Professional Development: Blog

The Science of Learning

June 17, 2014
K-12 Schools Double Reading Gains Using Cognitive Intervention From Scientific Learning, Three Days A Week

Scientific Learning Corp. announces a new three-day protocol to give educators more flexibility in offering the Fast ForWord language and literacy intervention  6/17/14 Media Contact: Hallie SmithDirector of MarketingScientific Learning Corporation(619) [email protected] Investor Contact:Jane FreemanChief Financial OfficerScientific Learning Corporation(510) [email protected] Oakland, Calif. — June 17, 2014 —Between Common Core and state testing requirements, school days are filled and space for additional activities is limited. This poses a challenge to millions of struggling learners, who need regular access to interventions in order to achieve academically. To provide K-12 schools with expanded options to treat the underlying cause of language and reading difficulties, once and for all, Scientific Learning Corp. (OTCQB:SCIL) today announces a new, shorter three-day protocol. The new three-day protocol will allow preK-12 schools to bring the benefits of the Fast ForWord language, literacy and reading intervention to more students fewer days per week, making it easier to integrate the program into their daily class schedules. The award-winning program was developed by neuroscientists to address foundational language and literacy skills, while concurrently developing memory, attention, processing and sequencing skills. The three-day, 30- and 50-minute protocols for the Fast ForWord program provide more implementation flexibility for schools, particularly those that have shorter class schedules or fewer workstations available to students. In keeping with its dedication to researching effectiveness, Scientific Learning conducted studies comparing the standard five-day, 30-minute protocol to the new three-day, 50-minute protocol and found comparable benefits. It also analyzed data collected from elementary, middle and high schools using a 30-minute protocol just three days per week, and found that these students also showed significant gains as well, although over a longer time period. For example, third graders in a California district made nine months of growth in only two months of Fast ForWord use, while high school students in New York made one […]

April 14, 2014
Murray County Schools Improves State Test Scores And Graduation Rate Using Fast ForWord And Reading Assistant Programs

Scientific Learning Corp. names Murray County the first National Leadership Center in Georgia in recognition of its exemplary implementation of the online reading programs 4/14/14 Media Contact: Hallie SmithDirector of MarketingScientific Learning Corporation(619) [email protected] Investor Contact:Jane FreemanChief Financial OfficerScientific Learning Corporation(510) [email protected] Oakland, Calif. — April 14, 2014 — Scientific Learning Corp. (OTCQB:SCIL) has named Murray County Schools a National Leadership Center due to strong student achievement gains after the use of the Fast ForWord® and Reading Assistant™ programs. The district is the first National Leadership Center in Georgia and one of only four across the United States. “We believe that all children can learn and that high expectations result in high achievement,” said Dr. Vickie Reed, superintendent of Murray County Schools. “In our own research, we see a strong correlation between students’ use of the Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant programs and improved performance on the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) and End of Course Tests.” A high-poverty district, Murray County Schools began using the Fast ForWord online reading intervention in 2010 to help a group of high school students who were struggling in English language arts. Based on the students’ success, the district expanded the Fast ForWord program and implemented the Reading Assistant online reading tool in all 11 elementary, middle and high schools. “From 2011 to 2013, the percentage of our students in grades 3-8 meeting or exceeding state standards on the CRCT in reading rose from 94 percent to 98 percent,” said Allison G. Oxford, Ed.S., director of instructional support services for Murray County Schools. “In 2013, the cohort graduation rate for our two high schools was 90 percent, compared to 78 percent for the state of Georgia.” As a National Leadership Center, Murray County Schools will serve as an education demonstration showcase for other schools and districts seeking guidance on how to best use the Fast ForWord and […]

February 18, 2014
A Once-Struggling District, St. Mary Parish Public Schools is Now Among the Top Third in the State of Louisiana

District officials say the use of neuroscience-based software from Scientific Learning Corp. helped students build cognitive and reading skills for improved learning 2/18/14 Media Contact: Hallie SmithDirector of MarketingScientific Learning Corporation(619) [email protected] Investor Contact:Jane FreemanChief Financial OfficerScientific Learning Corporation(510) [email protected] Oakland, Calif. — Feb. 18, 2014 — After struggling for years to raise low student performance, the St. Mary Parish School System (SMPSS) in Centerville, La. has earned its second consecutive “B” letter grade rating from the Louisiana Department of Education. Thanks to its continued, consistent growth in academic achievement, the rural school district now ranks in the top third of the 74 Louisiana school districts receiving performance score ratings. For years, the district’s high stakes test scores lagged behind the state average. Some schools had been in Academic Assistance — a designation for schools that fail to grow sufficiently — for nearly 10 years. In the 2006-07 school year, the district began using Fast ForWord® products with seven schools that were in Academic Assistance. Fast ForWord is an online reading intervention that uses the principles of neuroplasticity — the ability of the brain to rewire and improve — to treat the underlying cause of language and reading difficulties, once and for all. “Through deliberate, collaborative action, the St. Mary Parish School System has realized significant growth in numerous student groupings including a considerable narrowing of the achievement gap among subgroups,” said Dr. Donald Aguillard, superintendent of St. Mary Parish Schools. “We began using Fast ForWord products in 2007 to promote learning and build a climate for students to realize success.  We did not know at the time that Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant would dramatically transform the educational landscape of our entire school district.  Today, we resemble a highly progressive, dynamic, educational organization focused on student learning and academic progress.” […]

