Reading Plus Selected for District-Wide Implementation at Birch Run Area Schools

Program Will Help Educators Keep Culture of Reading Alive for Students in Grades 3-12

WINOOSKI, Vt., Aug. 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Reading Plus, an evidence-based online program that uses personalized instruction to improve students’ reading proficiency, today announced Michigan’s Birch Run Area Schools will use the literacy software with students in grades 3-12 district-wide*. The decision to implement Reading Plus throughout the district follows a successful 12-week pilot during the last trimester of the 2020-2021 school year.

“We need to keep up the love of reading that our students develop early on as they enter middle and high school,” said Birch Run Area Schools Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jenni Mudge. “Our goal is to use Reading Plus with all students—from those who will benefit from intervention to those who will benefit from enrichment. The program works great for all levels of learners.”

Reading Plus is an adaptive literacy tool designed to support teachers with differentiated instruction for all students, including Tiers 1-3 and multilingual learners. Used by more than 1 million students, Reading Plus improves reading proficiency by 2.5-grade levels in a single school year.

“It is always rewarding for our team to see a direct connection between a district pilot of Reading Plus and a full implementation,” said Steven Guttentag, CEO of Reading Plus. “We’re happy that our program will help facilitate a culture of literacy for students throughout Birch Run Area Schools and look forward to seeing their reading growth accelerated.”

The program holds the highest Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) evidence of effectiveness ranking—level one for “strong evidence”—illustrating a statistically significant effect on improving student outcomes. In 2020, Reading Plus doubled its content library to over 2,500 engaging and diverse selections, to provide students with meaningful representation and culturally responsive texts as they grow into global, lifelong learners.

To learn more about the benefits of Reading Plus, visit www.readingplus.com.

*Except for the Progressive Academy and Early College Academy.

ABOUT READING PLUS
Reading Plus* is an evidence-based, online program that provides personalized instruction and intervention for students, improving reading proficiency by 2.5-grade levels in a single school year. The adaptive literacy program develops fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary, while also measuring student motivation. It supports students with diverse needs, including multilingual learners, students who qualify for special education services, RTI/MTSS Tiers 1–3, and advanced readers. Reading Plus provides educators with an easy-to-use management and reporting system, extensive resources to guide differentiated instruction, professional development, and highly rated customer support. Used in more than 7,800 schools, the Reading Plus program is helping over 1 million students become confident, lifelong readers. For more information, visit www.readingplus.com.

*In July 2021, DreamBox Learning®, the leading education technology provider, announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Reading Plus. The combined programs offer school districts the only dual-discipline solution rated “Strong” by Johns Hopkins’ EvidenceforESSA.org in both mathematics and reading.