Accelerated Reader and Information Policy, Information Literacy, and Knowledge Management: U.S. and International Implications

Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the relationship between the Accelerated Reader (AR), a computerized reading management program, and information policy, information literacy, and knowledge management are drawn from data collected in the U.S., Scotland, and England. A study of 632 of the poorest U.S. schools shows a strong relationship between national information policy regarding achievement in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and local decisions to use AR, expectations for literacy, and library collection development. Investigation in the U.K. schools finds that (a) motivational style interacts with gender in relation to the competitive and social aspects of the AR program, (b) the level of program implementation does not correlate with breadth of reading, and (c) management aspects of the program are not utilized effectively. Results suggest that how the AR program relates to information policy, information literacy, and knowledge management has importance for school librarians and libraries

Breaking Barriers with Student-Centred Teaching and Learning using Library Books in the United States' Poorest Schools

An analysis of a random sample of the 2930 applications for library books to a private U.S. Foundation from schools having 75% or more of students on free or reduced lunch identifies characteristics of these poorest schools and demonstrates how they would use the newly acquired books in relation to student and collection needs. Results reveal the impact of national and state legislation, the widespread use of the Accelerated Reader System, and the need for bilingual and multicultural books. These libraries appear more focused on improving student achievement test scores than on promoting general information literacy.

Renaissance’s Accelerated Reader: Does It Really Work?

The school library is an open place for students to learn, imagine, and be free to research information of their choosing. Renaissance’s Accelerated Reader is a reading level-based program that assigns point values to books when students pass the quiz assigned to each book. Accelerated Reader unfortunately promotes censorship and invasion of privacy due to how the program is structured. This paper examines the flaws with Accelerated Reader to help examine if the program is beneficial to students. The American Association of School Librarians’ position statement will be used to help emphasize the point of the paper being that Accelerated Reader is inefficient. Collaboration between school librarians and teachers would be more beneficial instead of computerized reading level programs. Accelerated Reader’s structure unfortunately causes censorship of materials and invasion of privacy for children’s reading choices.

Free Voluntary Reading and Comprehensible Input

Three and a half years into my journey of using Comprehensible Input and leaving the textbook behind, I started doing research on Free Voluntary Reading. As a child, I had greatly enjoyed reading and it was something my students had a hard time grasping. Similarly, my own brother nearly stopped reading all together when his school adopted the Accelerated Reader program, which assigns points for reading and testing on books. His love for reading was later reignited when, as a family, we started reading the Harry Potter series. I want my own students to have a similar experience and enjoy reading.

Accelrated Reader Program: What do Teachers Really Think

What do teachers really think about the Accelerated Reader program, a widely used supplemental, independent reading program in which their students read fiction and non-fiction books of their choice and take brief online comprehension quizzes about the books? The Accelerated Reader (AR) program was designed by Renaissance Learning Company to increase students’ motivation to read and students’ achievement in reading; however, a review of the literature reveals inconsistent findings about its outcomes. Very few studies have been conducted seeking teacher input as to whether the program to achieves its intended outcomes. The goal of this study is to survey teachers (Grades 3 – 8) who use AR as a curricular component of their literacy program. We sought to learn about how teachers use the program and perceive its effectiveness as well as how it impacts their students’ interest and achievement in reading. We gathered data using an online questionnaire from teachers in urban, rural, exurban and suburban school settings in both elementary and middle schools. Teachers were asked to respond to items based on a 4 –point scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree including an open-ended response section.The respondents were primarily from suburban and exurban districts and they have been using the program between 1-15 years. Most of the teachers indicated their students enjoy the program and most teachers require their students to take the AR quizzes.Results indicate most teachers believe that Accelerated Reader program motivates their students to read; however, they also recognize that AR is largely an accountability measure ensuring that their students read independently. Additionally, teachers recognize that AR measures comprehension at knowledge-recall level and is not an overall strong indicator of reading comprehension. Therefore, some teachers have made their own modifications to the program.