December 3, 2013
Struggling Students In Hoke County Schools Achieve Significant Gains After Using The Fast ForWord And Reading Assistant Programs

12/3/13 Media Contact: Hallie SmithDirector of MarketingScientific Learning Corporation(619) [email protected] Investor Contact:Jane FreemanChief Financial OfficerScientific Learning Corporation(510) [email protected] Oakland, Calif. — Dec. 3, 2013 — Scientific Learning Corp. (OTCQB:SCIL) has named Hoke County Schools in North Carolina a National Reference Site due to strong student gains achieved after the use of the Fast ForWord® and Reading Assistant™ programs. The rural district joins a distinguished group of 35 National Reference Site schools and districts in the United States and Canada that exemplify the outstanding use of the online reading programs. The Title I district began using the programs during the 2011-12 school year to help struggling learners improve their reading skills and close achievement gaps. After using the products, students made significantly greater than expected growth on the Reading and Math components of the North Carolina End-of-Grade (EOG) Tests. In addition, the more Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant products students completed, the more their achievement exceeded expectations. “We’re a very high poverty county. Our students come to us way behind in many respects,” said Robert T. Barnes, Jr., assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Hoke County Schools. “We have a good literacy program but we needed something to help bridge the gaps for students who were far behind and bring them up to grade level — and that’s exactly what the Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant programs do. They expedite a child’s ability to learn to read and then to progress forward.” In addition to the EOG Tests, Reading Progress Indicator was also used to evaluate the impact of the Fast ForWord program on students. Initially, students’ reading skills were well below grade level. An average of four months later, the group’s skills had improved by one year. “We’re looking forward to having other schools come in and see how we’re using Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant, and how effective they are,” said Barnes. […]

November 14, 2013
Conner High School Students Significantly Improve ACT Scores After Using Reading Assistant From Scientific Learning Corp.

In the Boone County, Kentucky high school’s innovative Reading for College Success class, 89 percent of struggling readers increase ACT Reading scores after using online reading tool 11/14/13 Media Contact: Hallie SmithDirector of MarketingScientific Learning Corporation(619) [email protected] Investor Contact:Jane FreemanChief Financial OfficerScientific Learning Corporation(510) [email protected] Oakland, Calif. — Nov. 14, 2013 — According to a 2012 report by ACT®, far too many students graduate from high school ill-prepared for the academic rigors of college. Indeed, in 2012, only 52 percent of all ACT-tested high school graduates met the College Readiness Benchmark in Reading. To help close the gap between college eligibility and college readiness, Conner High School in Hebron, Ky. has created an innovative Reading for College Success course for struggling readers, which incorporates the Reading Assistant™ program from Scientific Learning Corp.(OTCQB:SCIL). After using the online reading tool for an average of four months, 89 percent of students achieved significant increases in their ACT Reading scores and 33 percent tested out of the intervention by reaching the ACT benchmark score. “Our school has a shared vision where all students will graduate college- and career-ready, and experience success after high school,” said Andrew Wyckoff, a teacher at Conner High School.“Each day, we strive to make that vision a reality and Reading Assistant is helping us achieve that vision,” said Vicki Berberich, a curriculum coach at Conner High School Part of the Boone County School District, Conner High School uses the ACT Educational Planning and Assessment System tests, including the EXPLORE® in eighth grade, PLAN® in 10th grade, and ACT in 11th grade. Conner High students who fall below criterion in Reading on the EXPLORE or the PLAN are placed on Reading Assistant and periodically re-tested with practice versions of the ACT. Reading Assistant is the only online reading tool that uses speech recognition to correct and support students […]

August 21, 2013
Schools Reduce Special Ed Referrals, Save Money, And Improve Test Scores With Fast ForWord And Reading Assistant Programs

