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Achievement Gap Begins to Close in California's Alum Rock Union Elementary School District with SRA Reading Program

Posted on: Wednesday, 18 February 2009, 09:21 CST

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- SRA/McGraw-Hill's Open Court Reading is a key reason why the reading achievement gap among all students is closing in the Alum Rock Union Elementary School District. Before the program was adopted district-wide in Grades K-5 in September 2001, only 14% of students in Grade 2 scored Proficient or Advanced on the English Language Arts portion of the California Standards Test (CST). By 2008, a record 42% of students scored at that same level.

Nora Guerra, the district's assistant superintendent of instructional services, said there's no doubt the increased scores are because of Open Court Reading, which was part of a district-wide transformation in the English Language Arts instructional program.

"We're very happy with the adoption," she said. "We have found teachers who implement the program fully and with fidelity have the best success in their classrooms. When I visit our schools, I see teachers following the curriculum very carefully and re-teaching concepts when necessary. Their students are definitely engaged; the kids are actually raising their hands to answer questions."

Guerra said one particular component of Open Court Reading has made a big difference in all schools, especially those previously labeled Under-Performing: its focus on phonemic awareness.

"The program really helps children understand phonemes. They learn the sounds, decode words, and apply their phonemic awareness to reading. They aren't just memorizing words. They are learning to read, which makes them feel really good about themselves," she said.

In addition to higher test scores, the district's Academic Performance Index (API) has increased since Open Court Reading began. The API measures academic performance and progress of California schools and is a numeric index that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1000.

The program began in 2001, but districts didn't receive API scores until 2002. From 2002 onward, Alum Rock's API scores have increased each year.

• 2002: 594
• 2003: 634
• 2004: 650
• 2005: 670
• 2006: 690
• 2007: 704
• 2008: 707

About Alum Rock Union Elementary School District

Serving more than 13,600 students in Grades Pre-K-8, this district's student population is 78% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 7% Filipino, 2% Caucasian, 2% African American, and 1% Pacific Islander. Ninety percent of the students qualify for free and reduced-price lunch, and 64% are English Language Learners. For more information about Alum Rock Union Elementary School District, visit ARUSD.org.

In 2007, Alum Rock Union Elementary School District received a Pride of SRA Academic Recognition Award. In 2008, Superintendent Norma Martinez was selected as an Administrator of the Year in the category of Superintendent, by Region 8 of the Association of California School Administrators. To see Norma and her fellow educators share their Open Court Reading success story, view the Pride of SRA video at SRAonline.com.

About SRA Reading Programs

Open Court Reading is a leading Pre-K-6 reading and language arts program published by SRA/McGraw-Hill. Developed from 45 years of intense study and field-testing, Open Court Reading incorporates sound teaching practices from scientific research. In the schools and districts where the program has been implemented, not only have students' reading test scores increased, but teachers and principals also are seeing gains in student achievement overall.

SRA has recently introduced its latest in research-based reading and language arts programs: Imagine It! is the core K-6 program, designed to meet California State Standards. Imagine It! English Language Development (ELD) is an expanded version of Imagine It! specifically designed for teachers with students whose primary language is not English. ¡Imaginalo! helps students develop Spanish literacy that can be used in combination with Imagine It! or alone.

The California State Board of Education approved SRA/McGraw-Hill's Imagine It! reading and language arts programs for Grades K-6 for the 2008 Reading/Language Arts-English-Language Development adoption list. For more information, visit ImagineItReading.com. To view Imagine It! Efficacy Reports, visit, ImagineItReading.com/ENG_US/bp_efficacy.php.

About SRA/McGraw-Hill

SRA/McGraw-Hill is the top provider of specialized research-based educational programs and professional development for the elementary market. Leading programs include SRA Imagine It! reading program, Direct Instruction, SRA Number Worlds, additional core and supplemental programs. SRA is part of McGraw-Hill Education, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP). McGraw-Hill Education is a leading global provider of instructional, assessment, and reference solutions that empower professionals and students of all ages. McGraw-Hill Education has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 60 languages. Additional information is available at MHEducation.com. For more information on SRA/McGraw-Hill's products, call 1-888-SRA-4543 and visit SRAonline.com.

SOURCE SRA/McGraw-Hill

Source: PR Newswire

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