedly after 5th grade. The full report is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R11830>.