WINOOSKI, Vt., Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reading Plus, a research-backed online program that uses personalized instruction to improve students’ reading proficiency, today announced it is an approved literacy intervention solutions vendor for Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools), the fourth largest public school system in Maryland. After a thorough evaluation by the district, Reading Plus is now available for City Schools educators in need of a literacy program that meets the needs of K-12 students, including Tiers 1-3 and English learners.
Reading Plus improves student reading proficiency between 2.0 to 2.5 grade levels in a single school year. Used by more than one million students, the program develops comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, stamina, and motivation to read. Reading Plus is the only literacy program that addresses silent reading fluency and the physical aspect of reading – the way the eyes move across a page – which impacts a student’s ability to process and retain information. The program’s patented Guided Window scaffolds the reading experience, strengthening necessary visual skills to read proficiently and confidently.
Reading intervention programs must meet rigorous criteria proving statistically significant effects on enhancing student outcomes before being certified for use by City Schools. The district selected solutions that received an Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) evidence of effectiveness rating between level one (“strong evidence”) and level three (“promising evidence”). Reading Plus achieved the highest ESSA ranking – level one – deeming the program to have “at least one well-designed and well-implemented experimental (i.e., randomized) study.”
“Reading Plus is proud to be an approved literacy learning tool that can help transform the reading experience for nearly 80,000 students in Baltimore City schools,” said Steven Guttentag, CEO of Reading Plus. “A child’s ability to read proficiently impacts all other learning. This is why we believe in personalized, engaging instruction and intervention that puts each student at the center and allows them to grow at their own pace.”
Other factors considered to be a City Schools-approved vendor include cost; differentiation of materials to support the continuum of learners, including English learners, students with disabilities, and gifted and advanced learners; quality of intervention implementation models; breadth of accompanying data analysis resources; and depth of professional development options for staff. Additionally, selected programs must have a balanced representation of various demographic and personal characteristics. In October 2020, Reading Plus announced that it doubled its content library to more than 2,500 engaging and diverse selections, with a focus on representing the experiences of people of color and others who are traditionally underrepresented.
To learn more about the Reading Plus program, visit www.readingplus.com.
ABOUT READING PLUS
Reading Plus is a research-proven, online program that provides personalized intervention and instruction for students, improving reading proficiency between 2.0 to 2.5 grade levels in a single school year. Reading Plus develops comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, motivation and stamina, while also going beyond the offerings of other literacy programs by addressing silent reading fluency. It supports students with diverse needs, including English learners, special education, RTI/MTSS tiers 1-3, and advanced readers. Reading Plus provides educators with an easy-to-use management and reporting system, extensive resources to guide differentiated instruction, professional development and highly-rated customer support. The Reading Plus program is used in more than 5,000 schools nationally, helping over 1 million students become efficient, confident, lifelong readers. For more information visit www.readingplus.com.