Striving Readers Program: Targeted Interventions (READ 180 and Xtreme Reading) and Whole-School Intervention (SIM-CERT) to Improve Reading Achievement

The Striving Readers grant requires the implementation of both targeted and whole-school literacy interventions. The Springfield and Chicopee Public School Districts are implementing two targeted interventions: READ 180 Enterprise Edition and Xtreme Reading. Both targeted interventions are provided as a supplement to the regular English Language Arts curriculum in the participating schools. The whole-school intervention is the Strategic Instruction Model Content Enhancement Routines for Teachers (SIM-CERT). READ 180 is an intensive literacy curriculum developed for struggling readers in grades 4 through 12 to bring their reading skills to grade-level standards and to promote reading comprehension. Xtreme Reading has a meta-cognitive approach focusing heavily on explicit strategy instruction. SIM-CERT provides reading strategies to improve literacy instruction across all disciplines.