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.

Using Technology Tools to Monitor Response to Intervention reviewed research-based practices for monitoring response to intervention (RTI). Accelerated Reader, Accelerated Math, Star Reading, Star Math, and Star Early Literacy were all mentioned for their use in monitoring response to intervention. This book chapter appeared in S. R. Jimerson, M. K. Burns, & A. M. VanDerHeyden (Eds.), Handbook of Response to Intervention: The science and practice of assessment and intervention. New York: Springer.

This book reviewed research-based practices for helping struggling adolescent readers and evaluated reading programs based on their alignment with those practices. The authors only reviewed programs that could be useful with struggling adolescent readers, that included instructional components or that could inform instruction, that were appropriate for adolescents, and that have been implemented widely in a variety of settings and with a range of students. The authors identified 48 programs that met those standards. The criteria used to evaluate those programs included the following: Availability of professional development, use of data driven tools and assessments, ability to motivate and engage reluctant adolescent readers, and the number and type of evaluations and research studies. Accelerated Reader was included in the review, and of the 48 programs, was one of only three that had more than 10 evaluations and 10 peer-reviewed studies. AUTHORS: Donald D. Deschler, PhD, Annemarie Sullivan Palincsar, PhD, and Gina Biancarosa, PhD. For information on obtaining a copy of this review, email the Renaissance Research Department: research@renaissance.com.

The federally funded CSRQ Center rated School Renaissance in the top 3rd among 22 Comprehensive School Reform models. School Renaissance combines progress-monitoring assessment technology with best practices to comprehensively reform schools. Specifically, Renaissance's best classroom practices help teachers use the data captured through the company's daily, progress-monitoring tools (i.e. Accelerated Reader, Accelerated Math) and periodic assessments (i.e. Star Reading, Star Early Literacy, Star Math). This data informs instruction, helps to create shared goals, and provides a common language for all educational stakeholders. According to Ed Week, the evaluation criteria used by the CSRQ Center are as rigorous as the criteria developed by the U.S. Department of Education's What Works Clearinghouse and reflect the federal government's definition of what constitutes "scientifically based research" in education. The CSRQ Center report is available online: <https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/downloads/report/csrq_0.pdf>

DETAILS: Location: Central and Northern Georgia; Design: Independent, quasi-experimental, peer-reviewed; Sample: 2,287 students at 4 elementary schools; Measures: Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT), Star Reading; Duration: 3 years. RESULTS: Of the 4 Title I schools in the sample, 2 were located in urban areas and 2 were located in rural areas. One school in each area was either a high or low implementer of Accelerated Reader and Accelerated Math. Results from the CRCT indicated that students in the 2 high-implementing schools outperformed students in the 2 low-implementing comparison schools overall (Effect size, ES = 0.65) and in reading (ES = 0.50), language arts (ES = 0.71), and math (ES = 0.75). Researcher observations confirmed that the 2 high-implementation schools engaged in Accelerated Reader best classroom practices and Accelerated Math best classroom practices more often than the 2 low-implementation schools. Teachers in all schools expressed positive attitudes towards Accelerated Math and Accelerated Reader.PLEASE NOTE: The Summary of two publications: 1) peer-reviewed journal article: Holmes, C. T., Brown, C. L., & Algozzine, B. (2006). Promoting academic success for all students. Academic Exchange Quarterly, 10(3), 141-147., and 2) the technical report: Holmes, C. T., & Brown, C. L. (2003). A controlled evaluation of a total school improvement process, School Renaissance (Tech. Rep.). Athens: University of Georgia, Department of Educational Administration. is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R38788>. For a copy of the Full Peer-Reviewed Article, email research@renaissance.com. The Full Technical Report is available online: <https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED474261.pdf>.

Star Reading meets all NCSPM criteria for scientifically based progress-monitoring tools. The Full Review is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R41008>

Star Early Literacy meets all NCSPM criteria for scientifically based progress-monitoring tools. The Full Review is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R41008>

Star Math meets all NCSPM criteria for scientifically based progress-monitoring tools. The Full Review is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R41008>

Accelerated Reader meets the NCSPM's criteria for scientifically based progress-monitoring tools. The Full Review is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R41008>

From the abstract: "Given the potential long-term outcomes of poorly developed mathematical skills, there is a need to understand the emergence and development of these skills in the context of improving educational experiences and ensuring better outcomes for preschoolers. The purpose of this article is to describe preliminary reliability and validity evidence supporting the Preschool Numeracy Indicators (PNIs), which are tasks for the assessment of number skills during the preschool years. Results from a sample of 3- to 6-year-old children (N = 163) attending preschool and Head Start programs revealed (a) evidence of test-retest reliability, (b) evidence that the four PNIs measure the same construct, (c) evidence of age-related differences in PNIs scores, and (d) evidence that the PNIs demonstrate external relations with scores from three test batteries measuring mathematics and number skills and other preacademic skills. Implications focus on the use of the PNIs for screening purposes, and future research is described."Citation: Floyd, R. G., Hojnoski, R., & Key, J. (2006). Preliminary evidence of the technical adequacy of the preschool numeracy indicators. School Psychology Review, 35(4), 627-644. The full article is available online: <https://search.proquest.com/docview/219655159 >.

In its report, the federally funded FCRR named the following as strengths of Accelerated Reader: 1) It can be motivating for many students, 2) Students independently choose material to read at their own pace, 3) Students are provided with immediate results, 4) Accelerated Reader Reports are generated for students, teachers, parents, and school administrators, 5) Teachers can monitor students' reading habits and progress in the program, and 6) Lists of leveled and coded books are provided to match students' reading levels to appropriate books. The FCRR report is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R55829>

DETAILS: School Profile: 1,475 students in grades: 9-12; Demographics: Urban. RESULTS: Since implementing Accelerated Reader with best practices, the percent of students labeled Successful on the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test increased by 11 percentage points and library circulation more than quadrupled. REPORTING EDUCATOR: Maria Davis, teacher-librarian. The full report is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R37699>.

DETAILS: School Profile: 325 students in Junior Kindergarten (JK)-8; Demographics Rural/Manufacturing. RESULTS: Since implementing Accelerated Reader with best practices in the 2001-2002 school year, the percentage of grades 3 and 6 students at or above the provincial standard on the EQAO Assessment of Reading increased and finally surpassed provincial scores in the 2004-2005 school year. REPORTING EDUCATOR: Dee Ann Yurke, library technician. The full report is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R39587>.