KidBiz3000®, TeenBiz3000®, and Empower3000™:
The first Web-based, differentiated literacy solutions
that reach every student at his or her Lexile® level.
Powered by a proprietary software engine that distributes
grade–appropriate assignments to the entire
class, but tailors them according to each student’s
reading level, Achieve3000 Solutions enables teachers
to move their students up surely and steadily,
level by level.
These research–based solutions extend teachers’
reach without increasing workloads or time demands
and are proven to accelerate reading comprehension,
fluency, writing proficiency, vocabulary
development, and high-stakes test scores.
In a national study of middle school students using TeenBiz3000, students nearly doubled their expected growth
norms.
2. National Middle School Lexile Study
National Lexile Study
Number of Schools 1,224
Number of Students 86,292
Achieve3000 Solutions
®
KidBiz3000®, TeenBiz3000®, and Empower3000™: These research–based solutions extend teachers’
The first Web-based, differentiated literacy solutions reach without increasing workloads or time de-
that reach every student at his or her Lexile® level. mands and are proven to accelerate reading com-
Powered by a proprietary software engine that dis- prehension, fluency, writing proficiency, vocabulary
tributes grade–appropriate assignments to the entire development, and high-stakes test scores.
class, but tailors them according to each student’s
reading level, Achieve3000 Solutions enables teach-
ers to move their students up surely and steadily,
level by level.
3. National Middle School Lexile Study
Executive Summary
In a national study of middle school students using TeenBiz3000, students nearly doubled their expected growth
norms.
Students exceeded
their “expected” Lexile
125 gains by 43 points
100
Lexile Points
75
50
25
0
■ Key Findings
• Students at all grade levels made significant gains • According to national data, middle school English
compared to gains expected with “normal” instruc- Language Learners made more than double their
tion, nearly doubling the expected growth norms. expected Lexile gains and gained an average of 169
Lexile points.
• Students reading two or more years below grade level
at the beginning of the school year made gains of • The quality of the work and the number of reading
nearly double the expected growth norms, effectively sessions that students submit on Achieve3000
closing the gap for the most struggling readers. are statistically significant predictors of their Lexile
performance.
• Students who completed at least two reading ses-
sions per week made the highest Lexile gains on
average, nearly two-and-a-half times the expected
growth norms.
1
4. National Middle School Lexile Study
Results that Count: Achieve3000
Increases Middle School
Student Performance at All Levels
6th-grade students
exceeded their
“expected” Lexile
gains by 47 points
Students across all
middle school grade
Lexile Points
levels and populations
made significant
gains in Lexile reading
performance over and
above the gains expected
with regular instruction
6 7 8 Grades
Methodology
Lexile Measurement of Reading Growth:
To determine the effects of TeenBiz on the literacy developed in partnership with MetaMetrics™, delivers a
development of students, Achieve3000 designed a Lexile score for the student. The actual growth achieved
study measuring student Lexile growth with a pre- and is compared to the expected yearly growth norms, a
a post-test using the LevelSet™ assessment. LevelSet, MetaMetrics calculation.1
■ The Assessment Measure
Developed by Achieve3000 in conjunction with Meta- to reading and text measurement that has become the
Metrics Inc., LevelSet offers a scientific means of match- most widely adopted reading measure in use today.
ing students to informational texts. Developed by MetaMetrics Inc., Lexile measures are the
result of more than 20 years of ongoing research.
LevelSet is administered up to three times yearly—an
initial assessment to establish a baseline score (based A key advantage of the Lexile scale is that the Lexile
on the Lexile Framework®) at the beginning of the school Framework measures both text and reader using the
year, an interim assessment halfway through the school same scale. This means that the ability to comprehend
year, and a post-assessment at the end of the school and the material being comprehended are being evalu-
year—providing a summative measurement of student ated by the same criteria, lending it greater scientific
progress. The Lexile Framework is a scientific approach validity.
2
5. National Middle School Lexile Study
Closing the Gap: Results with Our Most
Struggling Readers
According to national data, middle school students reading two or more years below grade level made
nearly double the expected Lexile reading gains.
Below-Level readers
using TeenBiz
averaged a Lexile
160 gain of 118 points
120 55-point Lexile gain;
Lexile Points
this is nearly double the
expected Lexile growth
80
40
0
6th-grade students
exceeded their
expected Lexile
gains by 67 points
Below-level readers
across all middle
school grade levels
Lexile Points
and populations made
significant gains in Lexile
reading performance
over and above the gains
expected with regular
instruction
Grades
3
6. National Middle School Lexile Study
Closing the Gap: English Language Learners
In a study of middle school English Language Learners, students made more than double the expected
Lexile reading gains.
Average Lexile gain
of 169 points
85-point Lexile gain
above the average
expected growth; this
is more than double the
Lexile Points
expected Lexile growth
of 84 points
Closing the Gap: Special Education Students
In a study of middle school Special Education students, students made more than one-and-a-half times
the expected Lexile gains.
