Curriculum proven to boost test scores and student engagement includes many new titles and more teacher support materials

RB Education, a division of Recorded Books and leading publisher of K-12 education curriculum, announces a newly revamped Plugged-in to Nonfiction curriculum The refreshed curriculum includes many new book titles, updated teacher’s guides, new teaching strategies for each book and offers distinct levels for each grade.

Plugged-in to Nonfiction is a unique curriculum that has proven to boost test scores, increase confidence and engage students across the country. Reflecting creator Dr. Janet Allen’s commitment to providing the best practices to teachers across the country, the revamped Plugged-in to Nonfiction curriculum incorporates new material developed in line with the New Core Standards and the very latest reading research. Dr. Allen, world-renown for her work in adolescent literacy, has taken a hard look at the current implementations and listened to teacher feedback, keeping this program on-target with real teachers in real classrooms.

As a culmination of her 40 years in education, the Milken Award-winning educator Dr. Janet Allen designed the Plugged-in to Nonfiction literacy curriculum for students in grades 4–12. Plugged-in to Nonfiction’s flexible framework can supplement existing curriculum or provide core curriculum for educators looking to complement cross-content comprehension—from science to English language arts—with engaging, authentic nonfiction texts to which young adults can relate. The curriculum is designed to help students develop the necessary skills to comprehend and create complex texts in and beyond the classroom.

One of the prominent features of Plugged-in to Nonfiction is the eight Power Strategies chosen by the research and designed to improve academic achievement in content area reading, writing and communication. Teacher-directed instruction of the Power Strategies is modeled during the whole-class shared reading of the core text. Peer-supported learning of the Power Strategies continues in Power Strategy Group texts, where students transfer and reinforce their strategic learning.

Each Plugged-in to Nonfiction installment includes 24 print copies of one core text, eight print copies of four Power Strategy texts, accompanying audio books, 18 high-interest, independent reading titles, detailed lesson guides, three professional development books for teachers and multiple teacher resources to facilitate classroom discussion, assessment and peer-supported learning.

“Plugged-in to Nonfiction has great titles that capture the attention of even the most reluctant readers,” said Anne Cobb, Plugged-in to Nonfiction national consultant. “But even more than that, it contains built-in professional development to help teachers get the most out of every single student and support to help the student succeed.”

The revamped curriculum moves the answer key to the back of the book and includes new teaching strategies, lessons, assessments and strategies for the Common Core Standards. Also, writing and vocabulary have been added for each book. Approximately 100 pages of teaching support have been included for each novel, with even more materials like graphic organizers, student journals and other black-line masters available digitally on disc, as requested by teachers.

To find out more information about RB Education’s revamped Plugged-in to Nonfiction curriculum visit: www.pluggedintononfiction.com.

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About RB Education
RB Education, a division of Recorded Books, is a leading publisher and distributor of K-12 education curriculum products, including Dr. Janet Allen’s Plugged-in to Reading, Plugged-in to Nonfiction, The Alan Sitomer BookJam and Take 10 Reading, as well as Recorded Books K-12 audiobooks. For more information, visit www.rbeducation.com. For media inquiries, contact Lauren Sanders of Dittoe Public Relations at (317) 202-2280 XT.10 or lauren@dittoepr.com.

Click HERE to download a ZIP file that includes all the workshop handouts and presentations except those from Janet Allen. Click HERE to download a ZIP file with all of Janet Allen’s presentations and handouts. Please check your workshop’s program guide for session details, as not all sessions will be available at all workshops.

Hamilton County High School Sees Lift in Test Scores Thanks to Reading Curriculum for Secondary Students

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The school district’s Coordinator of Student Services, Assessment and Accountabilities, Karen Mitchell, found herself looking for a new reading curriculum that would be valuable to the district’s secondary students. After purchasing a new reading curriculum less than two years prior to the 2008-2009 school year, reading scores were lower than ever and Mitchell knew she needed to flip this situation around.

“Effective and engaging reading curriculum products for secondary students are few and far between,” said Mitchell. “I was looking for a program that would not only encourage students to read the text, but provide methods for improving reading comprehension.”

The Solution: Using Plugged-in
Mitchell researched several options, eventually pinpointing the Plugged-in to Reading™ and Plugged-in to Non-Fiction™ programs created by Dr. Janet Allen.

