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NewsPress ReleasesAutoSkill Launches Vision CentersRegional centers provide models for best practices in improving reading in youth Sep. 16, 2003 OTTAWA, Canada September 16, 2003 AutoSkill International Inc., the makers of the Academy of Reading, announces the launch of regional Vision Centers.The centers will provide best-practice models for dramatically improving student performance and achievement in reading using AutoSkill software-based literacy intervention solutions. Vision Centers will maximize the potential of the Academy of Reading software with educators in K-12 classrooms, as well as with support from administrators and principals.Vision Centers will run for one calendar year, with the opportunity for schools to renew their participation on the centers each year thereafter.Vision Center schools will host site visits from other schools that can benefit from seeing best practices in action. According to Peter Cleary, Director of Professional Servicesand director of the Vision Center program for AutoSkill, "Our company puts great validity in schools sharing their innovative approaches to reading instruction with our software.Schools having students who have not learned to read by middle or high school and that subsequently institute new policies and programs that boost student performance and build self-esteem in individuals clearly have great experiences to share." Vision Center Schools To date, AutoSkill has instituted two Vision Centers:
The company hopes to institute five to six Vision Centers in regional locations throughout the country within the 2003-04 school year. According to Jeff Borbely, Vision Center coordinator and newly retired Leavenworth Director of Research and Evaluation, I believe that Leavenworth was chosen as an AutoSkill Vision Center due to the success of our entire reading program. We have optimized the power of technology to teach students text processing via automaticity theory, to have students practice reading optimally, and to measure the effectiveness of literacy skills instruction. This approach to teaching reading sets Leavenworth apart from other districts. We have already had several schools visit Leavenworth to learn from our successes in student achievement. Kila Smith, former Prosser High School Reading Coordinator, says, At Prosser High School we use several different strategies when trying to remediate struggling readers.Using different programs we are able to catch a student who misses something along the way, and teach them the skill they missed.I have had personnel from more than 70 schools visit Prosser to see our reading program in action, which proves to me that Prosser High School is indeed a Vision Center. Each Vision Center will receive ongoing support from AutoSkill staff, new versions and updates of Academy of Reading at no charge, a site visit by AutoSkill staff to make improvements on Academy of Reading, and assistance in data analysis and interpretation. The Academy of Reading is a software program designed to help struggling readers quickly get up to grade level in reading.The software also contains a testing module with two diagnostic and three grade level assessment tests.Teachers can select any combination of tests to analyze students' reading abilities or use the AutoTest function to assign their tests.The Academy of Reading then automatically assigns appropriate exercises that allow students to work relative to their own pace and ability.
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