Average Lexile gain
of 102 points
37-point Lexile gain
above the average
expected growth; this is
more than one-and-a-half
Lexile Points
times the expected Lexile
growth of 65 points
4
7. National Middle School Lexile Study
Effect of Frequency of Program Use on Lexile Gains
Number of Reading Sessions Completed
Achieve3000 found a statistically significant relationship between the number of reading sessions completed
on Achieve3000 Solutions and student nonfiction Lexile/reading growth. Middle school students who used
the program at least twice weekly made the highest Lexile gains, nearly two-and-a-half times the expect-
ed growth norms.
Frequency of Usage Results for Middle School Students
* The number of reading
sessions that a student
completes on Achieve3000
is a predictor of his or her
Lexile performance gains.
Students using program less Students using program at Students using program
than once weekly: least once weekly: at least twice weekly:
Average Lexile gain of 80 points Average Lexile gain of 106 points Average Lexile gain of 121 points
30-point Lexile gain above the average 56-point Lexile gain above 71-point Lexile gain above the average
expected growth; this is more than one- the average expected growth; this is expected growth; this is nearly two-and-
and-a-half times the expected growth more than double the expected growth a-half times the expected growth
In order to assess the effect of the frequency of use on student Lexile gains, Achieve3000 assigned students from
within its study to one of the following categories:
•Group 1 (1–39): Fewer than 40 •Group 2 (40–79): 40-79 read- •Group 3 (80+): 80 or more read-
reading sessions completed over ing sessions completed over the ing sessions completed over the
the 10-month school year; fewer 10-month school year; between one 10-month school year; two or
than one reading session weekly. and two reading sessions weekly. more reading sessions weekly.
5
8. National Middle School Lexile Study
Effect of Usage for Middle School
English Language Learners
Students using program less
than twice weekly:
Average Lexile gain of 162 points
78-point Lexile gain above the average
expected growth; this is nearly double
the expected growth
Students using program at least
twice weekly:
Average Lexile gain of 193 points
109-point Lexile gain above the average
expected growth; this is nearly two-and-
a-half times the expected growth
Effect of Usage for Middle School Special
Education Students
Students using program less
than twice weekly:
Average Lexile gain of 97 points
32-point Lexile gain above the average
expected growth; this is one-and-a-half
times the expected growth
Students using program at least
twice weekly:
Average Lexile gain of 141 points
76-point Lexile gain above the aver-
age expected growth; this is more than
double the expected growth
6
9. National Middle School Lexile Study
Effect of Quality of Program Use on Lexile Gains
Reading Activity Scores
In addition to analyzing the frequency of use, Achieve3000 also analyzed the quality of program use. The
multiple-choice activity is a critical component of the Five-Step Literacy Routine and is a simple indicator of
the degree to which students are applying themselves to the program. This formative assessment allows
progress monitoring of overall understanding of the text read.
Quality of Usage Results for Middle School Students
To assess the effect of the quality of use
on student Lexile gains, Achieve3000
assigned students from within its study to
one of the following categories:
•Group 1 (Less than 65% or greater
than 90%): Students who averaged
less than 65% or greater than 90% on
the multiple-choice portion of the Five-
Step Literacy Routine.
•Group 2 (Between 65% and 90%,
Students averaging less than Students averaging between inclusive): Students who averaged
65% or greater than 90%: 65% and 90%, inclusive: between 65% and 90%, inclusive, on
the multiple-choice portion of the Five-
Average Lexile gain of 75 points Average Lexile gain of 107 points Step Literacy Routine. A score within
this range typically indicates that the
student is applying himself to his work
25-point Lexile gain above the 57-point Lexile gain above the aver- and reading in his instructional zone.
average expected growth; this is age expected growth; this is more Achieve3000 recommends that teach-
one-and-a-half times the expected than double the expected growth
ers monitor student scores to ensure
growth
performance in this range.
7
10. National Middle School Lexile Study
Effect of Quality of Program Use on
Middle School English Language Learners
Students averaging less than
65% or greater than 90%:
Average Lexile gain of 156 points
72-point Lexile gain above the average
expected growth; this is nearly double
the expected growth
Students averaging between
65% and 90%, inclusive:
Average Lexile gain of 200 points
116-point Lexile gain above the average
expected growth; this is nearly two-and-
a-half times the expected growth
Effect of Quality of Program Use on
Middle School Special Education
Students averaging less than
65% or greater than 90%:
Average Lexile gain of 92 points
27-point Lexile gain above the average
expected growth; this is nearly one-and-
a-half times the expected growth
Students averaging between
65% and 90%, inclusive:
Average Lexile gain of 117 points
52-point Lexile gain above the average
expected growth; this is nearly double
the expected growth
8
11. National Middle School Lexile Study
Reading Connections:
Explicit Reading Comprehension Strategy
Instruction and Application
Achieve3000 provides explicit instruction on the seven key comprehension strategies for informational text.
Two new features of the program, the Lesson Plans and the Reading Connections, help address this need.
The Lesson Plans that provide this direct, explicit instruction are available within the Learning Center, and
one lesson plan is always attached to the daily article. Within each article, students are encouraged to ap-
ply the strategies of summarization and generating questions.
