Berwyn South SD Ramps Up Reading Intervention

As part of an effort to to boost achievement for struggling readers, Berwyn South School District 100 in Illinois has rolled out a software-based system that allows them to screen individual students and track progress while providing differentiated and guided instruction.

Berwyn South began piloting Lexia Software's Lexia Reading system in fall 2009 as part of its response to intervention strategy, specifically for the purpose of "gathering student performance data in a timely manner and in a usable fashion," according to a Lexia spokesperson. The district then began deploying the system in January 210 and expanded its use further in March.

Lexia Reading is a hosted, Web-based reading development platform that includes software for three reading levels--Early Reading, Primary Reading, and Strategies for Older Students. It incorporates assessments and tracking features to help enable differentiated instruction and includes more than 900 skill development activities.

"Lexia Reading is a program that has 'some real teeth,' especially for those older students who struggle with decoding and other proficiency issues," said Nancy Simanek, a literature teacher at Berwyn's Heritage Middle School, in a release issued by Lexia.

Berwyn South is one of more than 700 schools and districts in Illinois that are using Lexia, according to the company, including schools in Berwyn, Bourbonnais, Des Plaines, and Chicago.

"We targeted our 'Safe Harbor' scores for ELL students and students with disabilities since these two subgroups did not make Adequate Yearly Progress under NCLB," said Javier Arriola-Lopez, principal of Rachel Carson Elementary, part of Chicago Public Schools. "We provided Lexia services before school four days a week and included it during guided reading as a center activity. Using Lexia's data reporting features, teachers were able to monitor student progress and adjust instruction. As a result, Carson School made Adequate Yearly Progress for the first time in three years."

Berwyn South School District 100 serves about 4,100 students in six elementary schools and two middle schools.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


Featured

  • glowing digital brain-shaped neural network surrounded by charts, graphs, and data visualizations

    Google Launches Advanced AI Model for Complex Reasoning Tasks

    Google has introduced Gemini 2.5 Deep Think, an advanced artificial intelligence model designed for complex reasoning tasks.

  • teacher writing on whiteboard in office

    It's Never Too Early to Plan for Back-to-School

    School's out for summer, but teacher planning and purchasing for the upcoming year has only just begun.

  • red brick school building with a large yellow "AI" sign above its main entrance

    New National Academy for AI Instruction to Provide Free AI Training for Educators

    In an effort to "transform how artificial intelligence is taught and integrated into classrooms across the United States," the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), in partnership with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, and the United Federation of Teachers, is launching the National Academy for AI Instruction, a $23 million initiative that will provide access to free AI training and curriculum for all AFT members, beginning with K-12 educators.

  • magnifying glass highlighting a human profile silhouette, set over a collage of framed icons including landscapes, charts, and education symbols

    New AI Detector Identifies AI-Generated Multimedia Content

    Amazon Web Services and DeepBrain AI have launched AI Detector, an enterprise-grade solution designed to identify and manage AI-generated content across multiple media types. The collaboration targets organizations in government, finance, media, law, and education sectors that need to validate content authenticity at scale.