Students are reaching middle school 2 or more years behind in reading ability. As a result, they are unable to meet state testing standards. In 2007, the READ 180 program was implemented at an urban middle school in Virginia to address the reading gaps of these middle school students. The purpose of this sequential mixed-method program evaluation was to analyze the reading success of 30 READ 180 students and the perceptions of 4 teachers who taught the READ 180 curriculum. The theoretical framework that served as a basis for this study was Vygotsky's zone of proximal development, which holds that independent thinking is facilitated by developmentally-appropriate instruction. Research questions examined the strengths and weaknesses of the program and its effectiveness on helping the students improve their reading ability. Student scores from the program assessments were examined using a paired samples t test and by comparing central tendencies. An analysis showed a 15% increase in students' SRI pre- and posttest scores, noting that 6.67% of students passed the reading SOL. Themes from the teacher interviews indicated that the teachers perceived the training to be sufficient and that the materials and technology were authentic; however, updated curricula materials were needed. The quantitative and qualitative research data were used to generate an evaluation report to share explicit research findings with the school division and parents about the programs' successes and needs for improvement. Social change was supported by evaluating a reading intervention program designed to increase middle school students' reading ability.

Student achievement has become a main concern for schools in the United States. Emphasis has long been placed on reading, writing, and arithmetic; however, reading achievement remains insufficient. The passage of No Child Left Behind in 2001 required all students to be reading on grade level by 2014. With states and school districts striving to make adequate yearly progress, finding programs and practices that prove effective in improving student achievement has become a main priority for schools. In an effort to improve reading achievement, a reading program was implemented at Gauge Middle School and studied for its impact. The Mississippi Curriculum Test 2 (MCT2) and Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) tests were analyzed to determine the impact of the program. The voices of the students and the voices of the teachers were considered important in understanding the impact. The reasons for this research include (a) determining whether the implementation of READ 180 increased student reading achievement and (b) understanding the perceptions of the students and teachers in READ 180. A struggling reader is defined as a student who is experiencing difficulty learning to read. The literature on struggling readers indicated that a struggling reader will never read on grade level, but they can make increases in their reading level. The data obtained from this research supports the literature review. After the participating in READ 180, the MCT2 scores did not increase; however, the SRI scores did increase for all the students. Future research that replicates this study may be conducted with various grades and schools in Leese County School District to determine if the findings of the study can be duplicated. Also, research could address the age or grade at which to focus more intently on reading interventions. Students who are too low for READ 180 need an intervention or program. A high school reading intervention would benefit high school students and help reduce the dropout rate. Motivation and student behavior for middle and high school students requires more research.

This study investigated the effectiveness of the READ 180 balanced literacy program in addressing the problem of low reading achievement among urban minority high school students. Research has shown low reading achievement to negatively impact academic and economic success. Holdaway's theory of natural literacy, which suggests reading instruction should be purposeful and realistic, supports READ 180 as a remedial intervention. The specific purpose of the study was to evaluate READ 180 in relation to improving classroom reading achievement, standardized language arts test scores, and graduation rates among students in a low-income, high-minority urban high school. Subjects were 2 cohorts of students consisting of 619 enrolled in READ 180 during the school year of 2007-2008 and 358 students enrolled in READ 180 during the school year of 2010-2011 at an urban high school in New Jersey. Following a goals-based program evaluation design, a paired difference t test was used to evaluate classroom reading achievement; a chi-square test was used to evaluate graduation rates; and a multiple regression analysis controlling for initial status was used to evaluate performance on the standardized language arts test. Findings indicated moderate improvement in classroom reading achievement, no improvement in graduation rates, and strong improvement in standardized test scores only for English learners. Results suggested that a balanced literacy program such as READ 180 may provide effective reading remediation for English learners in low-income urban areas, thereby promoting social change through increased academic success and upward economic mobility.

