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Success Story: Chambersburg School District, Chambersburg, PA

The AutoSkill International Academy of READING program made such a strong first impression in the Pennsylvania Chambersburg Area School District that teachers and administrators alike were calling for a district-wide rollout of the exceptionally effective reading software program within months of its initial implementation.

Like many school districts, Chambersburg has wrestled for years with the question of how to help a greater number of students master reading skills. When District Language Arts Coordinator Connie Strunk and her colleagues heard about the Academy of READING, they were intrigued. After investigating the program further and visiting Washington, D.C., where it was already in use they decided to give the Academy of READING a try.

The software was implemented in seven schools: four elementary and three secondary. The results took even the most optimistic educators by surprise. Strunk says that, in just six months, many students' reading levels advanced by the equivalent of three to five years.

Those outcomes were enough for district officials to consider deploying the Academy of READING in every one of the district's 21 schools.

What's the secret of the program's success?

According to Strunk, it's the way the system deals with the building blocks of English: the fundamental components for deciphering the language.

The Academy of READING supports Chambersburg's current curriculum with an engaging, interactive, self-guided program through which students can proceed at their own pace.

By implementing the software in all schools, the district hopes to strengthen young readers' skills early on, giving them the tools they need for academic success. At the same time, the program will help older learners recover any lost ground, ensuring that they finish high school ready for working life in the world at large.

The enthusiasm of Chambersburg has caught the attention of other educators in Pennsylvania. Connie Strunk and her colleagues are more than happy to show them just how effective the Academy of READING has been.