From the abstract: "Nearpod contracted with LearnPlatform by Instructure, a third-party edtech research company, to examine whether usage of Nearpod was associated with improved outcomes for students during the 2021-22 school year in a large urban district. LearnPlatform designed the study to satisfy Level III requirements (Promising Evidence) according to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015; USDE, 2016)."The study is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R67132>.

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>.

DETAILS: Location: 19 U.S. states, 1 Canadian province; Design: Correlational; Sample: 29 elementary, middle, and high schools; Measure: Library circulation measurements; Duration: Data spans 2-6 years. RESULTS: A number of research studies document the positive impact of Accelerated Reader on student reading achievement, motivation, and the amount of reading. One would expect that the combination of improved student motivation and teacher encouragement to read would affect library circulation. The purpose of this report was to review and summarize existing research on Accelerated Reader where library circulation was reported, which included 25 case studies, 3 journal articles, and 1 dissertation. The results showed that it is reasonable to conclude that students read more books while using Accelerated Reader, and are perhaps more motivated to read than before their schools implemented the program, so it can be expected that library circulation will increase. The full report is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R37737>.

DETAILS: Location: 24 U.S. states; Design: Analysis of Reading Practice Database; Sample: 50,823 students in grades 1-12 at 139 schools; Measure: Star Reading; Duration: 1 school year. RESULTS: This study of Accelerated Reader indicated that increased time spent reading leads to gains in reading achievement for all students regardless of prior ability, but only when the reading is highly successful. Regression analysis revealed that the single most important factor influencing both time spent reading and average percent correct is a student's teacher. Students in 2nd- through 8th-grade Renaissance Model- and Master-certified classrooms consistently outperformed students in non-certified classrooms and low-implementing classrooms. Email research@renaissance.com to request a copy of the Full Report. Information about a newly updated version of the report is available online: <http://research.renaissance.com/research/474.asp>.

DETAILS: Location: McKinney, Texas; Design: Independent, quasi-experimental, peer-reviewed; Sample: nine elementary and two middle schools, and matched controls; Measures: Texas Learning Index (TLI), Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS); Duration: 5 years. RESULTS: This retrospective, longitudinal study compared student achievement as measured by the TLI and TAAS between students using Renaissance progress-monitoring tools and matched controls. Researchers found statistically significant, positive effects of Accelerated Reader/Accelerated Math software and best practices on reading and mathematics achievement for elementary students, and on mathematics achievement for middle school students. Students in high-implementation schools scored even higher than comparison schools or low-implementation schools. PLEASE NOTE: The Summary of two publications: 1) peer-reviewed journal article: Nunnery, J. A., & Ross, S. M. (2007). The effects of the School Renaissance program on student achievement in reading and mathematics. Research in the Schools, 14(1), 40-59., and 2) the technical report: Nunnery, J. A., Ross, S. M., & Goldfeder, E. (2003). The effect of School Renaissance on TAAS scores in the McKinney ISD. Memphis, TN: University of Memphis, Center for Research in Educational Policy. Is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R39640>. A copy of the Full Article is available online: <https://web.archive.org/web/20130722102850/http://www.memphis.edu/crep/pdfs/Effects_of_School_Renaissance-JournalArticle.pdf>. The Full Technical Report is available online: <https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED500027.pdf>.

From the study: "The study followed a quasi-experimental pretest/posttest design. Eight schools in six different states agreed to participate. One or more teachers in each of the eight schools agreed to useThe Word Up Project during the 2008-2009 academic year. The goal was to determine if the vocabulary achievement of students who received instruction using The Word Up Project increased significantly by the end of the school year."The full ssummary of this study is available online: <https://flocabulary.s3.amazonaws.com/pdfs/flat/efficacy-study-summary.pdf>

From the report: "Flocabulary, an educational publisher, contracted with the Educational Research Institute of America (ERIA) to conduct an instructional validation study of its grades 3 to 8 language arts program, The Word Up Project, in eight school sites across the country. Flocabulary sought to determine the extent to which The Word Up Project, a program designed to support students’ vocabulary development, reading comprehension, and critical thinking skills, improves students' language arts skills as measured by state language arts tests."The full ssummary of this study is available online: <https://flocabulary.s3.amazonaws.com/pdfs/flat/state-test-study-summary.pdf>

DETAILS: Location: 24 U.S. states; Design: Independent, correlational, peer-reviewed; Sample: 45,670 students in grades 1-12 at 139 schools; Measure: Star Reading; Duration: 1 school year. RESULTS: To explore whether different balances of fiction/nonfiction reading and challenge might help explain differences in reading achievement between genders, data on students who independently read more than 3 million books were analyzed. Moderate (rather than high or low) levels of challenge were positively associated with achievement gain, but nonfiction was generally more challenging than fiction. Nonfiction reading was negatively correlated with successful comprehension and reading achievement gain. Overall, boys appeared to read less than girls, but proportionately more nonfiction. In the upper grades, boys also had lower reading achievement than girls. Differences between classes in promoting successful comprehension of nonfiction were evident, suggesting intervention could improve achievement. Implications for research and practice were explored. PLEASE NOTE: Email research@renaissance.com to request a copy of this peer-reviewed journal article: Topping, K. J., Samuels, J., & Paul, T. (2008). Independent reading: The relationship of challenge, non-fiction and gender to achievement. British Educational Research Journal, 34(4), 505-524.

