SAN FRANCISCO – March 28 – Most educators agree that effective learning requires differentiated practice, timely and detailed assessment data, and targeted instructional methods to address skill gaps. However, a survey of superintendents, supervisors, principals and teachers attending the ASCD Annual Conference in San Francisco, Calif., indicated that most lack the data and instructional tools to deliver effective learning.
The informal survey, conducted by Lexia Learning Systems, Inc.®, polled more than 200 education professionals at the ASCD Conference. Attendees were asked about their school or district’s ability to gather and use data to provide targeted, differentiated learning.
One out of four educators indicated that it is too difficult for teachers to obtain the data they need to affect classroom instruction, while more than a third feel they spend too much time testing. In addition, less than one-third of teachers felt they had the resources to offer targeted instruction, and even fewer (25 percent) believed their students receive enough differentiated instruction.
“One of the biggest challenges educators face is the process of gathering meaningful student data without having to invest the time and money in administering tests,” said Lexia President and CEO Nick Gaehde. “The future of reading education is one that provides teachers with detailed, meaningful data and explicit tools and methods for delivering differentiated and targeted instruction.”

In more than 13,000 schools across the country, educators are benefiting from a seamless process for providing individualized practice, integrated assessment, and targeted skills instruction. Lexia Reading, nationally recognized as one of the most comprehensive reading software programs available, is helping to shape the future of reading education by providing a differentiated, data-driven and targeted system to deliver independent, individualized practice and differentiated instruction.

Lexia offers support for critical reading skills development for all students in grades pre-K–4, as well as for students in grades 5-12 needing to accelerate their reading skills progress. The program includes more than 900 age-appropriate activities conforming to federal guidelines and focused on the five major areas of reading. Students using the Web-based, SIF certified program work independently as the software automatically differentiates the content to match each student’s skill level; detecting when additional practice is needed and advancing students to the next level when skills have been mastered. Lexia’s Assessment Without TestingTM technology gives administrators and teachers instant access to performance data gathered from students’ daily activities in the program—without stopping the flow of instruction to administer tests or wait for results. The software quickly identifies students at risk for reading failure, highlighting specific skill deficits and aggregating student performance data at the student, class, school or district level. Teachers are automatically provided with Lexia Lessons® and Lexia Skill Builders®, a set of explicit, scripted lesson plans and paper and pencil practice sheets for targeted skill instruction and offline practice.

About Lexia Learning
Lexia Learning Systems, Inc., headquartered in Concord, Massachusetts, is one of the most highly regarded reading software companies in the nation. Established in 1984, the company provides a flexible, Web-enabled technology that is scientifically based and proven to increase reading proficiency in students at all levels of ability, pre-K to adult. Today, Lexia’s programs, including its flagship product, Lexia Reading, are used as an essential part of reading instruction in more than 13,000 schools nationwide, and have helped more than one million students learn to read. In 2009, Lexia Reading was recognized as one of only 10 programs to have ever been deemed to show effectiveness in two or more Beginning Reading Skills categories by the What Works Clearinghouse. To learn more about Lexia, please visit www.lexialearning.com or call 1-800-435-3942.

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