Denver Catholic

8 MAY 14-27, 2016 | DENVER CATHOLIC Around the Archdiocese BY AARON LAMBERT N ew results from a standardized assessment taken by Denver Catholic school students show that students are performing above grade level across the board. The Iowa assessment is a standardized test used by both Catholic schools and public schools across the nation. It is a norm referenced test, meaning it measures what students already know and not nec- essarily what they have learned in school. Students in grades two through eight take the Iowa assessments mid-year, and results are compared with other students across the country who took the same test. Results from midway through the 2016 school year show that Denver Catholic school students are performing above grade level, specifically when it comes to core composite knowledge, which includes reading, writing, vocabulary and mathematics. The typical student is expected to grow one full grade level with each passing school year; according to the results from the Iowa assessment, Denver Catholic school students in grades two through eight are showing growth by more than one year. The most notable examples are seventh and eighth graders in Denver Catholic schools, who are performing two grade levels ahead. Research is beginning to show that stu- dent progress on the Iowa assessments of more than a year may be attributed to the effectiveness of the teacher and quality of the school experience. Learning Ally to help dyslexic students across the archdiocese BY AARON LAMBERT F or a child with dyslexia, reading can be a nightmare. Statistics show that one in five students have a language-based learning disability, the most common of which is dyslexia. The OŠce of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Denver has long sought solutions to help students who struggle with learning disabilities, and in the case of dyslexia, they've found one in Learning Ally. Thanks to a generous donation from the Zarlengo Foundation, Learning Ally will be implemented in all 36 archdiocesan schools by next fall. Learning Ally is an assistive reading program specifically for children who either su'er from dyslexia or are blind or visually impaired. It features a library of 80,000 human-narrated audiobooks that students can access on a computer or a smartphone app. The program was launched in six pilot schools within the archdiocese last summer, and the schools that used it have seen great success. "The archdiocese was in great need of something for their kids with learn- ing disabilities," said Katie Zarlengo, executive director of the Zarlengo Foundation. "Learning Ally was the best way to bring a good, solid program to a great number of kids." On April 8, a Learning Ally rally was held at one of the pilot schools, Guard- ian Angels in Denver, that celebrated the widespread implementation of the pro- gram. Students and faculty from Guard- ian Angels and Bishop Machebuef High School were in attendance. It featured testimonials of three young women from around the country who won the Learn- ing Ally National Achievement Award. While Learning Ally may be new to some students in the archdiocese, others have been reaping its benefits for several years. Paige Wood, a soph- omore at Bishop Machebeuf, has been using Learning Ally since 7th grade. The program has helped to relieve her of the stress of being required to read more in high school, she said, and she likes Learning Ally because, unlike the aim of other similar programs, it doesn't try to fix dyslexia. Wood is on the basketball team at Bishop Machebeuf, and she said that Learning Ally helps her to focus more as an athlete too. Some of her friends on the basketball team also struggle with dyslexia, and it's been encouraging for her to know that she's not alone. "It's kind of cool to be able to relate with them," Wood said. "I'll call them some nights [for help] and we'll figure it out together. It's always cool having a community around you." Even those who are new to Learning Ally are seeing success. A group of sev- enth graders at Guardian Angels are in their first year using Learning Ally, and with it they've been able to read books faster and better understand what they're reading. "It helps me to understand the book to where it feels like I'm actually in the book," one student said. "It's helped me finish books easier and faster while all my friends finish a book in a week [that normally] takes me a month," another shared. Zarlengo has a close connection with Catholic schools, as she went to St. Vin- cent de Paul herself when she was grow- ing up. She is working closely with the OŠce of Catholic Schools to bring more programs like Learning Ally to them in an e'ort to help a greater number of kids who have learning disabilities. "It is such a great joy that we're able to get something in Catholic schools to help with learning disabilities," Zarlengo said. Empowered to read Denver Catholic school students performing above grade level, test results show To learn more about the Iowa assess- ments, visit http:// archden.org/schools/ o¦ce-catholic-schools/ IOWA ASSESSMENT RESULTS Grade-level equivalents are used to report scores for the Iowa assess- ment. Students in the Archdiocese of Denver take the assessments mid- year and are compared to the mid-year norms. The grade equivalent is reported using the grade number of the student followed by the number of months the student has been in that grade. Below are the scores of core composite knowledge of Denver Catholic school students in grades two through eight as compared to the grade-equivalent norm. GRADE GRADE-LEVEL EQUIVALENT NORM FOR MID-YEAR DENVER CATHOLIC STUDENTS' AVERAGE GRADE- EQUIVALENT SCORE œ 2.5 3.1 3 3.5 4.0 4 4.5 5.3 5 5.5 6.3 6 6.5 7.3 7 7.5 9.2 8 8.5 10.8 IOWA ASSESSMENT The Ožce of Catholic Schools will implement Learning Ally in all 36 archdiocesan schools by next Fall. PHOTO BY ANDREW WRIGHT/DENVER CATHOLIC

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