Districts in Illinois and Wisconsin Deploy Lexia Reading Core5 -- THE Journal

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Districts in Illinois and Wisconsin Deploy Lexia Reading Core5

By Christopher Piehler
06/08/15

More than 350 schools and districts in in Illinois and Wisconsin have implemented personalized instructional technology Lexia Reading Core5.

Berwyn South School District 100 (IL) deployed Reading Core5 across all elementary schools at the beginning of the 2014–2015 school year. According to Colleen Cummings, director of special education at the district, “Our struggling readers needed a structured reading program like Lexia that applies proven research, science and methodologies to accelerate fundamental literacy skills acquisition.”

Cummings said that mid-year results from Berwyn South showed significant progress among students who were categorized as at high risk of not meeting end-of-year benchmarks. When they consistently met their recommended minutes on the program, the number of at-risk students was reduced by more than half—from 32 percent to 15 percent between September 2014 and February 2015.

Another district using Lexia Reading Core 5 is West Allis-West Milwaukee School District (WI). Jill Ries, the district’s K-12 instructional services coordinator, decided to use the program for all pre-K-5 students across the district because “above grade-level students get enrichment and our struggling readers get far more than a phonics or decoding program.” Ries also uses Lexia’s Assessment Without Testing technology, which “gathers student performance data without administering a test,” she said. “It provides our teachers and intervention specialists with real-time reports on student progress as well as individualized action plans that recommend targeted instructional strategies and structured lessons.”

Lexia Reading Core5 is designed to provide a personalized learning path for each student, including scaffolding and explicit instruction that supports students if they struggle. Each of the 18 levels of age-appropriate, skill-specific activities aligns to state standards, including the Common Core State Standards.

About the Author

Christopher Piehler is the former editor-in-chief of THE Journal.

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