Reading Connections Results for All Middle School Students
Lexile Points
■ Key Findings:
• Students completing at least one Reading Connec- • Students completing at least one Reading Connec-
tions article per week over the course of the school tions article per week had more than one-and-a-
year averaged Lexile gains of 122 points, nearly two- quarter times the Lexile growth compared to students
and-a-half times the expected growth. completing less than one Reading Connections article
per week, with average Lexile gains of 28 points more
for the school year.
9
12. National Middle School Lexile Study
Graded Thought Questions:
The Reading-Writing Connection
Research shows a direct connection between reading and writing. Writing instruction helps improve
reading comprehension. The Thought Question is the fourth step in the Five-Step Literacy Routine and
purposefully engages students in a formal writing process that allows them to apply knowledge they
have acquired and express their thoughts through writing.
Thought Questions Results for All Middle School Students
Lexile Points
■ Key Findings:
• Students who completed less than one Thought • Students who completed at least two Thought Ques-
Question per week averaged gains of 90 Lexile points, tions per week averaged Lexile gains of 128 Lexile
nearly double the expected Lexile growth. points, more than two-and-a-half times the expected
Lexile growth.
• Students who completed between one and two
Thought Questions per week averaged Lexile gains • Completing Thought Questions is associated with
of 114 Lexile points, nearly two-and-a-half times the significant gains in Lexile reading scores, with students
expected Lexile growth. completing two or more per week outperforming
students completing less than one per week by 38
Lexile points.
10
13. National Middle School Lexile Study
After School Usage
Research on adolescent literacy suggests that the amount of reading students do during out-of-school
hours is an accurate predictor of their in-school academic achievement. If after-school programs can mo-
tivate young people to read more and explore their interests through reading, this research suggests that
academic performance will improve.
69% of Achieve3000
Middle Schools middle school
After School Usage students across the
nation logged in after
69%
school hours. These
students logged in
1,096,864 times after
school during the
2009-2010 school
year
11
14. National Middle School Lexile Study
Endnotes:
¹ Normal Growth—Using MetaMetrics’ findings on growth norms to calculate the expected monthly growth
expected yearly growth norms, Achieve3000 calculated for a student at that reading level. Achieve3000 then
the expected Lexile gain for each student. This calcula- multiplied the expected monthly growth by the number
tion was based on the length of time from the student’s of months the student spent on the program to arrive at
pre- to post-test as well as the student’s initial reading an “expected Lexile gain” score for each student.
level. Achieve3000 first used MetaMetrics’ expected
Appendix
Referring to Page 5: Effect of Frequency of Program Use on Lexile Gains
When a comparison of means was performed between group (p = .05). An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was
the three usage categories (1–39, 40-79, 80+), a sta- performed to compare the group means.
tistically significant difference was found between each
ANOVA – Lexile Gains
Sum of Mean
df F Sig.
Squares Square
Between Groups 21418354 2 10709177.06 454.483 .000
Within Groups 2.0E+009 86289 23563.409
Total 2.1E+009 86291
A Bonferroni post-hoc test found that all three groups were statistically significantly different from each other (see below).
Bonferroni Test - Multiple Comparisons
Dependent Variable: Actual Lexile Gain
95% Confidence Interval
(I) Overall Reading (J) Overall Reading Mean Differ-
Std. Error Sig.
Sessions Sessions Groups ence (I-J)
Lower Bound Upper Bound
40-79 -26.240(*) 1.175 .000 -29.05 -23.43
1–39
80+ -41.576(*) 1.660 .000 -45.55 -37.60
1-39 26.240(*) 1.175 .000 23.43 29.05
40–79
80+ -15.336(*) 1.788 .000 -19.62 -11.06
1-39 41.576(*) 1.660 .000 37.60 45.55
80+
40-79 15.336(*) 1.788 .000 11.06 19.62
* The mean difference is significant at the .05 level.
12
15. National Middle School Lexile Study
Referring to Page 7: Effect of Quality of Program Use on Lexile Gains
When a comparison of means was performed between groups (p = .05). The students who averaged between
the two usage categories (less than 65% or greater 65% and 90%, inclusive, on their activities made signifi-
than 90%; between 65% and 90%, inclusive) a statisti- cantly higher Lexile gains.
cally significant difference was found between the usage
Independent Samples Test – Lexile Gains
t-test for Equality of Means
Sig. Mean Dif- Std. Error 95% Confidence Inter-
t df
(2-tailed) ference Difference val of the Difference
Equal variances
-30.666 86290 .000 -32.212 1.050 -34.271 -30.153
assumed
Equal variances
-30.823 84249.227 .000 -32.212 1.045 -34.260 -30.164
not assumed
Group Statistics
Average Std. Error
N Mean Std. Deviation
Activity Score Mean
Actual Lexile Less than 65% or
38734 74.92 149.211 .758
Gain greater than 90%
Between 65% and
47558 107.13 156.862 .719
90%, inclusive
13
16. To learn more about Achieve3000
and its proven solutions,
call 888-968-6822
or e-mail office@achieve3000.com
