In support of Palo Alto Unified School District's (PAUSD) vision to "support all students as they prepare themselves to thrive as global citizens in a rapidly changing world," PAUSD's secondary schools have partnered with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to offer two reading intervention programs at all of the secondary school sites.

R180 is a comprehensive, research-based intervention proven to accelerate the reading levels and test scores of struggling students in Grades 4-12. R180 supports teachers with guiding students to do a 180 in their reading progress.

System 44 is a comprehensive foundational literacy program proven to raise reading achievement and place struggling readers on the path to college and career readiness.  This research-based program supports teachers with guiding the most challenged students to unlock the system of the English language and join the community of fluent readers.

R180 and System 44 are available for struggling readers as an elective class, based on student need and teacher recommendation at all of PAUSD's middle schools and both high schools.

For questions or more information, please contact:

 

 

 

R180 and System 44 at a Glance
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R180 Instructional Model

R180 provides individualized instruction through teacher-directed lessons, adaptive software, age-appropriate nonfiction texts, and data driven differentiation. The research based R180 Instructional Model structures 90 minutes of direct instruction and scaffolded practice each day to maximize student reading growth.

Whole Group Instruction- Devote the first 20 minutes of class to explicit teacher-led instruction for all students.  Lessons are in reading, academic vocabulary, and writing.

Small Group Instruction- Work directly with one small group of 5-7 students at time.  After 20 minutes, have the small groups rotate, so teachers have the opportunity to work closely with every student each day.

Instructional Software- One small group of 5-7 students at a time engage in independent, individualized skills practice using the Topic Software.  After 20 minutes, the small groups rotate.

Modeled and Independent Reading- One small group of 5-7 students at a time independently read the leveled Paperbacks, Audiobooks, and eReads.

Whole-Group Wrap-Up- The class comes back together for the last 10 min.  Wrap Up activities guide student reflection and discussion.

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Who is Eligible for R180

Students in 5th grade are screened using the Reading Inventory (RI) in April or May.  The RI assesses reading comprehension using the Lexile Framework for Reading to determine if students are reading above, on, or below grade level.  State test scores may also reveal a need for reading intervention.  Students scoring in the bottom two quartiles on state tests may be considered and screened as well. 

Other selection criteria that may be considered for screening a student for R180

  • BAS scores, or other formal proficiency exams,  show that a student is reading below grade level
  • Teacher observations and informal assessments indicate that a student is reading below grade level
  • Student is in a special education program and needs intervention to address reading challenges
  • Student is an EL student and is reading below grade level

Students may be referred for screening using the RI at the end of 5th grade, and at any time during 6-8th grade.

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System 44 Instructional Model

The research based System 44 Instructional Model structures 50-60 minutes of direct instruction and scaffolded practice in small groups each day to maximize student reading growth.  Struggling readers need explicit, systematic daily instruction and individualized practice in foundational reading skills. Students have frequent opportunities to learn and practice the phonics and phonemic awareness skills that are essential components of language and literacy development. 

Whole Group Introduction- Begin each class period with Whole-Group Introduction to motivate and engage students.  Use daily Do Now activities to provide language warm-up practice and set daily learning goals.

Small Group Instruction/Modeled and Independent Reading- Provide direct instruction and practice.  Teach lessons sequentially to ensure students build a solid foundation in phonemic awareness and phonics and engage in daily comprehension skills practice and writing activities.

Instructional Software- Students use the System 44 software for at least 20 minutes of individualized instruction per day.  Conference with students to set academic goals linked to the Instructional Software.

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Who is Eligible for System 44

Students in 5th grade are screened using the Reading Inventory (RI) in April or May. The RI assesses reading comprehension using the Lexile Framework for Reading to determine if students are reading above, on, or below grade level. Students who score below Lexile 600 will be given the Phonics Inventory (PI), to identify students are may lack decoding skills. State test scores may also reveal a need for reading intervention.  Students scoring in the bottom two quartiles on state tests may be considered and screened as well. 

Other selection criteria that may be considered for screening a student for R180

  • BAS scores, or other formal proficiency exams,  show that a student is reading below grade level
  • Teacher observations and informal assessments indicate that a student is reading below grade level
  • Student is in a special education program and  is in need of a reading intervention that addresses phonics
  • Student is an EL student and is struggling with phonemic awareness and phonics skills in English.

Students may be referred for screening using the RI at the end of 5th grade, and at any time during 6-8th grade.

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