Low-Performing Kentucky School on Its Way To High-Performing With Reading Mastery

This case study examines the implementation of McGraw-Hill’s Reading Mastery program at Highland Elementary School, a public elementary school in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The school serves approximately 250 students in grades PreK–5, with 92% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunches. Seeking to address low-performing academic status, the school implemented Reading Mastery in grades K–5 in October 2005. Instruction was provided for 90 minutes each day, and the program was expanded to include grade Pre-K in fall 2007. The study utilizes descriptive statistics to track school-wide reading performance over time. Outcomes examined include reading scores on the state summative assessment, the Kentucky Core Content Test (KCCT), specifically focusing on the percentage of grade 4 students scoring proficient in reading from 2005 to 2007. Descriptive results show that the percentage of grade 4 students scoring proficient in reading rose from 19% in 2005 (prior to the program's implementation) to 39% in 2006, and reached 63% in 2007.