North Gem Elementary School

Bancroft, Idaho

Scope of Work

Reading scores are assessed by the state of Idaho three times yearly for grades K-3. North Gem Elementary implemented Discover Intensive Phonics in 1997.

Tool

Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI) Test

Time Frame

Two-year study conducted between 2001-2003 (data collected quarterly throughout a given school year by the State of Idaho Department of Education).

The state of Idaho assesses reading scores by conducting the Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI) test three times each school year for students in grades K-3. Each school is required to meet certain reading achievement goals set by the state at each grade level.

Data

2003

Students at or above grade level
	State	School	Difference
Kindergarten	58% above 28% at	74% above 26% at	16% above grade level
1st Grade	73% above 21% at	92% above 8% at	19% above grade level
2nd Grade	62% above 25% at	77% above 20% at	15% above grade level
3rd Grade	59% above 25% at	85% above 10% at	26% above grade level

2002

Students at or above grade level
	State	School	Difference
Kindergarten	53% above 31% at	78% above 20% at	25% above grade level
1st Grade	68% above 24% at	96% above 4% at	28% above grade level
2nd Grade	58% above 26% at	88% above 12% at	30% above grade level
3rd Grade	55% above 27% at	81% above 11% at	30% above grade level

2001

Students at or above grade level
	State	School	Difference
Kindergarten	49% above 33% at	86% above 12% at	37% above grade level
1st Grade	62% above 28% at	93% above 5% at	31% above grade level
2nd Grade	53% above 27% at	79% above 14% at	26% above grade level
3rd Grade	51% above 28% at	55% above 26% at	4% above grade level

Evaluator's Observations

According to the North Gem IRI scores, 92 percent of third graders and 85 percent of Kindergarten students are reading at grade level. In 1997, before North Gem used Discover Intensive Phonics, the students had trouble with reading, as indicated by extremely low reading scores. Once the Discover Intensive Phonics program was firmly implemented, it is reported that improvement was made in a short period of time.

Involving parents is the key when helping students increase their reading levels. Parents have come in to see our first-grade students demonstrate their skills in the spring. They are amazed to see first graders confidently discuss such things as murmur diphthongs, diagraphs, special vowel combinations, and blends and are even more amazed to see them use them in their writing.

Students enjoy showing parents their word attack strategies and then reading the word. The harder the word, the greater the thrill of reading it.