National Results for the 2019-2020 School Year

Summary of Findings:

Despite nationwide school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students in all tier groups who engaged in the recommended amount of Reading Plus instruction over the course of the 2019-2020 school year achieved expected growth on par with prior year results. Reading Plus students significantly increased their capacity to comprehend increasingly complex texts. Students who completed more Reading Plus lessons achieved significantly larger gains than their peers who engaged in little or no Reading Plus lessons.

Study Design:

This report describes the reading progress achieved by Reading Plus students who were enrolled in grades 2 through 12 during the 2019-2020 school year. The focus of the report is on students who completed the Reading Plus InSight silent reading assessment on at least two occasions, once near the start of the school year and again during the spring, so that growth over the school year could be measured.

Students Excluded

Students for whom valid reading rates could not be calculated.

Distribution of Students:

  • Elementary School (Grades 2 through 5) n=39,447
  • Middle School (Grades 6 through 8) n=123,730
  • High School (Grades 9 through 12) n=72,602

Key Results:

More intensive use of Reading Plus is recommended for students who are reading below grade level and need to catch up with their peers.