From the summary: "School psychologists have a growing portfolio of measures, assessment practices, and infrastructure supports (both data management and training) to support this expansion of effective practices into early care and education. In particular, three measures-Picture Naming (a 1-minute measure of expressive vocabulary) and Rhyming and Alliteration (two 2-minute measures of phonological awareness)-form a suite of EL-IGDIs. These three measures, alone and in combination, can be used to monitor preschool children's progress toward early literacy and reading benchmarks from age 3 to kindergarten, and can be the basis for both more focused program evaluation, RTI programming, and a problem-solving approach to serving preschool children at risk for reading acquisition difficulties in elementary school."Citation: McConnell, S. R., & Missall, K. N. (2008). Best practices in monitoring progress for preschool children. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology (5th ed., pp. 561-573). Washington, D.C.: National Association of School Psychologists.The research study is available online: <https://web.archive.org/web/20150209035556/https://www.myigdis.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IGDI-Book-McConnell-Chapter.pdf>.

From the abstract: "Comparisons of student achievement effect sizes suggest that systems in which student performance in math and reading is rapidly assessed between 2 and 5 times per week are 4 times as effective as a 10% increase in per pupil expenditure, 6 times as effective as voucher programs, 64 times as effective as charter schools, and 6 times as effective as increased accountability. Achievement gains per dollar from rapid assessment are even greater--193 times the gains that accrue from increasing preexisting patterns of educational expenditures, 2,424 times the gains from vouchers, 23,166 times the gains from charter schools, and 57 times the gains from increased accountability. Two sensitivity analyses suggest that the relative advantage for rapid assessment is not sensitive to the particular parameter estimates." Citation: Yeh, S. S. (2007). The cost-effectiveness of five policies for improving student achievement. American Journal of Evaluation, 28(4), 416-436. The full paper is available online: <https://doi.org/10.1177/1098214007307928>.

DETAILS: Location: Montgomery Middle School, San Diego, California; Design: Independent, correlational; Sample: 150 Grade 8 students; Measure: English-Language Arts California Standards Test (CST); Duration: One school year.RESULTS:This study aimed to investigate the potential of the Accelerated Reader program to positively impact student scores on the English-Language Arts California Standards Test (CST) in a Title I San Diego, CA middle school. The results of this study suggest that strong participation in the Accelerated Reader program can be effective in improving reading comprehension and literary analysis scores on the Reading Comprehension and Literary Analysis reporting clusters of the English-Language Arts CST. The researcher concludes that teachers should consider promoting high Accelerated Reader participation rates from all their students as one way of preparing for the CST, because there was generally a positive relationship between the extent to which Accelerated Reader best practices were implemented and scores on the CST. The Full Article is available online: <https://www.readingmatrix.com/articles/rodriguez/article.pdf> AUTHOR: S. Rodriguez

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: Location: 48 U.S. states; Design: Reliability and validity research, longitudinal; Sample: User data for more than 30,000 students; Measures: Star Early Literacy, Star Reading, Star Math, external state tests; Duration: Data from 2005-06 and 2006-07 school years. RESULTS: In June 2007, the Graduate Management Admissions Council convened a conference on computerized adaptive testing (CAT) at the University of Minnesota. That venue was chosen in recognition of Minnesota's role in leading the research and development of CAT from its infancy in the 1970s to its widespread use today. Participants in the conference included leading CAT researchers and users from around the world. The final session of the conference featured presentations on 3 major CAT programs, one of which was this Renaissance presentation on the Star Assessments. Beginning with an overview of the history, development, and international dissemination of the adaptive Star tests, the presentation went on to present capsule summaries of data on the Star tests' technical quality, as well longitudinal and predictive data from users of the STARs. Those data illustrated the STARs' value for uses such as progress monitoring, predicting important educational outcomes, and longitudinal analysis of performance trends. AUTHORS: Joseph Betts, PhD, MMIS and James R. McBride, PhD. Email research@renaissance.com to request a copy of this study from the Renaissance Research Department.

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. (Email research@renaissance.com to request a copy of this study from the Renaissance Research Department.)

