Selecting and Exiting Students Read 180 Program Springfield School District

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1 Selecting and Exiting Students Read 180 Program Springfield School District Introduction: The purpose of the following guidelines is to ensure that students most likely to benefit from Read 180 are selected and that these students are exited only after it can be determined that they have gained maximum benefit from the program. The following guidelines were developed by Springfield School District Read 180 teachers, school counselors, principals and district administrators. General Guidelines: 1. Read 180 is a research-based reading intervention program designed to raise the reading levels and test scores of struggling readers. Read 180 addresses the problem of adolescent students who read below grade level. Research has shown the effectiveness of Read 180 in meeting the needs of struggling readers across AYP demographic groups. For example, Read 180 provides language support for ELL students and high interest and adaptive software support that benefit Special Education students and students in poverty. The program also provides engaging multicultural materials that differentiate instruction for diverse learners. Therefore, selecting students for Read 180 should consider and include the following demographic characteristics: ELL, Special Education, Free and Reduced Lunch, and Ethnic/Racial Status. 2. The school group responsible for selecting and exiting students for Read 180 should involve at a minimum the Read 180 teacher and counselor. Ideally, the selection and exit process should also involve the Language Arts Department (high school level), principal or assistant principal and perhaps the literacy team and/or literacy support teacher. Properly selecting students for Read 180 is critical. If the selection process is done carefully, the number of students who can benefit from Read 180 will be maximized and the number of misassigned students will be minimized. 3. Even when done properly, there will always be a handful of students who are initially misassigned to Read 180. Schools must understand this and be flexible enough to accommodate some student schedule changes in the first few weeks of school or at the start of a new term. 4. Selecting students for Read 180 should be based on using all available 60 slots per school. Testing data and teacher observation clearly indicates that there are sufficient numbers of struggling readers at each school to warrant filling all 60 slots. 5. In addition to scheduling enough class periods to accommodate 60 students, schools must also maximize the effectiveness of Read 180 by allocating 90 minutes per day of uninterrupted instruction, five days a week. By doing so, schools can expect growth in reading skills and improvements in students attitudes and behavior.

2 6. The Read 180 Program is designed and equipped to handle up to 21 students at a time (24 if there are 8 student computer stations). Placing more than this number in a Read 180 class jeopardizes the learning opportunities for the students and negatively impacts classroom management. 7. To maximize the effectiveness of the Read 180 Program, it is recommended that schools assign an educational assistant to work alongside the Read 180 teacher. Research on best practices and our own experience clearly indicate the value of educational assistants for improved behavior, instruction and reading achievement. Criteria for Selecting Students: Note One: The selection criteria below are listed in a particular order by design. To ensure appropriate selection, it is important to begin with the 6-9 reading assessments and move down the list from there. If 6-9 reading assessment scores are not available on a particular student, then begin by looking at the Lexile scores and then move down the list. Please note that teacher observation and input about students is essential throughout the selection process, especially when student motivation is in question (e.g. when a student may have blown off an assessment resulting in an uncharacteristically low score). Also, please note that when all criteria are considered, the likelihood of an appropriate selection is greatly improved. Note Two: A graphic representation of the selection criteria is attached as an aide to understanding the criteria. Note Three: To assist with selecting students a template is attached where all pertinent criteria can be listed for all students under consideration. Note Four: Selecting students for the next school year is best done in the spring of the previous school year. Once the spring 6-9 assessments have been administered and reported and students have completed their state reading tests, student performance results should be available for use. 1. Examine the student s 6-9 reading assessment scores (or 5 th grade spring DIBELS scores if the student is an incoming 6 th grader). If his or her Z- score is -1 or lower, give that student serious consideration. Also look at the sub-test scores that make up the Z-score. These sub-tests can help pinpoint particular areas of reading difficulty. For students in grades 6 thru 8, the sub-tests include oral reading fluency (ORF), comprehension (MC) and vocabulary (VOC). For students in grade 9, the sub-tests include a maze (MAZE), comprehension (MC) and vocabulary (VOC). Note: for incoming 6 th graders, middle schools should look at spring 5 th grade DIBELS results. 6-9 reading assessment data can be found at the following website: The username is teacher and the password is scores. 5 th grade DIBELS scores can be found on

