Direct Instruction Method Yields Measurable Evidence of Reading Success

McGraw-Hill Education has released a new report called "Results with Reading Mastery," which highlights eight case studies of schools or school districts that increased reading scores despite a variety of challenges.

The examples serve as inspiring models of effective teaching practices, and all of the sources credit the significant increases in their students' literacy skills to Reading Mastery, a Direct Instruction program published by SRA/McGraw-Hill. The report was released in partnership with the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the Council of Chief State School Officers.

"We support the spirit of this report, which focuses on getting results in the classroom. It exemplifies how schools and districts can identify barriers to learning and implement effective solutions that impact academic growth and ensure student success," said Dr. Thomas Houlihan, executive director, Council of Chief State School Officers.

"We commend the schools profiled in this report for their leadership and the collaborative actions taken by educators to address learning challenges and build a curriculum that improves literacy skills," explained Gene Carter, executive director and chief executive officer, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Direct Instruction is based on a method of teaching pioneered by Siegfried "Zig" Engelmann in the 1960s. Reading Mastery is a comprehensive, complete reading and language arts program for Grades Pre-K to 6 that focuses on phonemic awareness; systematic, explicit phonics; and direct teaching of vocabulary and concepts useful in school. As students progress, level-appropriate materials help build comprehension strategies, provide rich experiences with quality literature, and bolster connections to other subject areas.

  The profiles in the report include:
   * Barren County School District, Glasgow, Ky.
   * Barton Elementary School, Milwaukee, Wis.
   * Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
   * Franklin Academy, Wake Forest, N. C.
   * Louisa May Alcott Elementary School, Cleveland, Ohio
   * Pineview Elementary School, Tallahassee, Fla.
   * Portland Elementary School, Portland, Ark.
   * Wilson Primary School, Phoenix, Ariz.

Each profile includes a written description of the school's student population, history of problems with poor reading, writing and comprehension skills, steps taken to strengthen the school's reading programs, and graphs of measurable results. Readers are also encouraged to contact the schools' leaders for additional information. Updates are also provided on Fort Worth (Texas) Independent School District and Roland Park Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore, Md.

"The reason for high achievement on tests is because Reading Mastery has improved students' ability to read technical information," said Maureen Berg, principal of Louisa May Alcott Elementary School. "We believe Direct Instruction is an outstanding methodology."

Review the Report

The report may be downloaded at http://www.mheducation.com/news_room/MHE_results/MHE_results.htm. To request printed copies of the report, contact: Dr. Charlotte Frank, senior vice president, McGraw-Hill Education, Research and Development, (212) 512-6512, charlotte_frank@mcgraw-hill.com.

About McGraw-Hill Education

McGraw-Hill Education is a leading global provider of electronic and print products for the pre-K through 12th grade, higher education and professional markets. It is a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), a global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's and BusinessWeek. Founded in 1888, the Corporation has more than 280 offices in 37 countries. Sales in 2004 were $5.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mheducation.com/ .

   Contacts:  April Hattori                    Tom Stanton
              McGraw-Hill Education            McGraw-Hill Education
              (212) 904-2078                   (212) 904-3214
              april_hattori@mcgraw-hill.com    tom_stanton@mcgraw-hill.com

SOURCE: McGraw-Hill Education

CONTACT: April Hattori, +1-212-904-2078, april_hattori@mcgraw-hill.com,
or Tom Stanton, +1-212-904-3214, tom_stanton@mcgraw-hill.com, both of
McGraw-Hill Education

Web site: http://www.mheducation.com/