Accelerated Reader, ATOS, and
the Common Core State Standards
English Language Arts
In June 2010, the National Governor’s Association and the Council of Chief School Officers, along with
education and business groups, were successful in releasing Common Core State Standards for English
Language Arts and Mathematics. An unprecedented level of cooperation and support has gone into these
Standards and 48 states have already adopted the Standards or have agreed to do so.
Why has this effort been so successful when previous efforts to develop common standards have not? The
reason is because an unprecedented number of students are graduating only to find themselves unprepared
for college or careers, or dropping out entirely. The Standards were developed to establish high standards for
all students, regardless of the state in which they happen to reside, in order to prepare them for the demands
of college and careers in a global economy.
Critical to the success of all children, as evidenced by the Standards and the accompanying Appendices, is
the ability to read and comprehend many different types of text of increasing difficulty. Accelerated Reader™
is a concrete way to help students meet the Standards. By incorporating daily reading practice into the
school day, setting individualized reading practice goals, and monitoring progress toward those goals in AR™,
students are sure to experience success and growth. Accelerated Reader’s instant reporting helps teachers
monitor progress and quickly identify students who may need assistance. And Renaissance Home Connect™
keeps parents informed so they can easily support their children’s reading practice at home.
The following pages provide more information on how AR can support your efforts to implement the Common
Core State Standards and get all students college and career ready.
1
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading
The Common Core State Standards include College and Career Readiness (CCR) Anchor Standards1 (listed
below). These Anchor Standards cross all grade levels and as students get older, the texts they read should
become increasingly more difficult.
While all of the CCR Anchor Standards pertain to Accelerated Reader to some degree, Anchor Standard 10
is particularly relevant. Accelerated Reader makes it easy for educators to not only track what students are
reading, but also track the complexity of what they are reading. Perhaps even more important, Accelerated
Reader (AR) is an easy way to know if students are able to comprehend what they’ve read. All of this data is
rolled up into easy-to-read reports to monitor progress and keep parents informed.
CCR Anchor Standards
Key Ideas and Details
1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite
specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key
supporting details and ideas.
3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
Craft and Structure
4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative,
and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the
text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and
quantitatively, as well as in words.
8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the
reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to
compare the approaches the authors take.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
1
Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2010). Common Core State Standards for English language arts & literacy in history/ social studies,
science, and technical subjects. Washington, DC: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School
Officers, Council of Chief State School Officers. Retrieved from www.corestandards.org
2
The Common Core State Standards Model of Text Complexity
Common Core State Standards Appendix A: Research Supporting the Key
Elements of the Standards2 provides guidance to educators on text complexity.
Text complexity is defined using a three-part model consisting of qualitative
dimensions, quantitative dimensions, and reader and task considerations.
Throughout this document Appendix A is referenced in gray boxes
(unless otherwise noted). Following the gray box is an explanation of
how Accelerated Reader can help support the challenge of the
Common Core State Standards.
1. Qualitative Dimensions of Text Complexity
“Those aspects of text complexity best measured by an attentive human reader, such as levels of
meaning or purpose; structure; language conventionality and clarity; and knowledge demands” (p. 4).
In AR, every text is given an interest level that is based on content—the book’s themes and ideas—
and indicates for which age group a book is appropriate.
2. Quantitative Dimensions of Text Complexity
“Those aspects of text complexity, such as word length or frequency, sentence length, and text
cohesion that are difficult if not impossible for a human reader to evaluate efficiently, especially in long
texts, and are typically measured by computer software” (p. 4).
AR uses the ATOS™ readability formula as its quantitative measure. ATOS levels are based on a book’s
average sentence length, average word length, vocabulary grade level and the number of words in
a book. ATOS values are expressed on an easily understandable grade level scale. For example, an
ATOS reading level of 5.4 translates to “fifth year, fourth month.”
