KidBiz3000®, TeenBiz3000®, and Empower3000™: The first Web-based, differentiated literacy solutions that reach every student at his or her Lexile® level. Powered by a proprietary software engine that distributes grade–appropriate assignments to the entire class, but tailors them according to each student’s reading level, Achieve3000 Solutions enables teachers to move their students up surely and steadily, level by level. These research–based solutions extend teachers’ reach without increasing workloads or time demands and are proven to accelerate reading comprehension, fluency, writing proficiency, vocabulary development, and high-stakes test scores. In a national study of elementary school students using KidBiz3000, students nearly doubled their expected growth norms as measured in Lexiles.

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National Elementary School
Lexile Study

2. National Elementary School Lexile Study
National Lexile Study
Number of Schools 1,216
Number of Students 85,369
Achieve3000 Solutions
®
KidBiz3000®, TeenBiz3000®, and Empower3000™: These research–based solutions extend teachers’
The first Web-based, differentiated literacy solutions reach without increasing workloads or time de-
that reach every student at his or her Lexile® level. mands and are proven to accelerate reading com-
Powered by a proprietary software engine that dis- prehension, fluency, writing proficiency, vocabulary
tributes grade–appropriate assignments to the entire development, and high-stakes test scores.
class, but tailors them according to each student’s
reading level, Achieve3000 Solutions enables teach-
ers to move their students up surely and steadily,
level by level.

3. National Elementary School Lexile Study
Executive Summary
In a national study of elementary school students using KidBiz3000, students nearly doubled their expected growth
norms as measured in Lexiles.
Students exceeded
their “expected” Lexile
gains by 59 points
Lexile Points
■ Key Findings
• Students at all grade levels made significant gains • According to national data, elementary school English
compared to gains expected with “normal” instruc- Language Learners made more than one-and-a-half
tion, nearly doubling the expected growth norms. times their expected Lexile gains and gained an aver-
age of 134 Lexile points.
• Students reading two or more years below grade level
at the beginning of the school year made gains of • The quality of the work and the number of reading
nearly double the expected growth norms, effectively sessions that students submit on Achieve3000
closing the gap for the most struggling readers. are statistically significant predictors of their Lexile
performance.
• Students who completed at least two reading ses-
sions per week made the highest Lexile gains on
average, nearly two-and-a-half times the expected
growth norms.
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4. National Elementary School Lexile Study
Results that Count: Achieve3000
Increases Elementary School
Student Performance at All Levels
2nd-grade students
exceeded their
“expected” Lexile
gains by 84 points
Students across all
elementary school grade
Lexile Points
levels and populations
made significant
gains in Lexile reading
performance over and
above the gains expected
with regular instruction
2 3 4 5 Grades
Methodology
Lexile Measurement of Reading Growth:
To determine the effects of KidBiz on the literacy de- developed in partnership with MetaMetrics™, delivers a
velopment of students, Achieve3000 designed a study Lexile score for the student. The actual growth achieved
measuring student Lexile growth with a pre- and a is compared to the expected yearly growth norms, a
post-test using the LevelSet™ assessment. LevelSet, MetaMetrics calculation.1
■ The Assessment Measure
Developed by Achieve3000 in conjunction with Meta- to reading and text measurement that has become the
Metrics Inc., LevelSet offers a scientific means of match- most widely adopted reading measure in use today.
ing students to informational texts. Developed by MetaMetrics Inc., Lexile measures are the
result of more than 20 years of ongoing research.
LevelSet is administered up to three times yearly—an
initial assessment to establish a baseline score (based A key advantage of the Lexile scale is that the Lexile
on the Lexile Framework®) at the beginning of the school Framework measures both text and reader using the
year, an interim assessment halfway through the school same scale. This means that the ability to comprehend
year, and a post-assessment at the end of the school and the material being comprehended are being evalu-
year—providing a summative measurement of student ated by the same criteria, lending it greater scientific
progress. The Lexile Framework is a scientific approach validity.
2

5. National Elementary School Lexile Study
Closing the Gap: Results with Our Most
Struggling Readers
According to national data, elementary school students reading two or more years below grade level made
nearly double the expected Lexile reading gains.
Average Lexile gain of
195 points
240
94-point Lexile gain;
this is nearly double the
180 expected Lexile growth
Lexile Points
120
60
0
Struggling readers across all grade levels using KidBiz3000 made significant growth over and above that
expected with normal instruction.
3rd-grade students
exceeded their
expected Lexile
gains by 120 points
Below-level readers
across all elementary
school grade levels
Lexile Points
and populations made
significant gains in Lexile
reading performance
over and above the gains
expected with regular
instruction
2 3 4 5 Grades
3

6. National Elementary School Lexile Study
Closing the Gap: English Language Learners
In a study of elementary school English Language Learners, students made more than one-and-a-half
times the expected Lexile reading gains.
Average Lexile gain
of 134 points
49-point Lexile gain
above the average
expected growth; this is
more than one-and-a-
Lexile Points
half times the expected
growth of 85 points
Closing the Gap: Special Education Students
In a study of elementary school Special Education students, students made more than one-and-a-half
times the expected Lexile gains.
Average Lexile gain
of 134 points
50-point Lexile gain
above the average
expected growth; this is
more than one-and-a-
Lexile Points
half times the expected
growth of 84 points
4

