Waterford Graded School District
Waterford, Wisconsin
Waterford Graded School District comprises three PK-5 elementary schools and one 6-8 middle school. District educators strive to close the achievement gap (measured as on-track to graduation) and accelerate the academic growth of its students. One tool teachers use to achieve that goal is Reading Plus.
Reading Plus continually collects student data and one of the most impressive features, according to educators, is SeeReader, where the program tracks a student’ independent reading rate. It then adapts to each student’s abilities, giving them the right lessons at the right time.
DreamBox Reading's Impact
Waterford has found that Reading Plus helps them meet the needs for student intervention and accelerated student enrichment. As an intervention tool, Reading Plus provides intervention for students who need help beyond the universal level in fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, stamina and even motivation. On the other hand, for gifted students, Reading Plus adapts to higher reading levels that challenge their abilities.
Reading Plus recommends to educators that students complete 80+ lessons in a year to see the biggest gains. Students at Waterford Graded School District certainly grew in the 2021-22 school year. Those who completed 80+ lessons grew an average of 3.2 reading levels. Additionally, those who completed 100+ lessons averaged 4.0 reading level gains.
Aegerter knows that Reading Plus is working because it does what it says it will when students use it the recommended amount. It even helps improve fluency when students can’t complete the recommended lessons.
Reading Plus levels the playing field among the students. All groups, from below-level to accelerated students, use Reading Plus, and the results speak for themselves.
2021-2022 Average Reading Level Gains
Along with the proven student growth, educators appreciate the professional development and availability of Discovery Education representatives in implementing the program.
Ongoing professional development is in the works for fall to keep everyone up to date on the nuances, new features and to review last year’s data. All staff have embraced the value of Reading Plus and are open to finding new ways to ensure students have the time and space to complete as many lessons as possible to reach their full potential.