There is now indisputable evidence that Accelerated Reader is effective for all students, especially those in Reading First classrooms. WWC uses very strict standards to review research and assigns effectiveness ratings from high to low in 3 categories: green, yellow, and red. Accelerated Reader received WWC's green rating, which means WWC has determined Accelerated Reader has "evidence of a positive effect with no overriding contrary evidence." WWC deemed the independent, experimental, peer-reviewed Nunnery and Ross, 2006 study of Accelerated Reader (available online: <http://research.renaissance.com/research/198.asp>) to meet their evidence standards. The WWC's report is available online: <https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED499236.pdf>.

DETAILS: Location: United Kingdom; Design: Reliability and validity research; Sample: Years 4-9 (Grades 3-8); Measures: Star Reading, Group Reading Test; Duration: Cross-sectional. RESULTS: Progress in reading is important for children. However, time spent measuring progress is time not spent enhancing it. Computerized adaptive reading testing might help resolve this tension, but can it do so reliably and validly and generate metrics of relevance to practitioners internationally? This pilot study linked data gathered in the UK from a computer-based adaptive test of reading developed and normed in the US to those from a different paper reading test normed in the UK and yielding different output metrics. It explored the effects of gender, mode of presentation, and the linkage between different output metrics. Concurrent validity and concordance between tests was substantial, suggesting it is possible to use a US computer adaptive test of reading skills to estimate reading ages for pupils in the UK. Results held similar for both males and females. Implications for future research and practice were explored. AUTHORS: Joseph Betts, PhD, MMIS; Keith J. Topping, PhD, and James R. McBride, PhD. Email research@renaissance.com to request a copy of this study from the Renaissance Research Department.

DETAILS: School Profile: 870 students in grades pre-K-5; Demographics: Urban, Title I, Bilingual, Free/reduced lunch: 91%; Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic/Latino: 92%, White: 5%, Asian/Pacific Islander: 3%; Measure: Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS); Duration: 2003-2006. RESULTS: Since beginning to use Accelerated Reader, the percent of students at Contreras Elementary that have Met Standards in reading on the TAKS has grown steadily in each grade tested. Fifth-grade scores in particular have grown 34 percentage points, from 55% of students scoring proficient in 2003 to 89% of students scoring proficient in 2006. What's more, the impact of Accelerated Reader to encourage teacher-guided, independent reading of self-selected books and the schools support of parent-child programs to foster a love of reading has prompted students to check out almost 60,000 more books in 2006 as compared to when Accelerated Reader was first implemented in 2001. REPORTING EDUCATOR: Linda Lawrence. The full report is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R39016>.

DETAILS: Location: United Kingdom; Design: Independent, quasi-experimental; Sample: 935 students at 21 schools; Measures: NFER-Nelson Progress in Mathematics 4-14 series, Suffolk Reading Scale, 2 Test; Duration: 2005-2006. RESULTS: In this study, the researchers matched Specialist Schools in the UK implementing Accelerated Reader, and its math counterpart Accelerated Math, with similar schools where the software were not implemented. Average standardized test scores for reading improved in five out of six treatment schools; in the two comparison schools, one saw a decline in average score and one saw an improvement. One of the main advantages was the personalized learning aspect of the software. In schools using Accelerated Reader, surveys administered to both teachers and students indicated that students were motivated by the immediate feedback provided by the software. Increases were seen in the number of students interested in reading, reports of feeling independent while reading, and the perception of math abilities. Teachers reported that they would recommend both Accelerated Reader and Accelerated Math to their colleagues. AUTHORS: Peter Rudd and Pauline Wade. The Summary of this study is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R38453>. The Full Report is also available online: <https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED502474.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: New York, NY; Denver, CO; and Monroe, LA Design: Independent, correlational; Sample: 10,617 students in grades 1-12 at 43 schools; Measures: Star Reading, Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP), Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP); Duration: 1 school year. RESULTS: The Carmel Hill Fund Education Program uses Accelerated Reader as its primary means to help schools improve. A collaboration between The Carmel Hill Fund and Renaissance's Research Department, this report examines the impact of Accelerated Reader on student achievement and teacher and principal opinions during the 2005-2006 academic year. Findings were confirmed by an independent, external statistician. Overall, data from Accelerated Reader, Star Reading, the CSAP, the LEAP, and educator surveys indicated that Carmel Hill is successfully helping disadvantaged schools improve student reading performance. Report available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R38852>

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.