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System 44: David Douglas School District

At a glance

  • Demonstrates a Rationale
  • Programs: System 44®, Read 180®
  • Subjects: Literacy Curriculum, Intervention Curriculum
  • Report Type: Efficacy Study
  • Grade Level: Middle, High
  • Region: West
  • District Urbanicity: Suburban
  • District Size: Large
  • Implementation Model: 80+ Minutes, Connected Implementation (2+ HMH programs)
  • District: David Douglas School District, OR
  • Participants: N=280
  • Outcome Measure: Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS), Phonics Inventory
  • Evaluation Period: 2012–2013
  • Study Conducted by: Scholastic Research

Read 180 now incorporates the comprehensive foundational literacy skills scope and sequence from System 44.

Overview

Middle and high school students demonstrate improved achievement on OAKS.

System 44 was implemented during the 2012–2013 school year in David Douglas School District. The district serves approximately 10,538 students at nine elementary schools, three middle schools, and one high school. The district’s student population is 43% White, 25% Hispanic, 15% Asian, 10% African American, 6% multiracial, 1% Pacific Islander, and <1% American Indian. Fourteen percent of students have disabilities, 20% receive English learner (EL) and English language development (ELD) services, and 80% are economically disadvantaged.

The district used System 44 with 309 students in three middle schools and one high school. System 44 was primarily implemented in the district using a stand-alone model for 85 minutes each day or every other day. The remaining students used an integrated model with READ 180® for 85 minutes each day. Of the 309 students enrolled in the program, 280 were included in the analytic sample. Of these students, the majority were Asian (30%) followed by White (28%), Hispanic (21%), African American (18%), Pacific Islander (2%), and American Indian (1%). Forty-one percent were students with disabilities, and 65% were limited-English proficient (LEP).

Results

Phonics Inventory® and Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS) data were collected and analyzed for students who used the program during the 2012–2013 school year. Phonics Inventory outcomes showed positive gains for the System 44 students on measures of decoding and fluency. Analysis of Phonics Inventory Decoding Status showed that the percentage of System 44 students identified as Developing Decoder or Advancing Decoder increased from the first Phonics Inventory assessment to the last; whereas, the percentage of students identified as Pre-Decoder or Beginning Decoder decreased (Graph 1). System 44 students also made gains in Phonics Inventory Total Fluency from the first Phonics Inventory assessment to the last, with over half of students (55%) demonstrating a 4+ point increase in fluency.

Results from OAKS also revealed improvements in System 44 students’ mastery of the Oregon reading standards. As Graph 2 displays, the percentage of students whose performance level was Nearly Meets or Meets or Exceeds increased from spring 2012 to spring 2013; whereas, the percentage of students whose performance level was Low or Very Low decreased from spring 2012 to spring 2013. Eighty-two percent of System 44 students demonstrated RIT growth on OAKS.

2 1 David Douglas Graph 1

GRAPH 1. David Douglas School District System 44 Students, Grades 6–12 (N=280) Performance on Phonics Inventory by Decoding Status, 2012–2013

2 1 David Douglas Graph 2

GRAPH 2. David Douglas School District System 44 Students, Grades 6–12 (N=176) Performance on OAKS, 2012–2013