Her familiarity with Dr. Allen began more than seven years ago, and she was drawn in by Plugged-in’s gradual steps taking students from teacher-directed instruction to peer- supported instruction and finally to self-directed learning. Each level of the program comes with resources and materials to guide teachers and appropriately direct curriculum to students.

To engage students in all types of texts, Plugged-in programs use strategy instruction, which supplies students with tools and techniques enabling them to become more efficient learners as they are presented with new materials or skills. The continued guidance and repetitive practice allows students to integrate new information with what they already know.

Focused on reaching every style of learning, the program provides the teacher with methods for differentiated instruction to reach all students in mixed-ability classrooms. Plugged-in provides audio support through audiobooks from Recorded Books, the world’s largest independent producer of audiobooks, shown to improve fluency, vocabulary and comprehension in students, including ELL (English Language Learners) and ESS (Exceptional Student Services) students.

Hamilton County High School implemented the Plugged-in to Reading and Plugged-in to Nonfiction programs in 18 remedial reading courses – each with less than 18 students – across grades nine through 12 at the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year. Immediately, Mitchell began to notice a change in the students’ attitudes.

“Each month, I make it a point to observe each remedial reading class,” said Mitchell. “After we began using the Plugged-in programs, I experienced something that was very unusual for me. Students were actually excited to show me what they were learning in class! I have never seen students so enthralled in reading – let alone reading nonfiction books.”

Because the program empowers students to utilize new skills, it leads to independent success and increased interest in fiction and non-fiction texts.

“The calculated release from teacher-directed instruction to peer-supported instruction, to self-directed learning built up the students’ confidence,” said Mitchell. “The students were finally presented with text that they could read and comprehend. After finding success with their teacher and peers, they seemed as though they could pick up any book and read it.”

The Results: Engaged Students, Better Test Scores
By the end of the 2009-2010 school year, Hamilton County High School’s students showed progress in every aspect they previously found challenging. Mitchell saw that students were more enthusiastic about discussing the texts and able to express core ideas more clearly. The change in attitude was one of the main goals of the program.

The gradual release increased confidence in reading and encouraged students to dive deeper into the texts. Mitchell also found that throughout the program one non-English speaking student was able to break language barriers, and as he sought help from his classmates the more the other students seemed to be learning.

“Teaching is a great way to learn,” said Mitchell. “These students became the teacher as they helped their fellow classmate succeed.”

Besides engaged students, the results were also visible in the test scores. The school’s Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) results were the best in 10 years for eleventh and twelfth graders. Hamilton County test scores shot up to second place within the state of Florida from those students who had to retake the reading comprehension section of the FCAT. With a 29 percent pass rate, Hamilton County was merely one percentage point behind the first place school and was 13 percent above the state average.

What’s Next?
After such success with the Plugged-in programs, Hamilton County is looking into the Take 10 Reading program, which was developed by Pamela Craig, Ph.D. In addition, they hope to create different combos for eleventh grade students and use Plugged-in in K-6 schools.

Dr. Janet Allen and the Plugged-in team will be hosting several local workshops this spring and summer. For more information and to see if there will be a workshop neat you, please visit the Workshops page.

South Bend, IN

Dickinson Fine Arts Academy Curriculum Leader Amy Beyer will never forget the first day she introduced Plugged-in to Reading to her classroom. “I hate to read!” a student shouted as he threw the book across the room, visibly terrified at the thought of opening a book during the school year. Just eight weeks later, this same student asked Beyer if he could use the computer to conduct background research for the new book they were reading as a class. “It was a true testament to the potential Plugged-in to Reading has to change any student’s attitude about reading,” said Beyer. “I’ve seen the program do wonders for boosting a student’s confidence and interest in reading. By closing the gap between students reading below grade level and their peers, Plugged-in to Reading has fostered increased test scores and turned reluctant readers into highly engaged readers.”

The Challenge
Helping struggling readers South Bend, Indiana’s Jackson Intermediate Center and Dickinson Fine Arts Academy were seeking a way to improve reading skills amongst students placed in their Explorers program. Students reading several grades below level were assigned to these Explorers classrooms, which contained no more than 20 students per room to allow each student to have the proper amount of time and attention. “These kids have always been told they weren’t smart enough,” said Brent Yoder, an eighth-grade English and language arts teacher at Jackson Intermediate Center. “We needed something that would inspire them to believe in themselves and their ability to read at a higher level. Not to mention, the books had to be appealing enough to pique and retain the interest of reluctant readers.”

