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Home » News & Events » Press Releases » AutoSkill chosen to participate in $10 million study funded by U.S. Department of Education
NewsPress ReleasesAutoSkill chosen to participate in $10 million study funded by U.S. Department of EducationLess than 10% of applicants invited to participate — Academy of READING® software selected for its permanent and measurable results Feb. 23, 2004 OTTAWA, CANADA - AutoSkill® International Inc., provider of literacy intervention software solutions with a proven history of building both fundamental reading and math skills, today announced it has been selected to participate in a $10-million, congressionally—mandated study funded by the United States Department of Education¹s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and the Office of Educational Technology (OET). The AutoSkill Academy of Reading software is one of 16 computer-based reading and math products included in the nation-wide study that will span the 2004-2005 school year. The product was chosen in a peer-review process as one of 16 from a pool of 163 applications. "Technology should not be valued for what it is but rather for what it does," said Susan Patrick, acting director of OET. "Technology, by its very definition, should help to expand our capabilities. Our goal is to measure the effectiveness of technology as it improves the bottom line—student achievement and learning." The AutoSkill Academy of Reading software helps students make permanent and measurable gains in reading proficiency, in accordance with the No Child Left Behind Act. As result of the study, policymakers and educators will gain access to information about how educational technology like the Academy of Reading can improve student achievement. "The Academy of Reading is the only product selected for both the early reading and reading comprehension components of the study," said Peter Eddison, president and CEO of AutoSkill International. "Based on scientific research, we offer an accelerated reading intervention solution that helps struggling readers of any age, at virtually any grade level. We are proud to be part of a nation-wide initiative that will demonstrate the positive impact technology can make in student achievement." The Academy of Reading focuses on the component skills of reading including fluency, phonemic awareness, reading subskills, and reading comprehension. Results show that in less than 10 hours, students who use the Academy of Reading software achieve an average gain of one grade level in their reading comprehension scores, and that in less than 25 hours in the program, students show an average of 2.5 grade level gains. Mathematica Policy Research of Princeton, N.J., and its subcontractor, SRI International of Menlo Park, Calif., will conduct the study and measure the impact of using technology on achievement gains using a random-assignment evaluation design.
About AutoSkill International Inc. # # # Note: The Evaluation of Educational Technology Interventions has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education under contract number ED-01-CO-0039/007. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Education or of Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government or by Mathematica Policy Research., Inc. For more information, contact: |
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