OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 4, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scientific Learning Corp. (OTCQB:SCIL) has named Hoke County Schools in North Carolina a National Reference Site due to strong student gains achieved after the use of the Fast ForWord® and Reading Assistant™ programs. The rural district joins a distinguished group of 35 National Reference Site schools and districts in the United States and Canada that exemplify the outstanding use of the online reading programs.
The Title I district began using the programs during the 2011-12 school year to help struggling learners improve their reading skills and close achievement gaps. After using the products, students made significantly greater than expected growth on the Reading and Math components of the North Carolina End-of-Grade (EOG) Tests. In addition, the more Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant products students completed, the more their achievement exceeded expectations.
"We're a very high poverty county. Our students come to us way behind in many respects," said Robert T. Barnes, Jr., assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Hoke County Schools. "We have a good literacy program but we needed something to help bridge the gaps for students who were far behind and bring them up to grade level — and that's exactly what the Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant programs do. They expedite a child's ability to learn to read and then to progress forward."
In addition to the EOG Tests, Reading Progress Indicator was also used to evaluate the impact of the Fast ForWord program on students. Initially, students' reading skills were well below grade level. An average of four months later, the group's skills had improved by one year.
"We're looking forward to having other schools come in and see how we're using Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant, and how effective they are," said Barnes. "We're also interested in picking up ideas from those who visit so we can continue to accelerate our students' learning."
As a National Reference Site, Hoke County Schools will serve as a resource for other schools and districts seeking advice on how to best use the Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant programs to increase students' reading proficiency. The school will also participate in research to help Scientific Learning enhance the effectiveness of its products and services.
About Scientific Learning Corp.
We accelerate learning by applying proven research on how the brain learns. Scientific Learning's results are demonstrated in over 270 research studies and protected by over 55 patents. Learners can realize achievement gains of up to two years in as little as three months and maintain an accelerated rate of learning even after the programs end.
Today, more than 2.2 million learners have used Scientific Learning software products. We provide our offerings directly to parents, K–12 schools and learning centers, and in more than 45 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.scientificlearning.com or call toll-free 888-810-0250.