Highest Percentage of Charter School's Student Testing Above National Average

The case study describes the use of Reading Mastery, a Direct Instruction reading program, at Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy, a charter school in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The program has been used since the school opened in 1995 and is implemented in grades K–6 within a school serving approximately 400 students in grades K–8. The student population includes approximately 76% Caucasian, 13% Hispanic, 4% Asian, 3% African American, and small percentages of other groups. About 19% of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch.  Student progress in reading is examined through performance on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP). School staff also monitor student progress within the Reading Mastery program to gauge reading development and readiness for assessment benchmarks. Teachers report that students reaching Reading Mastery IV by third grade typically demonstrate strong performance on the ITBS, while those progressing to Reading Mastery V show very high scores on the assessment. Reported outcomes indicate that approximately 97% of students in grades K–8 scored at or above the national average in reading on the ITBS in 2005. State assessment results also show high performance levels. On the 2005 CSAP, the percentage of Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy students scoring Proficient or Advanced exceeded statewide percentages across grades 3–8. Eighth grade students reached 100% Proficient or Advanced for five consecutive years, and school leadership reports that eighth grade performance ranks among the highest in the state. Colorado recognized the academy from 2000 through 2005 as one of the state’s leading junior high schools serving grades 7–8.