Waterford Institute - Results-with-At-Risk-Students

The Impact of a Structured Integrated Learning System on First-grade Students’ Reading Gains

Jerrell C. Cassady and Lawrence L. Smith

In a study examining the effects of the Waterford Early Reading Program™(WERP) on reading achievement gains for first grade students, WERPs made a dramatic difference, with the greatest gains achieved by students with a reading skill below the 25^th percentile at the beginning of first grade. Download the complete study.

Emergent Literacy Skills and Training Time Uniquely Predict Variability in
Responses to Phonemic Awareness Training in Disadvantaged Kindergartners

Steven A. Hecht and Linda Close

The Waterford Early Reading Program™ (WERP) was part of an effort to raise the phonemic awareness of disadvantaged kindergarteners. The study found that students using WERP had the greatest growth on their Iowa Basic Reading Tests when compared against the other student groups. Download the complete study.

Evaluation of the Waterford Early Reading Program in Kindergarten 2005-06

Stephen Powers, Ph.D. and Connie Price-Johnson, M.A.

When the Waterford Early Reading Program™ (WERP) was tested in a large urban district, where 66 percent of students qualified for free/reduced lunch and 11 percent of students were still learning English, the WERP kindergarteners consistently outperformed the comparison group in every measured category.Download the complete study.

A Study of the Correlation Between Test Gains and Time Spent Using the Waterford Early Reading Program

The Waterford Early Reading Program™ (WERP) was implemented into several schools in Dallas, Texas. The accompanying study found that the lowest-performing students benefited from WERP instruction most. In fact, the greatest achievement gains, an average of 51.2 percent, were found among this group. Download the complete study.

Evaluation of Waterford Early Reading Program Collins Garden and Nelson Elementary Schools, San Antonio TX

Research, Assessment & Measurement, Inc.

Over the course of a year, kindergarten students in two San Antonio, Texas elementary schools used the Waterford Early Reading Program™ (WERP) in an effort to develop the essential skills necessary to become successful readers. By the end-of-the-year assessment, most students who had scored in the bottom third of the pre-test had closed the gap dramatically to attain levels of mastery near those of the class’s top third. Download the complete study.