Reading Mastery Transformations Success Story: Joshua ISD

The case study focuses on the implementation of the SRA Reading Mastery Transformations program, a K–5 English Language Arts curriculum based on the Direct Instruction approach. The study was conducted in Joshua Independent School District (ISD), a fast-growing, socioeconomically and culturally diverse public school district in Joshua, Texas, serving Pre-K–12 students. The district has an A rating from the Texas Education Agency and includes multiple schools.

Joshua ISD adopted Reading Mastery Transformations in August 2021 for K–1 core instruction, emphasizing phonics, decoding, fluency, comprehension, and spelling. The ongoing assessments included the Texas Kindergarten Entry Assessment (TX-KEA) for kindergarten students, state summative assessments for third graders, and benchmark assessments measuring progress at the beginning, middle, and end of the academic year.

Outcomes showed significant improvements in literacy skills. Kindergarten students surpassed the district’s target goal for TX-KEA by 16%, with 86% scoring “on track” or better. Third-grade students demonstrated notable gains on state assessments, increasing proficiency rates from 77% in 2021 to 86% in 2024. Additionally, first through fifth graders showed upward trends in proficiency rates on the Star Reading Assessment, with a 17% increase in district benchmark proficiency from fall 2023 to winter 2024.

The program’s accelerated pace, structured lessons, and flexibility for interventions and extensions were key contributors to success. Teachers reported high satisfaction due to the program’s consistency and ease of use, regardless of experience level.