Latest Press Releases

Scientific Learning Corp. names the Mississippi district a National Reference Site for its successful use of the Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant programs with struggling students  1/12/16 Media Contact: Hallie SmithDirector of MarketingScientific Learning Corporation(619) [email protected] Oakland, Calif. — Jan. 12, 2016 — Scientific Learning Corp. (OTC PINK:SCIL) has named the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District(SOCSD) a National Reference Site due to strong student gains achieved after the use of Fast ForWord® and Reading Assistant™ programs. The Mississippi district joins a distinguished group of 20 National Reference Site schools and districts in the United States and Canada that exemplify the outstanding use of the neuroscience-based solutions. In SOCSD, the Fast ForWord program is targeted primarily to K-10 students who score in the lowest quartile on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). During the 2014-15 school year, 703 students in grades K-10 completed at least one Fast ForWord product and took a Reading Progress Indicator (RPI) pre- and post-assessment. “These students showed an average grade-equivalent reading level gain of 1 year and 9 months in just 85 days of use — which is less than a semester,” said Jody Woodrum, Ed.D., assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. “Students doubled their reading scores, increasing from the 21st to the 42nd percentile. We also cut the percentage of struggling readers in half and had huge gains in the percentage of students at the proficient and advanced levels.” In addition, SOCSD also uses the Fast ForWord program to help struggling students prepare for the state’s 3rd Grade Reading Summative Assessment. In fall 2014, the district used data from the spring MAP test to identify 55 students who would be entering third grade as Beginning Readers. By the end of the 2014-15 school year, of all the third graders who completed at least one Fast ForWord product, only one was still a Beginning Reader, according […]

Texas district’s students achieve strong reading gains after using Scientific Learning products 10/21/15 Media Contact: Hallie SmithDirector of MarketingScientific Learning Corporation(619) [email protected] Oakland, Calif. — Oct. 21, 2015 — After successfully implementing the Fast ForWord® and Reading Assistant™ programs from Scientific Learning Corp. (SCIL: OTC PINK) in 30 schools, Grand Prairie Independent School District (ISD) in Texas will expand its implementation to 37 schools this fall. During the 2014-15 school year, students who used these neuroscience-based solutions achieved average reading level gains of one year and five months in 75 days of use. “Across the board, we’ve seen gains in the reading levels of our students who have been using the Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant programs,” said Linda Ellis, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning for Grand Prairie ISD. “It’s really allowed us to accelerate our reading instruction for our students.” In Grand Prairie ISD, where 72 percent of students are economically disadvantaged, 22 percent are limited English proficient, and 9 percent receive special education services, each school determines which students will use the Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant online interventions. In many schools, the programs are used by struggling readers, English language learners and students receiving special education services. In addition, some schools make the programs available to specific grade levels or other populations, such as students participating in the gifted and talented program. “When students struggle in reading, it’s often difficult to identify the root cause,” said Ellis. “Fast ForWord starts with cognitive skills such as memory, attention and processing speed, and works from the bottom up to remediate underlying difficulties that keep students from making progress. With Reading Assistant, students receive individualized reading coaching every time they use the software. The schools that weren’t using these programs saw the improvements in other schools and thus made the choice to implement the programs this […]

Neuroscience-based intervention programs from Scientific Learning Corp. help students make fast and enduring reading improvements 10/6/15 Media Contact: Hallie SmithDirector of MarketingScientific Learning Corporation(619) [email protected] Oakland, Calif. — Oct. 6, 2015 — Michigan lawmakers have identified third grade reading scores as a top concern for students. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, 69 percent of Michigan students are not proficient in reading by the beginning of fourth grade. To help students close those gaps, while building foundational reading, language and cognitive skills, several Michigan schools are implementing the Fast ForWord® and Reading Assistant™ programs from Scientific Learning Corp. (OTC:SCIL). Closing gaps and improving school performance in Fremont Public Schools After being labeled a “Focus” school by the state of Michigan in 2012, due to a large achievement gap between the top and bottom performing students, Fremont Middle School sought out programs to positively impact all of its students. The school chose Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant, implemented the programs with fidelity, and closed that achievement gap. It was designated a “Reward” school in 2014.  “Our middle school earned the ‘Reward’ school designation because of the large improvements in reading and math by our Title 1 and special education students,” said Superintendent Ken Haggart. “Our students have come a long way and we give a lot of credit to the Scientific Learning programs for that.” This fall, Fremont Public Schools will implement Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant in Pathfinder Elementary, Fremont Middle School, Fremont High School and Quest Alternative High School. “We are seeing a larger number of students enter kindergarten who are unprepared to read. On the other end of the spectrum, many students end up in the alternative high school because of a reading deficiency that has not been addressed. Our goals are to bring students up to grade level and give them the opportunity to […]

The online intervention from Scientific Learning Corp. helps school districts close achievement gaps and reduce special education referrals  8/19/15 Media Contact: Hallie SmithDirector of MarketingScientific Learning Corporation(619) [email protected] Oakland, Calif. — Aug. 19, 2015 — Research shows that children who are not reading on grade level by the end of third grade are likely to have trouble learning in all classroom subjects in higher grades. To help students build and strengthen their reading skills and the foundational cognitive skills they need to succeed, a rapidly growing number of Ohio school districts are implementing the Fast ForWord® program from Scientific Learning Corp. One of the most recent districts to launch the program is Franklin City School District in Franklin City, Ohio. “We’re a high-poverty district. Many of our students entering kindergarten are not prepared for kindergarten and our test scores are lower than we’d like,” said Superintendent of Schools Michael Sander. “We see the Fast ForWord program as a key component of our efforts to address Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee and reach the goal of having 100 percent of our students reading at a third grade level by the end of third grade.” Franklin City School District, where more than 60 percent of students are economically disadvantaged and 18 percent receive special education services, will implement the Fast ForWord program this fall in the Early Childhood Center and all five elementary schools. It will be used by all K–3 students and struggling readers in grades 4–6. “This will be the third district where I’ve implemented Fast ForWord,” said Dr. Sander. “I’ve had great results with the program in my previous districts in closing the achievement gap and reducing the number of students who qualify for special education. We hope to achieve the same results here.” Fast ForWord uses the principles of neuroplasticity — the ability of the brain to […]

