From the abstract: "The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Accelerated Reader (AR) program when used as a supplement to teacher-directed instruction. A pretest-posttest, quasi-experimental design was used to determine the reading practice and comprehension gains of 6th-grade students over the course of one trimester. The study investigated three research questions: (a) does the Accelerated Reader program lead to statistically significant gains in reading practice, (b) does AR lead to statistically significant gains in reading comprehension scores, and (c) is there a statistically significant correlation between reading practice and reading comprehension? Two 6th-grade teams, consisting of 121 students from two suburban middle schools in Oregon, participated in the study. Groups were selected with respect to demographic and achievement similarities, teacher qualification and experience, and access to program components and materials. Both groups received direct instruction and were provided time for silent, sustained reading. The treatment group was also provided access to AR program components, including novels, software, and quizzes. Student Daily Reading Logs were used to record weekly reading times and provided pretest and posttest reading practice scores. The Test of Reading Comprehension, 3rd edition (TORC-3), was used as the pretest and posttest for reading comprehension. A repeated measures, mixed design ANOVA was used for analysis with questions one and two. Interaction scores by group and time showed a statistically significant difference (p < .05) for the treatment group in Question 1, suggesting that AR may be an effective supplement for increasing reading practice. An ANOVA analysis for reading comprehension demonstrated similar results with significant differences (p < .05) for the treatment group's posttest scores on the TORC-3. These findings suggest that AR may be an effective supplement for increasing reading comprehension. Question 3 utilized three, Pearson r correlations. These results yielded weak, non-significant correlations between gain scores in reading practice times and comprehension for control, treatment, and combined groups. These findings suggest that implementation levels may not be a significant factor in program efficacy. Continued research is needed to substantiate these results and further isolate specific program effects with middle school students of differing abilities and demographics."Reference: Hagerman, T. E. (2003). A quasi-experimental study on the effects of Accelerated Reader at middle school (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Oregon, Eugene. For information on how to obtain a copy of this report, email Renaissance Research Department at research@renaissance.com.

The Buros Institute of Mental Measurements publishes independent, critical reviews of assessment instruments. Two reviewers evaluate each assessment. Each provides a description of the assessment, documents the development of the assessment, and examines the assessment's reliability and validity data. <br />AUTHOR: Theresa Graham. For information on obtaining a copy of review, email the Renaissance Research Department: research@renaissance.com.

The Buros Institute of Mental Measurements publishes independent, critical reviews of assessment instruments. Two reviewers evaluate each assessment. Each provides a description of the assessment, documents the development of the assessment, and examines the assessment's reliability and validity data. AUTHOR: Sandra B. Ward, PhD. For information on obtaining a copy of review, email the Renaissance Research Department: research@renaissance.com.

The Buros Institute of Mental Measurements publishes independent, critical reviews of assessment instruments. Two reviewers evaluate each assessment. Each provides a description of the assessment, documents the development of the assessment, and examines the assessment's reliability and validity data. AUTHORS: Betsy B. Waterman, PhD and David M. Sargent, PhD.For information on obtaining a copy of review, email the Renaissance Research Department: research@renaissance.com.

The Buros Institute of Mental Measurements publishes independent, critical reviews of assessment instruments. Two reviewers evaluate each assessment. Each provides a description of the assessment, documents the development of the assessment, and examines the assessment's reliability and validity data. AUTHOR: Lori Nebelsick-Gullett, PhD. For information on obtaining a copy of review, email the Renaissance Research Department: research@renaissance.com.

DETAILS: School Profile: 210 students in grades: Pre-K-7; Demographics: Rural, Limited English proficiency: 9.0%, Free or reduced lunch: 62.0%, Mobility: 16.0%; Race/Ethnicity: Black/African American: 4.5%, White: 46%, American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.6%, Hispanic or Latino: 49%. RESULTS: Since implementing Renaissance progress-monitoring tools, the gap between White and Hispanic students on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills was reduced by 88%, library circulation increased by 119%, and the schools summer reading program attendance increased. REPORTING EDUCATORS: Bo Lance, principal; Jennifer Beller, Janice Warren, and Teresa Slayden, teachers. The full report is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R13426>.

DETAILS: School Profile: 291 students in grades: Pre-K-8; Demographics: Urban, Inner-city, Title I, Mobility: 30.8%, Limited English proficiency: 25.4%, Socioeconomic status: 90.7% low income; Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic or Latino: 80.1%, Asian or Pacific Islander: 0.7%, White: 13.4%, American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.3%, Black/African American: 5.5%. RESULTS: The number of 6th-grade students scoring at or above national norms on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) increased 20 percentage points in 1 year following implementation of Accelerated Reader with best practices. REPORTING EDUCATOR: Marcy LeMaster, teacher. The full report is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R13422>.

