BOSTON, Aug. 09, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Educators and policymakers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of helping students strengthen academic language, the specialized language used in educational settings. Research has found that by focusing on this ‘language of school’ in instruction, educators can make a considerable impact on students' reading comprehension and educational achievement. To help their students master this critical skill, district leadership at Coachella Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) in Thermal, CA has expanded its use of Lexia products to include the Lexia RAPID Assessment™ solution, which predicts reading success and targets academic language.
The district has been using the highly-acclaimed pre-K–5 literacy program, Lexia Reading Core5® since September 2015. The addition of RAPID now enables CVUSD to screen and monitor the reading and language skills of its students in all 14 elementary schools.
“Distinguishing and diagnosing each student’s relative strengths and weaknesses is often a time-consuming task that comes at the expense of classroom instructional time,” said Dr. Jason B. Angle, assistant superintendent of Coachella Valley Unified School District. “RAPID is unique among screeners in its focus on academic language—which is the key to helping students express and unlock meaning critical for reading comprehension and overall academic success. Now, with the powerful combination of Lexia Reading Core5 and Lexia RAPID Assessment, our teachers can provide adaptive instruction, as well as access offline instructional resources and actionable data.”
Developed in partnership with the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR), the research-validated RAPID measures the skills most predictive of end-of-year reading success for students in grades K–12. Administered up to three times per year, the screener harnesses adaptive technology to precisely assess reading skills while minimizing time spent on testing. Each administration of RAPID takes less than 60 minutes. The computer-adaptive assessment screens reading and academic language skills, identifies instructional needs and focus, and measures skill development.
“Differentiation is the key to effective instruction. Together, Core5 and RAPID provide a personalized learning experience for students and enable teachers to easily differentiate their instruction,” said Manuela Silvestre, director of elementary education for Coachella Valley Unified School District. “English learners constitute approximately half of our student population, which means there can be an extremely wide variety in the understanding of both the English language and the subject matter in one classroom. These two tools help us meet our elementary students where they are in terms of learning and ensure that we equip them with well-rounded literacy skills for their future academic success.”
Additional information on Lexia RAPID Assessment can be found online at www.lexialearning.com.
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About Lexia Learning
Lexia Learning, a division of Rosetta Stone, empowers educators through adaptive assessment and personalized instruction. For more than 30 years, the company has been on the leading edge of research and product development as it relates to student reading skills. With a robust offering that includes solutions for differentiated instruction, personalized learning and assessment, Lexia Learning provides educators with the tools to intensify and accelerate literacy skills development for students of all abilities. For more information, visit www.lexialearning.com.
About Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone Inc. (NYSE: RST) is dedicated to changing people’s lives through the power of language and literacy education. The company’s innovative digital solutions drive positive learning outcomes for the inspired learner at home or in schools and workplaces around the world. Founded in 1992, Rosetta Stone’s language division uses cloud-based solutions to help all types of learners read, write, and speak more than 30 languages. Lexia Learning, Rosetta Stone's literacy education division, was founded more than 30 years ago and is a leader in the literacy education space. Today, Lexia helps students build fundamental reading skills through its rigorously researched, independently evaluated, and widely respected instruction and assessment programs. For more information, visit www.rosettastone.com. “Rosetta Stone” is a registered trademark or trademark of Rosetta Stone Ltd. in the United States and other countries.