WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis., April 23 /PRNewswire/ — Renaissance Learning today announced that the company’s reading practice software, Accelerated Reader (AR), was given high marks by the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC). The rating means the program has “evidence of a positive effect with no overriding contrary evidence.”
The What Works Clearinghouse was established in 2002 by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. No Child Left Behind’s emphasis on ensuring that all students meet high standards has increased the demand for evidence of “what works” in education. The WWC helps educators and policymakers identify credible and reliable evidence to make informed decisions about educational products.
“We’re pleased What Works Clearinghouse confirmed what educators have known for 21 years – Accelerated Reader works and meets the highest standards of scientific rigor,” said Eric Stickney, Director of Education Research for Renaissance Learning, Inc. “This makes a trifecta for AR, with the WWC report coming on the heels of favorable reviews from the federally funded Florida Center for Reading Research and National Center on Student Progress Monitoring.”
Accelerated Reader is used in more than 60,000 schools, well over half the schools in the United States. According to What Works Clearinghouse, Accelerated Reader “is a computer program that facilitates reading practice by providing students and teachers feedback from quizzes based on the books students read. The program gives students the opportunity to practice reading books at their level, provides feedback on student comprehension of books and helps students establish goals for their reading.”
About Renaissance Learning
Renaissance Learning, Inc. is a leading provider of technology for personalizing reading, math, and writing instruction and practice in pre-K-12 schools and districts. Adopted by more than 71,000 North American schools, Renaissance Learning products provide teachers with ongoing feedback to inform instruction, make data driven decisions, motivate students, dramatically accelerate learning, and improve test scores. Renaissance Learning has seven U.S. locations and subsidiaries in Canada, India, and the United Kingdom.
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Source: Renaissance Learning, Inc.