The purpose of this study was to compare the achievement of students in reading-language arts and math, who participated in the Scholastic READ 180 program within self-contained classroom organizations with the achievement of READ 180 students within departmentalized classrooms and with students not enrolled in READ 180. Classroom organizational structure at the intermediate grade is a highly debated issue. The READ 180 program is a highly structured model of the reading-language arts block. However, past research has provided few recommendations on how to schedule classes for at-risk students. Teachers and administrators of intermediate school students will benefit from a quantitative study that evaluates the relationship between classroom organizational structures and the success of READ 180 students. Eight research questions guided the study. One-way and two-way ANOVAS were used to evaluate the relationships between the variables. Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP Reading-language arts and TCAP Math), Discovery Education (DE Reading-language arts and DE math), and Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) test scores were compared with regard to gender. The results of the data analyses indicated no significant difference in DE reading and SRI test scores among the 3 classroom organizations. However, there was a significant difference in DE Math, TCAP reading, and TCAP math scores with regard to classroom organization. Non READ 180 students tended to have higher means than either READ 180 self-contained or READ 180 departmentalized students. When the analyses included only READ 180 students, no significant interaction was found between classroom organization and gender. Also no significant differences were found between male and female students and no significant difference was found between self-contained and departmentalized classrooms.

Read 180 is a research-based reading intervention program. One local district implemented the program to improve student performance on the state assessment, and after a year of implementation, nearly half of the students in the district studied still did not make adequate progress in reading. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' perceptions of and experiences with the use of Read 180 in secondary reading classrooms. Guided by Carroll's framework on the critical aspects of implementation, the study examined teachers' perceptions of (a) availability of resources necessary to adhere to the program's design, (b) ample class time to ensure adequate dosage, (c) preparedness to deliver the curriculum, and (d) benefits for student achievement. From a list of 22 Read 180 teachers, 10 teachers were chosen through simple random sampling and invited to participate in this qualitative case study. All 10 teachers agreed to be interviewed. Triangulation of interview interpretations was accomplished using field notes and member checking. Open coding and its subsequent refinement revealed that teachers had positive perceptions about Read 180 and its potential to improve student achievement, but identified a variety of areas for improvement: access to all materials and computers, ample class time, on-going training, and appropriate placement of students in the program. These findings suggest that a more robust execution of Read 180 could lead to positive social change by improving students' literacy skills, reducing the dropout rate, and preparing students for college and careers.

READ 180 is an intensive reading intervention program designed to meet the needs of students whose reading achievement is below the proficient level. The program addresses individual learning styles through adaptive software, interesting literature, and direct instruction with reading skills. The purpose of this study was to compare the achievement of academically at-risk students in Sevier County Public Schools in East Tennessee who participated in the READ 180 pilot program with the achievement of their academically at-risk peers not enrolled in the intervention program before and after its implementation in order to assess the reading intervention program. The Sevier County school system, after extensive study and involved research, decided to allocate over $750,000 into the READ 180 reading intervention program at the beginning of the 2004-2005 school year. The study included students in grades 5 and 7 who participated in the READ 180 pilot program and their at-risk peers in grades 5 and 7 who did not participate in the READ 180 program. The select group of at-risk students participated in READ 180 as a pilot program to determine the impact of the program upon each student's academic achievement. The students were selected for the study based upon their composite reading TCAP score being in the lowest quartile, thus deeming the student at-risk. Test scores reported for 2004 and 2005 on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program were obtained from the Sevier County school system's records. Comparisons were made on the TCAP total reading-language scores, total math scores, gender, and socioeconomic assessments. Differences between the program's groups (READ 180 at-risk participants and nonparticipants) on "pre-READ 180" scores were measured using two 3-way ANOVA models, one for 5th grade and one for 7th grade. Results from the study showed that READ 180 was significantly associated with the success for many of the at-risk students whether by gender, socioeconomic status, or overall student numbers as compared to their at-risk counterparts who were not enrolled in the READ 180 program.

The foundation for the present study was based on the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001), Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) 2004, and Florida Response to Intervention (RTI) (Florida RTI, 2009). In line with the NCLB Act, Florida requires students to pass the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) on grade level in order to graduate (FL-DOE, 2001). In alignment with the RTI framework, READ 180 is presently being implemented as a Tier 2 intervention with adolescent struggling readers across the nation. The methodology for this research was a retrospective research design, with the use of multiple regression and logistic regression models which are consistent with the purpose. Neither of the analyses indicated a significant relationship between READ 180 and the attainment of the minimum yearly gain on the developmental scale score (DSS) of the reading portion of the FCAT. The data analyses supported previous research results indicating that students who are identified as White, from non-low SES families, and not identified with a disability, have more academic success. The results indicated that the regular classroom with reading strategies instruction was just as effective for promoting reading achievement as the separate classroom with specific reading instruction. Because students who participated in the intensive reading intervention forfeit the opportunity to participate in other courses, policy makers and educators need to weigh carefully the costs and benefits of such programs.