Stage A
At age 10, Miguel had struggled academically for years. After testing out of a reading intervention program at the end of third grade, despite test anxiety so overwhelming that he literally fled the classroom prior to the exam, he was recommended for READ 180 at the beginning of fifth grade based on California State Test (CST) scores, teacher recommendations, and classroom benchmarks. Described by teachers as “bright, imaginative...and bursting with enthusiasm about his subjects of interest,” Miguel also faces the challenge of having been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, which, as his teacher describes, “affects his ability to focus and impacts his relationships with his peers and his ability to read social cues.” Before starting READ 180, he lacked the self-assurance and determination that is needed to feel successful both in and outside of the classroom. His struggles academically had left him frustrated and unmotivated to work hard in his classes, and those feelings carried over to his relationships with his peers.
Miguel entered READ 180 in the fall of 2009 and has become determined to be successful ever since. Miguel started READ 180 with a Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) score of 497 Lexiles; in just 5 months, it has jumped to 766. No longer afraid to try new things, Miguel is now changing his outlook and skills. “Miguel comes bounding into READ 180 every day with a smile on his face and a burning desire to take the world by storm,” his teacher Jamey Olney states. “He has gained a sense of self-efficacy that will propel him through life.”
Once a student who engaged in distractive tactics to avoid any type of written work, Miguel’s creativity and enthusiasm now flourish in a newfound passion for writing plays and his desire to one day become a food critic. He completes his homework, goes above and beyond both inside and outside the classroom, and is helping his classmates succeed as well, acting as a class mentor and walking students through how to apply his newly-learned test-taking strategies, where only a few short months ago, his anxiety surrounding any type of assessment or exam was overwhelming.
“READ 180 has provided Miguel with tangible evidence that he can be a successful learner and has given him a sense of what is possible,” says his teacher. Miguel has noticed the difference it has made on his life and he is very thankful. “READ 180 helps people who struggle with reading and don’t like to read. The thing it has made the biggest difference in is my writing. I am now writing plays for my classmates to perform in.” Miguel truly believes that this program will help anyone who is having trouble in school and who wants to succeed in life.
