Accelerated Reader Overview DEIC Proposal November 3, 2014

Sharyland ISD will implement the Accelerated Reader Program with fidelity, and our district guidelines will be aligned to research-based best practices.

What AR Is and Is Not What AR Is Progress-monitoring and personalized practice tool Can inform and support direct, explicit reading instruction Assesses whether students have read books What AR Is Not Is not a core curriculum or supplemental reading program Does not take the place of a teacher or provide reading instruction Is not a general assessment of reading ability

Four Components of Reading Practice Goal Reading Range (ZPD-Zone of Proximal Development)—attained through the AR Star Reading test. It is the range of book levels that will challenge a student without causing frustration. Points—used to keep track of how much reading a student has completed Avg. Percent Correct—determines comprehension. Greatest gains are made by students at averages of 85% and above. Daily Reading Time – Amount of time set aside for independent reading

Recommendation 1 Administer AR Star test at beginning, middle, and end of year to determine each student’s ZPD. Justification: Practicing with books that are too hard results in frustration. Practicing with books that are too easy does little to improve skills and leads to boredom.

GEZPD30 Min. Points per 6 Wks … Partial Goal Setting Chart

Clarification on Difference between BL and IL The book level (BL) represents the difficulty of the text. The interest level (IL) is based on a book’s themes and ideas and indicates for which age group a book is appropriate. Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, BL: 4.4, IL: upper grades, 10 points Anfousse’s Arthur Throws a Tantrum, BL: 4.9, IL: lower grades, 1 point Interest Levels LG = Lower Grades (K-3) MG = Middle Grades (4-8) MG+ = Upper Middle Grades (6 and up) UG = Upper Grades (9-12).

Recommendation 2 Set AR Points to reflect 30 minutes of daily reading time based on each student’s ZPD Justification: Each point goal should be individualized, fair, and realistic. Students receive approximately 15 minutes of independent reading time during the school day. Fifteen minutes a day is a reasonable amount of reading time expected from students outside of the instructional day.

Recommendation 3 Expect students to attain at least 85% Correct Justification: Average Percent Correct is the most important goal of AR. The most significant gains are associated with high averages on AR quizzes. Meeting this goal has significant impact on reading growth.

Recommendation 4 Students in Kindergarten who are emergent readers and receive a non-score on AR Star test will use a reading log to monitor their reading progress. Justification: Requiring these students to use the AR program as non-readers results in frustration. Reading should be a positive experience.

Challenging Students Are we lowering our standards? No, we are setting individual goals for each student. These goals are made up of four criterion. (Average percent correct, daily reading time, total points earned and average book level on passed quizzes) How can I ensure my students are challenged? Monitoring their progress toward all four goals. Adjusting their goals every reporting period to reflect the goals they have already met.

Overview of Recommendations Administer AR Star test at BOY, MOY and EOY. Set AR Points to reflect 30 minutes of daily reading time based on each student’s ZPD Expect all students to test on their level with 85% accuracy. Non-readers will not test on AR.

Sources Renaissance Learning. “Getting Results with Accelerated Reader.” PDF file. Renaissance Learning. “Understanding Reliability and Validity” PDF file.