KIPP Raices Academy Finds Remarkable Success Using Open Court Reading for Kindergarten

Principal Amber Young knew she had hit a milestone when almost every kindergartner at KIPP Raices Academy could read before winter break. Young attributes SRA/McGraw-Hill's Open Court Reading as playing a pivotal role in this achievement.

"The school year isn't even half-way over and almost all of our students are decoding," she said. "Ninety percent of the kindergartners are scoring 80 percent or higher on standards based assessments."

According to Young, Open Court Reading was a natural choice for KIPP Raices' curriculum. She said many of her teachers had found success with the program in the past and teachers that have never tried it are raving about the results.

"I love the way Open Court Reading is very structured and the way it ties into California standards," she said. "Plus, the teachers love that they can pick and choose their favorite activities. When they are excited about the lessons they're teaching, the students benefit."

KIPP Raices Academy is a kindergarten program located in East Los Angeles. It opened in August 2008. Principal Young said the reading achievement is remarkable for the area. Ninety-seven percent of students are Hispanic/Latino, 3 percent are African-American, and 90 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Currently 20 percent of students in East Los Angeles complete the courses necessary to attend college, and Young hopes to change that percentage.

For the 2009-2010 school year, KIPP is adopting SRA/McGraw-Hill's Imagine It! program.

About KIPP Raices Academy

KIPP Raices Academy is an accelerated kindergarten program located in East Los Angeles. The school is part of the KIPP organization, a network of high-achieving, publicly financed but independently run charter schools serving mostly low-income minority children in 19 states and Washington, D.C. KIPP stands for Knowledge Is Power Program. KIPP Academies have sustained track records of high student achievement. While fewer than one in five low-income students attend college nationally, KIPP's college matriculation rate stands at more than 80 percent for students who complete Grade 8 at KIPP.

  A video about KIPP Raices is available at http://blip.tv/file/1393659.

  About Open Court Reading

Open Court Reading is a leading Pre-K-6 reading and language arts program published by SRA/McGraw-Hill. Developed from 45 years of intense study and field-testing, Open Court Reading incorporates sound teaching practices from scientific research. In the schools and districts where the program has been implemented, not only have students' reading test scores increased, but teachers and principals also are seeing gains in student achievement overall.

SRA's newest reading and language arts program is called Imagine It! The California State Board of Education 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. For more information, visit ImagineItReading.com. To view Imagine It! Efficacy Reports, visit, ImagineItReading.com/ENG_US/bp_efficacy.php.

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, and 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.

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

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

SOURCE: SRA/McGraw-Hill

CONTACT: Suzanne Toney of SRA/McGraw-Hill, +1-614-750-7286,
suzanne_toney@mcgraw-hill.com; or Melina Metzger of Paul Werth Associates,
+1-614-224-8114 Ext. 236, or mmetzger@paulwerth.com

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