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Special Education: Read Right Offers Hope for Students with Severe Reading Problems

School-Wide Failure Rate Reduced by 58% at Norris Middle School

About two years ago, Irving ISD hosted a team of educators from Omaha Public Schools to look at the highly effective reading program being used in Irving to serve struggling Tier 3 readers. Paula Dugger, Reading Coordinator for the District, reported that 70% of Irving’s Tier 3 readers in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades were passing the TAKS after being tutored with a new program called Read Right. Irving has implemented Read Right in all of its 20 elementary schools as well as its secondary schools.

The Omaha visitors, impressed by Irving’s team of educators and the results being achieved, returned to Omaha and implemented the same Read Right program in 18 elementary schools and 6 secondary schools. Omaha principals report very rapid improvement in reading skills and a ripple effect through other subject areas. One of these principals is Anita Harkins, Principal of Norris Middle School.Read More

Read Right offering results. Alissa McCoy never liked to read. Here yes moved across the words on the page, but by the end of the paragraph she had already forgotten the content.

Then at the beginning of the year, a teacher suggested she attend a literacy program called Read Right. The program is new in the La Conner School District, but students and parents already are reporting strong returns.

For McCoy, the results are dramatic. “Since I started I’ve read, like, five books, and I usually don’t ever read books,” McCoy, 16, said. “We have to have a reading requirement for English class, so it’s helped me with that too.” Read The PDF

By Todd Fredson and Clyde Naasz
Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, North Dakota

Graduation Rates Climb Rapidly—Unique Reading Program Solves the Most Difficult Reading Problems.

“When we first brought Read Right in, a little over 1300 books were checked out from the High School library. Last year, a little over 2300 books were checked out. This year 4,660 books have been checked out!” reports Clyde Naasz, Assistant Superintendent of Standing Rock Community Schools in Ft. Yates, North Dakota.

Naasz has also seen a dramatic increase in high school graduation rates. He believes there is a direct connect ion between the increase in the number of students graduating and Read Right, the innovative reading intervention program implemented three years ago. In 2004 -05, 32 students graduated from the high school, and in 2005 -06, 44 students graduated. In the 2006 -07 year, Standing Rock High School graduated 59 students. Naasz says that while many reading programs say they’ll advance kids a grade level or two, he’s seen students in Read Right advance as much as 4, 5, or even 6 grade levels in a single school year.

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“Our reading scores are wonderful, and our superintendent loves it” exclaims elementary principal Joan Leach.

Leach and her team transformed Raymond Elementary School into a 2007 Washington State School of Distinction. This award is given to schools that have improved the most in reading and math on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) test. Even though 68% of students in the school qualify for free and reduced lunch, an impressive 92% of 4th graders passed the reading portion of the WASL in 2007. (The state average was 37% free and reduced and 77% passing.)

Principal Leach credits Read Right, a new constructivist reading intervention program, for the dramatic turnaround of students’; reading abilities and the consequent transformation of her school. “We absolutely adore this program. It works!! My teachers are feeling good because they see kids being successful. It’s nice to see real growth.”
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