Media Contact: Hallie SmithDirector of MarketingScientific Learning Corporation(619) [email protected] Oakland, Calif. — April 16, 2015 — Three innovative superintendents — Clarke County (Ga.) School District Superintendent Philip D. Lanoue, Murray County Schools (Ga.) Superintendent Vickie Reed, and Boone County (Ky.) Schools Superintendent Randy Poe — have earned national and state recognition for their success in improving student learning and achievement in their districts. And while the types of challenges vary from district to district, two very important foundational approaches have made a measurable difference in the lives of children in all three districts: the Fast ForWord® and Reading Assistant™ programs from Scientific Learning Corp. This February, Lanoue was named the 2015 National Superintendent of the Year by AASA, The School Superintendents Association. Under Lanoue’s leadership, the Clarke County School District has been honored as a Title I Distinguished District for being Georgia’s top large district in closing the achievement gap. Student achievement has risen, especially in the critical transition years of fifth and eighth grades. The district has also received state recognition as a model technology school district and the state’s top award for exceptional Response to Intervention practices. In December, Lanoue was named the Georgia Superintendent of the Year by the Georgia School Superintendents Association and the Georgia School Boards Association. This February, Reed was named one of Education Week’s 2015 Leaders To Learn From for excellence in school district leadership. Reed is one of 16 district-level leaders who received this honor for tackling some of the most pressing challenges in K-12 education, and for ideas and strategies that are yielding strong results. In Murray County Schools, Reed has been able to drive higher student achievement year after year, even with significant budget cuts that shortened the school calendar from 180 days to 160. Since Reed took the helm, Murray County has made some of the biggest jumps in graduation rates in Georgia, increasing from 57 percent in 2007 to 80 percent in […]

4/16/15 Media Contact: Hallie SmithDirector of MarketingScientific Learning Corporation(619) [email protected] Oakland, Calif. — April 16, 2015 — Three innovative superintendents — Clarke County (Ga.) School District Superintendent Philip D. Lanoue, Murray County Schools (Ga.) Superintendent Vickie Reed, and Boone County (Ky.) Schools Superintendent Randy Poe — have earned national and state recognition for their success in improving student learning and achievement in their districts. And while the types of challenges vary from district to district, two very important foundational approaches have made a measurable difference in the lives of children in all three districts: the Fast ForWord® and Reading Assistant™ programs from Scientific Learning Corp. This February, Lanoue was named the 2015 National Superintendent of the Year by AASA, The School Superintendents Association. Under Lanoue’s leadership, the Clarke County School District has been honored as a Title I Distinguished District for being Georgia’s top large district in closing the achievement gap. Student achievement has risen, especially in the critical transition years of fifth and eighth grades. The district has also received state recognition as a model technology school district and the state’s top award for exceptional Response to Intervention practices. In December, Lanoue was named the Georgia Superintendent of the Year by the Georgia School Superintendents Association and the Georgia School Boards Association. This February, Reed was named one of Education Week’s 2015 Leaders To Learn From for excellence in school district leadership. Reed is one of 16 district-level leaders who received this honor for tackling some of the most pressing challenges in K-12 education, and for ideas and strategies that are yielding strong results. In Murray County Schools, Reed has been able to drive higher student achievement year after year, even with significant budget cuts that shortened the school calendar from 180 days to 160. Since Reed took the helm, Murray County has made some of the biggest jumps in graduation rates in Georgia, increasing from 57 percent in 2007 to 80 percent […]

Southern California district will expand the use of the online reading intervention, developed by Scientific Learning Corp., to all schools this fall 8/25/14 Media Contact: Hallie SmithDirector of MarketingScientific Learning Corporation(619) [email protected] Oakland, Calif. — Aug. xx, 2014 — The Westside Union School District in California began using the Fast ForWord® program in four schools in 2013 to help English language learners (ELL), students receiving special education services, and other students who were struggling academically. After using the online language and reading intervention for two-and-a-half months, the students improved their reading skills by an average of eight months. Based on students’ success, the K-8 district will expand the Fast ForWord program district-wide to all 12 schools this fall. “Like most California districts, we’re in the process of transitioning to the Common Core. We wanted to be sure we had additional support in place for students with disabilities and English language learners, so they don’t get lost in the shuffle as we move to even more rigorous standards,” said Marguerite Johnson, assistant superintendent of educational services for Westside Union. “What first drew us to Fast ForWord was its strong research base. Then, once we began using the program, the amount of growth we saw was pretty exciting.” Developed by Scientific Learning Corp. (OTCQB:SCIL), the Fast ForWord program is used in schools across the nation to help students raise their reading skill level up to two years in as little as three months. In Westside Union School District, the program will be targeted to special education and ELL students.  “One of our principals summed up the Fast ForWord program best. She said they expected it would help students with their reading skills. What they didn’t anticipate was that once students used the program and saw they could be successful, their whole attitude and demeanor changed — they dressed […]

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 […]