Reading Proficiency More Than Doubles Among Putnam County Special Education Students

This case study highlights the increase in reading proficiency among special education students in Grades 3-8 within Putnam County Schools in Cookeville, Tennessee. The district serves approximately 9,918 students. During the 2003-2004 school year, Reading Mastery was implemented in Grades K-3 and Corrective Reading was implemented in Grades 4-8 in all special education classrooms district-wide. The study tracked reading proficiency rates on the TCAP assessment. Reading proficiency among special education students jumped from 37% in 2003 to 85% in 2006. By 2005, the proficiency rate for these students (80%) had surpassed the statewide average (69%). The study also notes the results of a dissertation study conducted in the district on high school students, which found that after 15 weeks of Corrective Reading, students' attitudes toward reading improved, with 70% reporting positive attitudes compared to 34% before the program.