After implementing the Fast ForWord® and Reading Assistant™ programs in 13 schools and seeing average reading level gains of eight months in 73 days of use, Corpus Christi Independent School District (CCISD) has decided to expand the programs to all 37 elementary schools this semester. Developed by Scientific Learning Corp. (OTC PINK: SCIL), the online reading interventions apply proven research on how the brain learns to help students make fast and lasting improvement.

CCISD began implementing Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant in 2013 to provide targeted support to English language learners (ELLs) and then extended the program to struggling readers as well. During the 2015-16 school year, the district initiated a partnership with its campuses and Scientific Learning to establish continuous progress monitoring and ensure implementation fidelity in every school.

“We all have an equal commitment to our students, and this collaboration has been an important part of our success,” said Dr. Maria Luisa Guerra, deputy superintendent for CCISD. “Fast ForWord is the top-ranked intervention for English language development on What Works Clearinghouse, and it incorporates current research on poverty and how children learn to help us meet the needs of our students. Our implementation model has worked extremely well, and student usage of the Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant programs is now much more consistent. As a result, we’re seeing major gains in students’ skills and in closing performance gaps.”

This year, CCISD will use the Fast ForWord program with ELLs, struggling readers, and students with special needs in grades K-5. Fast ForWord uses the principles of neuroplasticity — the ability of the brain to rewire and improve — to target the root causes of slow academic progress in struggling students and ELLs. The district has set a goal for each student to complete at least two Fast ForWord products a year. Those who do will then begin using the Reading Assistant software, which uses speech verification technology to listen to and support students as they read aloud, helping them to build fluency and comprehension.

For more information, visit www.scientificlearning.com.