7. National Elementary School Lexile Study
Effect of Frequency of Program Use on Lexile Gains
Number of Reading Sessions Completed
Achieve3000 found a statistically significant relationship between the number of reading sessions completed
on Achieve3000 Solutions and student nonfiction Lexile/reading growth. Elementary School students who
used the program at least twice weekly made the highest Lexile gains, nearly two-and-a-half times the
expected growth norms.
Frequency of Usage Results for Elementary School Students
* The number of reading
sessions that a student
completes on Achieve3000
is a predictor of his or her
Lexile performance gains.
Students using program less Students using program at Students using program
than once weekly: least once weekly: at least twice weekly:
Average Lexile gain of 113 points Average Lexile gain of 146 points Average Lexile gain of 174 points
40-point Lexile gain above the average 73-point Lexile gain above the aver- 101-point Lexile gain above the average
expected growth; this is more than one- age expected growth; this is double the expected growth; this is nearly two-and-
and-a-half times the expected growth expected growth a-half times the expected growth
In order to assess the effect of the frequency of use on student Lexile gains, Achieve3000 assigned students from
within its study to one of the following categories:
•Group 1 (1–39): Fewer than 40 •Group 2 (40–79): 40-79 read- •Group 3 (80+): 80 or more read-
reading sessions completed over ing sessions completed over the ing sessions completed over the
the 10-month school year; fewer 10-month school year; between one 10-month school year; two or
than one reading session weekly. and two reading sessions weekly. more reading sessions weekly.
5

8. National Elementary School Lexile Study
Effect of Usage for Elementary School
English Language Learners
Students using program less
than once weekly:
Average Lexile gain of 118 points
33-point Lexile gain above the average
expected growth; this is nearly one-and-
a-half times the expected growth
Students using program at least
once weekly:
Average Lexile gain of 158 points
73-point Lexile gain above the average
expected growth; this is nearly double
the expected growth
Effect of Usage for Elementary School
Special Education Students
Students using program less
than once weekly:
Average Lexile gain of 113 points
29-point Lexile gain above the average
expected growth; this is nearly one-and-
a-half times the expected growth
Students using program at least
once weekly:
Average Lexile gain of 153 points
69-point Lexile gain above the average
expected growth; this is nearly double
the expected growth
6

9. National Elementary School Lexile Study
Effect of Quality of Program Use on Lexile Gains
Reading Activity Scores
In addition to analyzing the frequency of use, Achieve3000 also analyzed the quality of program use. The
multiple-choice activity is a critical component of the Five-Step Literacy Routine and is a simple indicator of
the degree to which students are applying themselves to the program. This formative assessment allows
progress monitoring of overall understanding of the text read.
Quality of Usage Results for Elementary School Students
To assess the effect of the quality of use
on student Lexile gains, Achieve3000
assigned students from within its study to
one of the following categories:
•Group 1 (Less than 65% or greater
than 90%): Students who averaged
less than 65% or greater than 90% on
the multiple-choice portion of the Five-
Step Literacy Routine.
•Group 2 (Between 65% and 90%,
Students averaging less than Students averaging between inclusive): Students who averaged
65% or greater than 90%: 65% and 90%, inclusive: between 65% and 90%, inclusive, on
the multiple-choice portion of the Five-
Average Lexile gain of 104 points Average Lexile gain of 154 points Step Literacy Routine. A score within
this range typically indicates that the
student is applying himself to his work
31-point Lexile gain above the aver- 81-point Lexile gain above the aver- and reading in his instructional zone.
age expected growth; this is nearly age expected growth; this is more Achieve3000 recommends that teach-
one-and-a-half times the expected than double the expected growth
ers monitor student scores to ensure
growth
performance in this range.
7

10. National Elementary School Lexile Study
Effect of Quality of Program Use on Elementary
School English Language Learners
Students averaging less than
65% or greater than 90%:
Average Lexile gain of 112 points
27-point Lexile gain above the average
expected growth; this is nearly one-and-
a-half times the expected growth
Students averaging between
65% and 90%, inclusive:
Average Lexile gain of 182 points
97-point Lexile gain above the aver-
age expected growth; this is more than
double the expected growth
Effect of Quality of Program Use on Elementary
School Special Education
Students averaging less than
65% or greater than 90%:
Average Lexile gain of 126 points
42-point Lexile gain above the average
expected growth; this is one-and-a-half
times the expected growth
Students averaging between
65% and 90%, inclusive:
Average Lexile gain of 143 points
59-point Lexile gain above the average
expected growth; this is more than one-
and-a-half times the expected growth
8