3 Mastery in Motion (MIM). For help accessing these scores, ask your principal, MIM school contact or Rob Hess, Student Achievement Leader at or Examine the student s Lexile level as reported from the OSAT test, Total Reader, etc. Refer below to the right column for a range of Lexile levels that should be considered appropriate for placement in Read 180 classrooms. Typical Range of Lexiles by Grade Level -- Interquartile Range, Mid-Year with Lexile Range for Placement in Read 180 Classrooms Typical Lexile Range Lexile Range for placement in Read 180 class Grade 330L to 700L 3 Grade 445L to 810L 4 Grade 565L to 910L 5 Grade 665L to 1000L 330L to 700L 6 Grade 735L to 1065L 445L to 810L 7 Grade 805L to 1100L 565L to 910L 8 Grade L to 1165L 665L to 1000L 3. Examine the student s OSAT scores. If the student s score is in the very low category, give him serious consideration. If the student s score is just above the very low category, look back at his or her 6-9 reading assessment Z-score and Lexile level. Grade 6: Reading/Literature State Test (multiple Grade 7: Reading/Literature State Test (multiple Grade 8 Reading/Literature State Test (multiple CIM: Reading/Literature State Test (multiple Low Very Low Below Below Below Below 214

4 4. Consider teacher recommendations. If teacher observation and classroom assessments indicate that the student is reading substantially below grade level and is in need of an intervention, consider the student for placement in Read Consider students who are English Language Learners at the intermediate or advanced level in English proficiency (i.e. a Woodcock Munoz score of 3 or higher) and who are reading below grade level. 6. Consider Special Education students who are mainstreamed and reading below grade level. 7. Review student behavior history (e.g. referral data, teacher observation, etc.) Students who are chronic behavior problems may not be the best candidates for Read Look at attendance (i.e. days absent). Regular attendance is a key factor for success in Read Determine a student s interest and motivation for participating in Read 180. Interview students to find out if they feel they could benefit from additional help in reading. If they are interested in getting help, they are likely to be good candidates for Read 180. Criteria for Exiting Students: 1. In general, Read 180 students should remain in the program for a minimum of one academic year. In some cases, however, a student may progress and be exited before a year is completed, typically at a regular break, such as at the end of a term. 2. Read 180 students may have a wide range of skills and reading levels. As they respond to the program, students make gains at their own rates. Some accelerate through the Topic Software but take longer to increase their SRI and Lexile scores. Others may be successful using the rbook during direct instruction but need more practice to transfer strategies they learned to independent reading or other classes. It is important, therefore, to use a variety of formal and informal measures to determine a student s readiness to leave the Read 180 program. 3. The exit criteria below are listed in a particular order by design. To ensure appropriate exit, it is important to begin with the 6-9 reading assessments and move down the list from there.

5 4. Formal and informal measures may include documented increases or observable improvements in: reading assessments (Z-scores and sub-test scores) 2. Lexile level (to grade level proficiency range or 1100 as universal standard) 3. OSAT reading scores 4. Scores on grade level Read 180 rskills Tests 5. Scholastic Reading Counts Quiz scores (if available) or other reading incentive program data 6. Teacher observation of student ability to read and demonstrate comprehension independently 7. Read 180 Topic Software Data (e.g. context score and rate) 8. rbook completion and success level 9. Rate of unit completion: observation of skill levels and how long it takes to complete a unit (speed) 10. Behavior 11. Motivation 12. Student self-evaluation Supporting Students After Read 180: When students leave Read 180, it is important to place them into supportive classrooms (where teachers regularly teach and use appropriate content area reading strategies) and monitor their progress as they encounter more difficult content and reading materials. To foster continued success after Read 180, encourage students to continue choosing books at the appropriate Lexile levels, especially for independent reading.