SRA/McGraw-Hill's Imagine It! Elementary Reading and Language Arts Curricula Approved by the California State Board of Education

The California State Board of Education has approved SRA/McGraw-Hill's Imagine It! reading and language arts programs for Grades K-6 for the 2008 Reading/Language Arts-English-Language Development adoption list.

Input from California educators helped shape every aspect of SRA Imagine It! SRA developed three program options that meet varied teaching and learning needs.

Imagine It! is the core K-6 program, designed to meet California State Standards. The curriculum:

  -- Focuses on key reading comprehension skills and strategies
  -- Provides daily writing instruction and practice
  -- Develops higher-order thinking with a strong Inquiry strand
  -- Meets the needs of all learners with built-in Differentiated
     Instruction techniques and materials
  -- Includes 30 minutes of embedded English Learner instruction

Imagine It! English Language Development (ELD) is an expanded version of Imagine It! specifically designed for teachers with students whose primary language is not English. Imagine It! ELD:

  -- Features an additional hour of daily ELD instruction
  -- Promotes listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills

Imaginalo! helps students develop Spanish literacy that can be used in combination with Imagine It! or alone. This program:

  -- Uses a syllabic approach to teach reading
  -- Includes authentic Spanish literature
  -- Contains themes that align with Imagine It!

"For more than two decades, SRA programs have been represented on California's state-approved reading and language arts list," said Dan Caton, president of SRA. "Our programs have been proven to work in all types of California districts - from rural, to suburban, to urban. California teachers can continue to trust our programs to build students' literacy skills at all levels."

SRA's reading programs have already helped many students in California make progress. For example, Alum Rock Union School District, Los Angeles Unified School District, and Oakland Unified School District have all been recipients of the prestigious Pride of SRA Academic Recognition Awards. Videos, photos, and success stories are available on SRAonline.com by clicking on the Pride of SRA icon.

Oakland Unified School District has experienced strong gains on the California Standards Test with SRA reading programs. From 2003 to 2007, the percentage of Grade 2 students scoring Proficient or Advanced has increased from 27 to 42%. The percentage of Grade 5 students passing reading has likewise increased by 14 points.

Alum Rock Union Elementary School District officials also believe implementing the reading/language arts curriculum from SRA has contributed greatly to the district's success. The program was adopted district-wide in Grades K-5 in September 2001. Before the adoption, only 14% of students in Grade 2 scored Proficient or Advanced on the English Language Arts portion of the California Standards Test. By 2006, a record 39% of students scored at that same level.

Since Los Angeles Unified School District adopted SRA's reading program in 2000 and 2002, the district has consistently improved state test scores. For example, the percentage of LAUSD elementary school students scoring in the Early Advanced or Advanced Proficiency levels on California's English Language Development Test increased from 13% in 2006 to 30% in 2007. That constituted a jump of 17 percentage points in just one year and was higher than the statewide average of 26%. In addition, more than 13% of LAUSD English learners enrolled in the 2006-2007 school year were reclassified to fluent English proficient, compared to California's 9%.

Marysville Joint Unified School District in northern California has seen consistent increases on the Academic Performance Index (API) among all students and subgroups of students, thanks in part to SRA's reading program, adopted in 1999. The API has increased from 618 in 2002 to 721 in 2008.

  To view Imagine It! Efficacy Reports, visit:
  ImagineItReading.com/ENG_US/bp_efficacy.php

  About Imagine It!

Imagine It! is the result of 45 years of research and field study. All three programs meet the California Criteria, Standards, and Framework, as well as all of the elements recommended by the National Reading Panel: instruction in phonological and phonemic awareness, explicit phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The programs cover all daily Reading, Language Arts, and Writing curriculum requirements, while meeting all of the standards for Science and Social Studies. Imagine It! fully integrates state-of-the-art technology tools to enhance learning.

The Imagine It! authors, who are researchers themselves, continue to update the program as new studies are published revealing the latest findings on effective instructional methods. For more information, visit ImagineItReading.com.

About SRA/McGraw-Hill

SRA/McGraw-Hill is the top provider of specialized research-based educational programs and professional development for the elementary market. Leading programs include SRA Imagine It! reading program, Direct Instruction, SRA Number Worlds, additional core and supplemental programs. SRA is part of McGraw-Hill Education, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP). McGraw-Hill Education is a leading global provider of instructional, assessment, and reference solutions that empower professionals and students of all ages. McGraw-Hill Education has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 60 languages. Additional information is available at mheducation.com. For more information on SRA/McGraw-Hill's products, call 1- 888-SRA-4543 and visit SRAonline.com.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

SOURCE: McGraw-Hill Education

CONTACT: Suzanne Toney
SRA-McGraw-Hill
(614) 750-7286
suzanne_toney@mcgraw-hill.com
Melina Metzger
Paul Werth Associates
(614) 224-8114 Ext. 236
mmetzger@paulwerth.com

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