If I can read, I can learn: examing the effects of READ 180 in the reading comprehension of English language learners

Each year, the number of English Language Learners in California schools continues to grow and educators are being challenged by this rapid growth. In response to federal and state accountability requirements, educational leaders have begun to find reading intervention programs designed to help English Language Learners improve their reading skills. The primary focus of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the computer software READ 180 on middle school English Language Learners in the area of reading comprehension. Data was analyzed from a Southern California school district using a sample of middle school students, a control group and an experimental group. The documentation of success or failure using this computer software could potentially help educators at this district decide if READ 180 is an effective reading intervention software that can be used throughout the district. This study addressed the following questions: ??? Is there any evidence that READ 180 helps build the reading skills of middle school English Language Learners? ??? What pre-test to post-test changes in SRI scores did READ 180 participants achieve? ??? How did pre-test to post-test changes in SRI scores differ for the control group? KEYWORDS: English Language Learners, READ 180, Reading Comprehension, Reading Intervention Software