The Solution: Plugged-in to Reading
After attending a workshop for Plugged-in to Reading, Beyer instantly knew it would be a great fit for their Explorers program. Each Plugged-in to Reading installment includes 48 engaging texts for students, accompanying audiobooks, detailed lesson guides, and multiple teacher resources to facilitate classroom discussion, assessment and peer-supported learning. “It really helps teachers focus on student performance, rather than fretting over book selection or curriculum,” explained Beyer. “The way the program facilitates classroom discussion around meaningful social issues that are relevant to students’ lives is just incredible. It creates a close-knit community of kids as the program moves from teacher instruction and peer supported learning to self-directed learning.” “As a new teacher at the time, I loved having everything at my fingertips,” added Yoder. “The materials for educator and student success are all in that box.”

News spread of the types of books the students in the Explorers program were reading and discussing with the Plugged-in to Reading program, like Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief from Plugged-in to Reading’s Myths & Legends, and they soon became the envy of the entire school. “The students in the classroom next door to ours would say, ‘We’re not reading cool books like that,’” said Yoder. “It’s a great credit to the book selection in the Plugged-in to Reading program. The books are so relevant to them it’s nearly impossible for a reluctant reader not to get hooked on these books.”

The Results
After students began using Plugged-in to Reading, attitudes changed, confidence grew and test scores increased significantly. “The transformation happened so quickly. Within the first six weeks of class, I saw a significant change in students’ attitudes and their excitement to work independently, participate in small group discussion and contribute to classroom discussions,” said Yoder. Beyer echoes his statement and has seen similar transformations in her classes. “I’ve seen my kids literally run into the library when they were assigned a research project. They were so excited at the prospect to pick their own books, and I credit that enthusiasm to Plugged-in to Reading’s book selection and the interesting discussions and projects we have as a result of the program.”

But attitudes and confidence were not the only things changing and going sky high. Test scores have also gone through the roof since implementing Plugged-in to Reading. In the first year of Plugged-in to Reading’s implementation for the Explorers program, the students were outscoring their peers who were already reading at or above grade level when the school year began. Confidence in their reading abilities was at an all-time high, with students telling Beyer they were actually looking forward to taking the year-end test. Last year, most of Yoder’s students posted scores that placed them in the 90th percentile of growth for the entire state. As a point of comparison, an average growth rate falls in the 50th percentile. Many classes at his school that weren’t using Plugged-in to Reading only saw growth rates slightly above that in the 60th to 70th percentile.

Plugged-in to Reading Leaves a Lasting Impression
Although Beyer and Yoder are no longer teaching in the Explorers program, they have continued to use Plugged-in to Reading with their classes and have found the program works wonders even with students
who are already reading at or above grade level. “One of the other things that continues to delight me about using Plugged-in to Reading is how much purposeful professional development is continually offered to our faculty,” said Beyer. “The Plugged-in to Reading employees are my heroes! They will conduct on-site workshops with all of the teachers, and their impact is felt around the entire school even after they leave. After a summertime workshop this year, it was such a great surprise to see a popular teaching tool we use in our Plugged-in to Reading classrooms called a ‘word wall’ go up in every single classroom—spanning subjects from history to science. Everyone knows the program works.”

Yoder also appreciates the program’s ability to transcend their own classrooms and help students with their reading assignments for other subjects. “Plugged-in to Reading is confidence in a box,” said Yoder. “The students prove to themselves just how capable they are to improve their reading skills, and the high test scores speak for themselves. I couldn’t be more pleased with how this program has performed and helped our students achieve more than they ever thought possible.” Yoder is continuing to use Plugged-in to Reading with his regular classes, and the program is reaping dividends for all students regardless of their reading abilities. “I would not have been introduced to Plugged-in to Reading without my struggling readers, and now I can’t imagine not using the strategies I’ve learned with everyone, struggling or not. They’re phenomenal!”

Click to download the case study.

The Challenge
Located in a rural farming community in Maine, Caribou Middle School serves approximately 325 students. In 2005, the school, like many others, faced serious problems, including low standardized test scores and disengaged students who refused to read books. According to the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) standardized test results, only 42 percent of Caribou Middle School’s eighth- grade students met the state reading standards that year. Educators were in need of a two-part solution: effective new reading curriculum and professional development support to meet their goals.