DETAILS: Location: 24 U.S. states; Design: Independent, correlational, peer-reviewed; Sample: 50,823 students in grades 1-12 at 139 schools; Measure: Star Reading; Duration: 1 school year. RESULTS: This study elaborated on the "what works?" question by exploring the effects of variability in program implementation quality on achievement. Particularly, the effects of computerized assessment in reading on achievement were investigated, analyzing data on students who read more than 3 million books. When minimum implementation quality criteria were met, the positive effect of computerized assessment was higher in the earlier grades and for lower achieving students. Implementation quality tended to decline at higher grade levels. With higher implementation quality, reading achievement gains were higher for students of all levels of achievement and across all grades, but especially in the upper grades. Very high gains and effect sizes were evident with very high implementation quality, particularly in grades 1-4. Implications for practice, the interpretation of research, and policy were noted. PLEASE NOTE: Email research@renaissance.com to rquest a copy of this peer-reviewed journal article: Topping, K. J., Samuels, J., & Paul, T. (2007). Computerized assessment of independent reading: Effects of implementation quality on achievement gain. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 18(2), 191-208.

DETAILS: School Profile: 430 students in grades 6-8; Demographics: Rural, Title I, Free/reduced lunch: 68%, Mobility: 23%, Limited English proficiency: 20%; Race/Ethnicity: Black/African American: 14%, Hispanic/Latino: 52%, White: 34%; Measure: Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS); Duration: 2003-2005. RESULTS: Since Diboll Junior High implemented Renaissances reading, math, and writing progress-monitoring tools in 2003, the percentage of students who Met Standards and achieved Commended Performance on the TAKS has increased considerably in all subject areas and all grades. In addition, the school received an accountability rating of Recognized by the Texas Education Agency. The school also achieved the following Renaissance Certifications: 24 of 26 classrooms reached Model Reading Certification, the school achieved both Reading Model and Master School, and the school library attained both Model and Master Library certifications. The school also reported fewer discipline issues as a result of the implementation. REPORTING EDUCATOR: Brent Hawkins, principal. The full report is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R35319>.

DETAILS: Location: 24 U.S. states; Design: Independent, correlational, peer-reviewed; Sample: 45,670 students in grades 1-12 at 139 schools Measure: Star Reading; Duration: 1 school year. RESULTS: Does reading practice make perfect? Or is reading achievement related to the quality of practice as well as the quantity? To answer these questions, data for students who read more than 3 million books were analyzed. Measures largely of quantity (engaged reading volume) and purely of quality (success in reading comprehension) showed a positive relationship with achievement gain at all levels of achievement. However, both high quantity and high quality in combination were necessary for high achievement gains, especially for older students. Both were weakly associated with student initial reading achievement, but more strongly associated with the class in which the student was enrolled, possibly suggesting the properties of teacher intervention in guiding independent reading were important. Implications for theory building, research, and practice were explored. PLEASE NOTE: Email research@renaissance.com to request a copy of this peer-reviewed journal article: Topping, K. J., Samuels, J., & Paul, T. (2007). Does practice make perfect? Independent reading quantity, quality and student achievement. Learning and Instruction, 17, 253-264.

DETAILS: Location: 24 U.S. states; Design: Independent, correlational; Sample: 50,823 students in grades 1-12 at 139 schools; Measure: Star Reading; Duration: 1 school year. RESULTS: This study is an independent evaluation of the data from Paul, 2003, available online: <http://research.renaissance.com/research/172.asp>. In the elementary grades, students in classrooms implementing Accelerated Reader with best practices showed statistically significant improvements in overall achievement level. In middle and high school, teachers who promoted a greater overall reading success rate were able to improve achievement results. Higher average percent correct on Accelerated Reader quizzes and reading at levels above the initial zone of proximal development (ZPD) were linked to greater outcomes. Additionally, even after using rigorous statistical controls for students' initial reading skill levels, reading success rate, and challenge of reading material, the amount of text read was a key predictor of later literacy development. AUTHORS: Geoffrey D. Borman, PhD and N. Maritza Dowling, PhD. The Summary of this study is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R34537>. The Full Report is also available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R40524>.

DETAILS: Location: Throughout the US; Design: Independent, hierarchical linear modeling; Sample: Data from more than 3,000 classrooms using Accelerated Reader and best practices with 25 different reading curricula; Measures: Accelerated Reader, Star Reading. RESULTS: Results from an independent analysis demonstrates that when implemented according to Renaissance's recommended best classroom practices, Accelerated Reader enhances over 25 currently published reading curricula and leads to improved student outcomes. The more successful, guided independent reading students engage in, the higher their reading gains. AUTHOR: Daniel Bolt, PhD. A pdf of this report is not available. Email the Renaissance Research Department at research@renaissance.com for additional information.