Florida School Raises Reading Scores with Direct Instruction

The case study describes the use of SRA/McGraw-Hill Direct Instruction programs, specifically Reading Mastery, Reading Mastery Plus, and Corrective Reading, at Tuttle Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida. The programs were implemented across kindergarten through grade 5 in a public Title I elementary school within the Sarasota School District serving 826 students. The student population includes 57% Hispanic, 24% Caucasian, 13% African American, 2% Asian, and 4% other backgrounds. Eighty-three percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and 29% are English Language Learners. 

School staff adopted Reading Mastery and its Plus series in response to a need for a more structured and systematic reading program that would support early literacy development and ensure that all students in grades K–5 had the opportunity to develop reading skills necessary for academic progress. Corrective Reading was used as an intervention for students in grades 3–5 when additional support was needed. Student outcomes were examined using the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT), a statewide assessment scored on five performance levels. Results focus primarily on reading outcomes for students in grades 3–5. Prior to 2002 only fourth graders took the FCAT, but later results include grades 3–5. Reported outcomes indicate that the percentage of students in grades 3–5 scoring at or above Level 3 on the FCAT increased from 49% in 2002 to 60% in 2005. By 2005, 71% of students were reading at or above grade level and 62% of students demonstrated a year’s worth of progress in reading. Staff also reported that many kindergarten students developed early reading skills through participation in the program.