Susan White joined the school’s leadership team as principal during the 2005–2006 school year. Immediately, White sought a curriculum that could help her teachers provide a well-rounded approach to boost both reading and writing skills. “Searching for successful reading curriculum for middle school students is not an easy task,” said White. “There aren’t many programs available, let alone programs that actually work. I wanted to find a curriculum that connects reading to writing and provides better novels that students actually want to read.”

The Solution
White found what she and the teachers at Caribou Middle School were searching for in Plugged-in to Reading, a literacy program for 4th-12th grades authored by internationally respected literacy expert and teacher Dr. Janet Allen.

Based on high-interest, authentic literature and complementary nonfiction readings, Plugged-in to Reading gradually moves readers from teacher- directed instruction to peer-supported learning and finally to self-directed learning. Each level of the program comes with resources and materials that guide teachers towards best-practice literary instruction across content areas.

Caribou Middle School began using Plugged-in to Reading and Plugged-in to Nonfiction, a program based totally in authentic nonfiction, in the Spring of 2006. White saw a change in the students’ attitudes immediately.

“It’s great watching not only the students grow and develop, but our teachers as well,” said White. “Since we started using the Plugged-in programs, our students can’t wait to read new novels. And our teachers are more confident in their ability to teach reading and writing. Plugged- in helped give them that confidence.”
The program comes equipped with graphic organizers, vocabulary support, and research resources that allow teachers to customize their teaching plan and effectively introduce novels and nonfiction texts that command the interest of their students.

“Reading text is not always enough for my students,” said Mary Curtis, seventh-grade English Language Arts (ELA) teacher. “That’s why, in my opinion, Plugged-in to Reading works. The program helps students expand their vocabulary and im- proves comprehension—which leads to the ability and desire to read higher-level material.”

Caribou Middle School was given additional funding to support professional development efforts due to Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status in accordance with No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This funding has allowed them to build a special relationship with program director Dr. Janet Allen, who is herself a Maine native.

The Results
After four years of using Plugged-in, the staff has noted measurable prog- ress made by their students. Not only have the students’ attitudes toward all learning improved, but the num- ber of eighth-grade students passing the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) has greatly increased.

Teachers and administrators found that students are not only excited to complete class reading assign- ments, but are taking books out of the library and reading during their free time. It has also been noted that Plugged-in raises the level and rigor of class discourse—which is something the teachers have not witnessed before. Perhaps the most telling sign of success is that students re- port that they are significantly more confident in their reading ability.

“Before Plugged-in to Reading, students were reluctant to read,” said Curtis. “It was as if they were almost too scared to read because they were afraid of failing.”

Having recognized the increased level of confidence in students, Caribou Middle School used Plugged-in to Reading as a foundation for the school’s first ever school-wide read. The entire school, grades five through eight and special education students, read The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. Plugged-in to Reading made it possible for all students at various reading levels to read and comprehend the story.

The school celebrated with a theme day. Students and teachers trans- formed their classrooms into summer cabins with their own unique flags, designed togas, learned about Greek theatre and participated in The Lightning Thief trivia.

The theme day is sure to be a fond memory for years to come, and Plugged-in made it possible for students of all reading levels to understand the material. As a result, Caribou Middle School students will continue to improve their reading ability and raise their confidence.

“Plugged-in has revolutionized the way reading and writing is taught at our school,” said White. “The program addresses the needs of our most gifted learners, as well as the needs of our struggling learners. The professional development directives given on each page in the Teachers Guide support and encourage teachers to stretch their students’ abilities on top of their own. Our students are readers now. Our teachers are confident about their abilities to effectively teach reading and writing. Plugged-in to Reading has given them that confidence.”

What’s Next?
After success with the Plugged-in programs, Caribou Middle School’s special education ELA teachers Twyla Learnard and Sue Keaton are working with Dr. Allen to share strategies they have designed especially for their spe- cial education students to complement the Plugged-in curriculum.

Caribou Middle School plans to con- tinue purchasing more books as their budget allows. Teachers are also planning another school-wide theme day based on the resounding success of the previous one. One potential book for theme day is The Wanderer by Sharon Creech, which students will already read as part of Plugged-in.