8/21/13 Media Contact: Hallie SmithDirector of MarketingScientific Learning Corporation(619) [email protected] Investor Contact:Jane FreemanChief Financial OfficerScientific Learning Corporation(510) [email protected] Oakland, Calif. — Aug. 21, 2013 — Students with disabilities drop out at twice the rate of their peers, and 80 percent never learn to read proficiently. Even more alarming is the fact that only three percent of students who enter special education ever exit. To reduce special education referrals and get struggling learners back on track, schools across the country are turning to the Fast ForWord® and Reading Assistant™ online programs from Scientific Learning Corp. (OTCQB:SCIL). In Ware County Schools in Georgia and the Show Low Unified School District in Arizona, schools using the programs have significantly reduced the number of students referred to special education, while improving student performance on state tests. Fast ForWord is different from other reading interventions because it targets the root cause of learning issues, like weaknesses in phonemic awareness, memory, attention and processing. Students using the program can raise their reading skill level up to two years in as little as three months. The Reading Assistant program is the only online reading tool that “listens” to students as they read out loud, intervenes when they struggle, and automatically scores students’ oral reading. It provides individualized online reading coaching for every student, helping them to strengthen vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Ware County Schools, Ga. Part of Ware County Schools, Waresboro Elementary began using the Fast ForWord program as part of its Response to Intervention (RTI) practices in 2009, and added the Reading Assistant program in 2011. From 2009-10 to 2012-13, Waresboro Elementary reduced the number of referrals for Tier 4 (special education) evaluations. “Thanks to our RTI practices and interventions like Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant, our special education referrals are now data-driven and more specific to the individual’s area of need,” said Waresboro Elementary Principal […]

August 1, 2013
Raupp Elementary School In Michigan Implements Fast ForWord Program as Part of Priority School Transformation Plan

Raupp School aims to improve student achievement by incorporating the Fast ForWord online reading intervention into daily reading activities in kindergarten through fifth grade 8/1/13 Media Contact: Hallie SmithDirector of MarketingScientific Learning Corporation(619) [email protected] Investor Contact:Jane FreemanChief Financial OfficerScientific Learning Corporation(510) [email protected] Oakland, Calif. — August 1, 2013 — After being identified in the bottom 5 percent of Michigan’s Top-to-Bottom ranking of schools and being named a Priority School, Raupp Elementary School launched a Transformation plan focused on rapid turnaround. As part of this plan, Raupp School will implement the Fast ForWord® online reading intervention with all students this fall. Developed by Scientific Learning Corp.(OTCQB:SCIL), the Fast ForWord program is used in schools across Michigan and the nation to help students raise their reading skill level up to two years in as little as three months. At Raupp School, one of seven elementary schools in Lincoln Park Public Schools, 95 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch. The school launched the Fast ForWord program with one class during the 2012-13 school year. This fall, all students in kindergarten through fifth grade will work on the program daily to build their reading skills and concurrently develop foundational cognitive skills such as memory, attention, processing, and sequencing. “The Fast ForWord program will blend right in with our Daily Five activities in guided reading,” said Daphne Springer, principal of Raupp School. “Our goals with Fast ForWord are to increase students’ comprehension and build their cognitive skills, which will help them overall in their learning.” About Scientific Learning Corp. We accelerate learning by applying proven research on how the brain learns. Scientific Learning’s results are demonstrated in over 270 research studies and protected by over 55 patents. Learners can realize achievement gains of up to two years in as little as three months and maintain an […]

April 9, 2013
Harlingen Consolidated ISD Expands Fast ForWord Program Implementation To All Elementary Schools

Students in 15 elementary schools achieve a seven-month gain in reading level in just 27 days of Fast ForWord participation 4/9/13 Media Contact: Hallie SmithDirector of MarketingScientific Learning Corporation(619) [email protected] Investor Contact:Jane FreemanChief Financial OfficerScientific Learning Corporation(510) [email protected] Oakland, Calif. — April 9, 2013 — After successfully implementing the Fast ForWord® program at the middle school level for more than three years, Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District (CISD) in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas has expanded its implementation to include all elementary schools as well. This year, the district rolled out the Fast ForWord online reading intervention to 15 elementary schools. Developed by Scientific Learning Corp. (OTCQB:SCIL), the Fast ForWord program addresses reading skills and concurrently develops foundational cognitive skills like memory, attention, processing, and sequencing. These cognitive skills are central to all learning, resulting in improved outcomes for reading and other subject areas, too. Students using the Fast ForWord program can raise their reading skill level up to two years in as little as three months. Harlingen CISD, which enrolls 18,500 students in 28 schools, began using the Fast ForWord program in 2009-10 in five middle schools to close reading gaps for struggling learners and students with disabilities. During the 2011-12 school year, the program was added to two elementary schools and an alternative high school. This January, the district expanded the Fast ForWord program to the remaining 15 elementary schools to support its early literacy program. At each elementary school, a minimum of 175 students work on the Fast ForWord program in the computer lab for 30 to 50 minutes a day. The program is used by diverse populations in kindergarten through fifth grade, including students working below, at or above grade level; English language learners (ELL); and students with learning disabilities. “This is our fourth year with the Fast ForWord program and we’re very […]

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