Differentiated Reading Instruction With Technology for Advanced Middle School Students’ Reading Achievement

Abstract

Guided by the theory of differentiated instruction, this quantitative study evaluated the effectiveness of Achieve 3000, a technology-enhanced program for differentiating reading instruction. Achieve 3000 was fully implemented with fidelity in a local middle school that has a large percentage of advanced learners. Archived reading scores of 120 advanced Grade 6–8 students were compared pre- and postimplementation of Achieve 3000. A paired-samples t test examining the overall effect of the intervention indicated that students’ posttest LevelSet Lexile reading scores were significantly higher than their pretest scores. A mixed-design analysis of variance was used to examine the main and interaction effects of time (pretest vs. posttest) and grade level (Grades 6–8) on students’ LevelSet Lexile reading scores. A significant main effect of grade level and a significant time by grade interaction were present with Grade 6 advanced learners showing significantly greater increases in LevelSet Lexile reading scores following the Achieve 3000 intervention as compared to the other grade levels. These findings suggest that the Achieve 3000 program was effective for meeting the specialized differentiated instructional needs of advanced learners in reading. The implications for social change include offering educators viable, technology-enhanced options for effectively differentiating reading instruction for advanced learners resulting in enhanced academic achievement, thereby benefiting students and the school community.