11. National Elementary School Lexile Study
Reading Connections:
Explicit Reading Comprehension Strategy
Instruction and Application
Achieve3000 provides explicit instruction on the seven key comprehension strategies for informational text.
Two new features of the program, the Lesson Plans and the Reading Connections, help address this need.
The Lesson Plans that provide this direct, explicit instruction are available within the Learning Center, and
one lesson plan is always attached to the daily article. Within each article, students are encouraged to ap-
ply the strategies of summarization and generating questions.
Reading Connections Results for Elementary School Students
■ Key Findings:
• Students completing at least one Reading Connections article per week over the course of the school year aver-
aged Lexile gains of 139 points, nearly double the expected growth.
9

12. National Elementary School Lexile Study
Graded Thought Questions:
The Reading-Writing Connection
Research shows a direct connection between reading and writing. Writing instruction helps improve read-
ing comprehension. The Thought Question is the fourth step in the Five-Step Literacy Routine and pur-
posefully engages students in a formal writing process that allows them to apply knowledge they have
acquired and express their thoughts through writing.
Thought Questions Results for All Elementary School Students
Lexile Points
■ Key Findings:
• Students who completed fewer than one Thought • Students who completed at least two Thought Ques-
Question per week averaged gains of 128 Lexile tions per week averaged Lexile gains of 168 Lexile
points, nearly double the expected Lexile growth. points, nearly two-and-a-half times the expected Lexile
growth.
• Students who completed between one and two
Thought Questions per week averaged Lexile gains • Completing Thought Questions is associated with
of 150 Lexile points, more than double the expected significant gains in Lexile reading scores, with students
Lexile growth. completing two or more per week outperforming
students completing fewer than one per week by 40
Lexile points.
10

13. National Elementary School Lexile Study
After School Usage
Research on adolescent literacy suggests that the amount of reading students do during out-of-school
hours is an accurate predictor of their in-school academic achievement. If after-school programs can mo-
tivate young people to read more and explore their interests through reading, this research suggests that
academic performance will improve.
77% of Achieve3000
Elementary Schools elementary school
After School Usage students across the
nation logged in after
77%
school hours. These
students logged in
1,201,792 times after
school during the
2009-2010 school
year.
11

14. National Elementary School Lexile Study
Endnotes:
¹ Normal Growth—Using MetaMetrics’ findings on growth norms to calculate the expected monthly growth
expected yearly growth norms, Achieve3000 calculated for a student at that reading level. Achieve3000 then
the expected Lexile gain for each student. This calcula- multiplied the expected monthly growth by the number
tion was based on the length of time from the student’s of months the student spent on the program to arrive at
pre- to post-test as well as the student’s initial reading an “expected Lexile gain” score for each student.
level. Achieve3000 first used MetaMetrics’ expected
Appendix
Referring to Page 5: Effect of Frequency of Program Use on Lexile Gains
When a comparison of means was performed between group (p = .05). An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was
the three usage categories (1–39, 40-79, 80+), a sta- performed to compare the group means.
tistically significant difference was found between each
ANOVA – Lexile Gains
Sum of Mean
df F Sig.
Squares Square
Between Groups 44295224 2 22147612.20 871.825 .000
Within Groups 2.2E+009 85366 25403.735
Total 2.2E+009 85368
A Bonferroni post-hoc test found that all three groups were statistically significantly different from each other (see below).
Bonferroni Test - Multiple Comparisons
Dependent Variable: Actual Lexile Gain
95% Confidence Interval
(I) Overall Reading (J) Overall Reading Mean Differ-
Std. Error Sig.
Sessions Sessions Groups ence (I-J)
Lower Bound Upper Bound
40-79 -33.205(*) 1.245 .000 -36.19 -30.22
1–39
80+ -60.840(*) 1.598 .000 -64.67 -57.02
1-39 33.205(*) 1.245 .000 30.22 36.19
40–79
80+ -27.636(*) 1.744 .000 -31.81 -23.46
1-39 60.840(*) 1.598 .000 57.02 64.67
80+
40-79 27.636(*) 1.744 .000 23.46 31.81
* The mean difference is significant at the .05 level.
12

15. National Elementary School Lexile Study
Referring to Page 7: Effect of Quality of Program Use on Lexile Gains
When a comparison of means was performed between groups (p = .05). The students who averaged between
the two usage categories (less than 65% or greater 65% and 90%, inclusive, on their activities made signifi-
than 90%; between 65% and 90%, inclusive) a statisti- cantly higher Lexile gains.
cally significant difference was found between the usage
Independent Samples Test – Lexile Gains
t-test for Equality of Means
Sig. Mean Dif- Std. Error 95% Confidence Inter-
t df
(2-tailed) ference Difference val of the Difference
Equal variances
-45.885 85367 .000 -50.257 1.095 -52.403 -48.110
assumed
Equal variances
-46.409 84260.917 .000 -50.257 1.083 -52.379 -48.134
not assumed
Group Statistics
Average Std. Error
N Mean Std. Deviation
Activity Score Mean
Actual Lexile Less than 65% or
38031 103.91 149.691 768
Gain greater than 90%
Between 65% and
47338 154.16 166.195 .764
90%, inclusive
13

16. To learn more about Achieve3000
and its proven solutions,
call 888-968-6822
or e-mail office@achieve3000.com