To help struggling readers and boost student performance, the Mansfield Independent School District (MISD) in Mansfield, Texas has invested $1.7 million in Scientific Learning’s Fast ForWord products, to be used by the district’s 37 elementary, intermediate, middle and high schools. The educational software is designed to accelerate learning by “developing the student brain to process more efficiently.”
The decision to implement Fast ForWord® district-wide was made based on the positive results of a yearlong pilot program at MISD’s Alice Ponder Elementary School. By the end of the school year, students’ average Reading Progress Indicator increased by 1.1 years in 45 days and their performance on the 2008 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) saw a seven point increase, the largest gain in years.
For the district-wide implementation, middle and high school principals will have the flexibility to use the program based on their greatest needs. The software has different levels of exercises, so that schools with more struggling students can adjust the program to fit skill levels.
