Building Reading Proficiency at the Secondary Level: A Guide to Resources

What is it? How does it work?

Background:
AR is a computer software program that tracks student reading of leveled trade books. Developers Terrence D. and Judith Paul made it available in the early 1990s and formed the Institute for Academic Excellence for con-tinuing program development. A new companion program, Renaissance Learning, supports teacher professional development.

Overview:
Accelerated Reader (AR) is a computer-based assessment system of student comprehension of some 25,000 books ranging in reading levels from grades one to twelve. Developers Terrence D. and Judith Paul made the program available through Advantage Learning Systems, Inc. in the early 1990s. They formed the Institute for Academic Excellence for continuing program development. Recently, a supporting professional development program called Reading Renasissance has been made available. AR has been implemented widely in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom

First, the AR computer assessment system (called STAR) determines a student's level of reading comprehension, yielding a norm-referenced score. Reliability and validity data for STAR are not provided. The student is placed in a "zone of proximal development" (ZPD) that represents the predicted upper and lower ends of independent reading level. Unlike the Vygotskian term ZPD, AR does not support readers in the construction of meaning.

Students then self-select from books that have been coded by readability level. Readability is calculated through traditional formulas that count words and syllables. Once students have completed reading a book they take a 10-20-item literal-level comprehension test. The management system provides the percentage scores to students, as well as to teachers and librarians, who may then advise students on further choices for reading.

Students are rewarded for reading and performing well on tests by gaining points (determined by the readability level and length of a book). Students gaining many points may be rewarded with prizes.

Studies done by several researchers at the Institute for Academic Excellence have shown growth in mean scores on standardized reading tests for AR students, increased library use, and increased time-on-task reading. Other studies have failed to show statistically significant growth.