Robert McCabe Vice President and Chief Education Officer Lexia Learning Systems, Inc. [e-mail]

1
Robert McCabeVice President and Chief Education
Officer Lexia Learning Systems,
Inc.rmccabe_at_lexialearning.com
2
Lexia Company History

• Founded in 1984
• Federal Grants from National Institute of Child
  Health and Human Development (NICHD)
• Computerize the Orton-Gillingham pedagogy of
  reading instruction
• Over 20 years building reading software

3
Beneficial Characteristics of CAI in Published
Studies

• Well suited for individualized supplementary
  instruction.
• Activities can be intrinsically motivating.
• Computers provide explicit training.
• Consistent fidelity of treatment
• Computer assisted instruction has improved
  accurate word reading.
• Speeds up skill acquisition
• Extends teacher resources

4
Specific Attributes of Lexia CAI

• Excellent practice to reinforce specific skills
• Sequenced, systematic and structured (OG)
• Independent, differentiated and appropriate
• Provides for the needs of at-risk and advanced
  students.
• Compatible with either a centers or lab model
• Balances strengths and weaknesses of the child
• Balances strengths and weaknesses of the
  curriculum.

5
Lexia Research Resources

• Journal of Research in Reading, Volume 29, Issue
  2, 2006. Title I study.
• Reading Psychology, Kindergarten study.
• Implementation Study, manuscript in preparation.
• Lexia Best Practices white paper
• Leveraging Technology... paper presented at
  conference.
• Boston Public Schools Evaluation, 2004.

6
Characteristics of Success - Reading Instruction
in K-3

• Early Intervention
• Differentiated Instruction
• Small Group Instruction
• Ability Grouping
• Decoding and Encoding
• Modeling and Scaffolding

7
Research Requirements

• Treatment and control groups
• Pre- and post-testing using standardized measures
• Equated groups on pretest scores
• Sufficient implementation over school year

8

• Close to 50 non-Caucasian/Bilingual
• Over 50 qualify for free or reduced lunch
• District wide participation
• Kindergarten-third grade sample
• 45 classes
• 812 total students

9
Assessment Tool

• Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test
• Kindergarten (Level PR) phonological awareness,
  letter-sound correspondences, listening
  comprehension
• First grade (Level BR) letter-sound
  correspondences, basic story words
• Second grade (Level 2) word decoding, reading
  vocabulary, reading comprehension
• Third grade (Level 3) reading vocabulary,
  reading comprehension

10
Kindergarten Study

• 3 treatment, 3 control classes
• Lexia Early Reading
• Matched classes same teacher, classroom, and
  curriculum

11
Kindergarten Results

• Low performers

• All children

12
New Publication Update!
The Kindergarten Manuscript has been accepted for
publication in Reading Psychology An
International Quarterly
13
First Grade Study

• 5 treatment, 5 control classes
• 83 students in treatment group, 84 students in
  control group
• Subanalysis Title I (15 students in treatment
  group, 15 students in control group)

14
First Grade Results

• Title I Students

• Lexia Students

15
Grade 1Average Comprehension Gain Score (By
School Building)
Gates MacGinitie Standard Change Score
16
Lexias UK Published Research
Title 1 findings appear in the Journal of
Research in Reading v29 (2), May 2006 The
efficacy of computer-based supplementary phonics
programs for advancing reading skills in at-risk
elementary students
17
Second Grade Study

• 7 treatment, 4 control classes
• Students in two groups matched on pretest scores
  41 students in each group

18
Second Grade Results

• Decoding Subtest

19
Third Grade Study

• 13 treatment, 5 control classes
• Lower performers only
• 46 students in treatment group, 65 students in
  control group

20
Third Grade Results

• Reading Comprehension Subtest

21
Lexia Middle School Study

• 3 remedial reading classes 47 subjects, two
  treatment classes, one control class (31 SPED
  students)
• Identical instruction plus Lexia Strategies for
  Older Students in treatment classes (50 sessions
  avg.)
• Woodcock Johnson III assessment tool
• Pre-test determined two Lexia groups Extremely
  Low Group (pre-test lt80) and Low Average Group
  (pre-test gt80)

22
Word-Attack Subtest - WJIII
Comparison of Treatment Students with Very-Low
Pretest Scores and Control Students
23
Passage Comprehension Subtest
Comparison of Treatment Students with Low-Average
Pretest Scores and Control Students
24
Data Driven Results

• Lexia contributed to reading gains in grades K -
  3 and middle school
• Gains most evident for low performers
• Results are consistent with published data
• Teachers support the use of the programs

25
Best Practices and Implementation TipsYou
have the details in your handout
26
Frequency and Duration of Use

• 4 to 5 times a week
• Kindergarten Everybody benefits
• Grades 1-3 Student performance drives your
  implementation
• Grades 4 and above Intensive remediation,
  English language learners

27
High Benefit Students

• Low pre-test scores
• High user sessions
• High gain scores

28
Scheduling Use

• Time on task
• Lexia and the language arts block
• Targeted implementation
• What are you using your technology for?

29
Class Versus Lab Use

• Class use characteristics
• Lab use characteristics

30
Research and Resources Questions?