DETAILS: Location: St. Paul, Minnesota; Design: Independent, quasi-experimental; Sample: 67 students in grades 3 and 5; Measures: Star Reading, Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation (GRADE), Curriculum Based Measurement (CBM); Duration: 6 months. RESULTS: This study took place at a school where 64% of the students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. It compared students that completed book reports, which resulted in delayed feedback, and students that completed Accelerated Reader quizzes, which provided immediate feedback. The GRADE was used to measure vocabulary, sentence, and passage comprehension; a CBM of oral reading fluency was used to determine the students' reading speed. The results revealed that students who used Accelerated Reader showed significantly higher gains on 3 measures of reading achievement compared to students who completed book reports and received only delayed feedback. In particular, students receiving immediate feedback through Accelerated Reader demonstrated twice the gain in reading comprehension of students not using Accelerated Reader. AUTHORS: S. Jay Samuels, EdD and Yi-Chen Wu, PhD. Report available online: <http://testmaker.if-at.com/home/articles/file/research/immediate_feedback.pdf>.

DETAILS: School Profile: 687 students in grades pre-K-6; Demographics: Rural, Free/reduced Lunch: 12%; Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic or Latino: 0.6%, Black or African American: 1.6%, Asian or Pacific Islander: 0.1%, White: 97.1%, American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.6%. RESULTS: After adopting Accelerated Reader with best practices, the number of 4th-grade students demonstrating proficiency in reading on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test increased 37 points in just 1 year. REPORTING EDUCATOR: Virginia Cutler, Title I director and reading specialist. The full report is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R13205>.

DETAILS: School Profile: 285 students in grades K-6; Demographics: Urban, Limited English Proficiency: 6%, Free/reduced Lunch: 78%; Race/Ethnicity: Black/African American: 6%, Asian or Pacific Islander: 1%, Hispanic or Latino: 4%, American Indian or Alaska Native: 1%, White: 87%. RESULTS: After implementing Accelerated Reader with best practices, the percentage of 5th graders reaching proficiency on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) test increased by 24 points in 4 years. District-level scores increased by 13 points and scores at similar schools increased by 3 points in the same time period. REPORTING EDUCATORS: Mary Jo Straney, Title I director/reading specialist; Linda Peifer, principal. The full report is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R13206>.

DETAILS: Location: Dinuba, California; Design: Independent, reliability and validity research; Sample: 1,100 students in grades 3-6; Measures: Star Reading, Stanford Achievement Test (SAT-9), California Standards Test (CST). RESULTS: This study of test scores from predominantly Hispanic students in the Dinuba Unified School District sought to determine the predictive ability of Star Reading for high-stakes assessments that are part of the accountability system in California, including the SAT-9 and the CST for English/Language Arts. Moderately strong to very strong correlations were found between Star Reading and these tests across all grades analyzed; correlation coefficients ranged from .69 to .87. The author concludes that Star Reading is an efficient use of time and labor in monitoring student progress in reading in the classroom, and recommends its use by California school administrators to measure progress toward state accountability goals.AUTHOR: Louise Bennicoff-Nan, EdD. The Summary of this study is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R13221>. Email research@renaissance.com to request a copy of the Full Report from the Renaissance Research Department.

DETAILS: School Profile: 550 students in grades K-6; Demographics: Urban, Limited English Proficiency: 12%, Free or Reduced Lunch: 30%, Mobility: 54%; Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic or Latino: 18%, Black or African American: 4%, Asian or Pacific Islander: 5%, American Indian or Alaska Native: 2%, White: 71%. RESULTS: After using Accelerated Reader with best practices and Perfect Copy, the average Stanford 9 (SAT-9) reading score increased 6 percentile points double the average increase experienced by the state. The average language arts score rose 7 percentile points, while state scores increased by only 4 percentile points. REPORTING EDUCATOR: Dr. Steve Nance, principal. The full report is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R13061>.

DETAILS: Design: Independent, quasi-experimental; Sample: 2 demographically matched K-6 urban schools. RESULTS: This study explored the impact of Accelerated Reader and best classroom practices. One school implemented Accelerated Reader and best practices for 5 years and had twice the free or reduced-price lunch population of the control school (36% vs. 18%), which implemented Accelerated Reader sporadically without best practices. Using survey and focus group data, in addition to Stanford 9 data, researchers found the treatment school gained 13 percentiles, while the control school made no gain. AUTHORS: Linda Sadusky and Sarah Brem, PhD. The full report is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R40784>.