ATOS, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level test, Dale-Chall Readability Formula, Coh-Metrix, and the Lexile
Framework for Reading are all listed in Appendix A as examples of quantitative tools to help educators
assess aspects of text complexity, but notes, “The discussion is not exhaustive, nor is it intended as an
endorsement of one method or program over another” (p. 2). A follow-up study to Appendix A confirmed
the reliability and validity of ATOS as a measure of text complexity.
3. Reader and Task Considerations
“Variables specific to particular readers (such as motivation, knowledge, and experiences) and to
particular tasks (such as purpose and the complexity of the task assigned and the questions posed)
must be considered when determining whether a text is appropriate for a given student. Such
assessments are best made by teachers employing their professional judgment, experience, and
knowledge of their students and the subject” (p. 4).
2
Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2010). Common Core State Standards for English language arts & literacy in history/ social studies,
science, and technical subjects. Appendix A: Research supporting the key elements of the standards, Glossary of terms. Washington, DC:
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers, Council of Chief State School Officers.
Retrieved from www.corestandards.org
3
Text Complexity Grade Bands and ATOS
The Common Core State Standards call for all students to “stretch” and read increasingly difficult text as
specified by their grade (see chart below). However, the Standards intend for this recommendation to be an
end-of-year goal, and not a guideline for daily practice. As such, not all reading needs to be done at such
demanding levels.
To provide guidance on the Standards’ rigorous
One of the key requirements of the
requirements for instructional reading practice,
Common Core State Standards for
Renaissance Learning™ ran a sample of 959 text
passages identified for a particular grade level
Reading is that all students must
through our ATOS analyzer. This sample included
be able to comprehend texts of
passages from state tests, college and career
steadily increasing complexity as
texts, Gates McGinitie, NAEP, and the Common
Core State Standards exemplar texts. We then
they progress through school.
identified the 25th and 75th percentile as the
upper and lower range for each grade band to
arrive at ATOS ranges aligned to college and career ready (CCR) expectations. These ranges were validated
through a study by Student Achievement Partners, and funded by the Gates Foundation, titled Measures of
Text Difficulty: Testing their Predictive Value for Grade Levels and Student Performance.3
These ranges provide guidance on materials appropriate for instructional use with students in each grade
band and are not based on a student’s individual reading level. These stretch ranges include
challenging levels of text complexity that will be too difficult for many students to read independently.
Students whose reading ability is not within the stretch ranges can benefit from exposure and “close,
repeated reading” of more complex text during instructional periods when scaffolding, coaching, and
discussion are available.
3
Text Complexity by Grade as
Required in the Standards
ATOS Ranges Aligned to
CCR Expectations
1
1.6-3.3
2
2.8-4.2
3
3.9-5.1
4
5.0-6.1
5
6.0-7.0
6
7.0-8.0
7
8.0-9.0
8
8.8-10.0
9
9.7-11.0
10
10.5-12.0
11
11.2-13.0
12
11.9-14.1
Nelson, J., Perfetti, C., Liben, D., & Liben, M. (2011). Measures of text difficulty: Testing their predictive value for grade levels and student
performance. Technical Report to the Gates Foundation (also to be submitted for publication). Available online from
http://www.ccsso.org/Documents/2012/Measures ofText Difficulty_final.2012.pdf
4
Using Accelerated Reader with the Common Core State Standards
CCSS Emphasis: Informational Texts
“Current instructional practice does not do enough to facilitate the independent reading of complex
texts, particularly informational texts, despite the fact that sustained exposure to expository text is the
most common reading requirement in college and the workforce” (p. 3).
Nearly half of the 145,000 AR quizzes are on nonfiction titles. This wide range of informational texts
makes it easy for reading teachers as well as content-area specialists to incorporate nonfiction
reading practice into the curriculum.
While reading texts independently and proficiently is consistent with past standards, the “complex
literary and informational texts” aspect is noticeably different than the approach used previously
which focused more on skill development without an emphasis on text complexity. The Common Core
State Standards challenge students to perform skills within increasingly complex texts. By raising the
bar and requiring students to read more challenging texts, the goal is that students will be equipped
to handle the reading requirements of college and career.
CCSS Emphasis: Monitoring Text Complexity
“While the reading demands of college, workforce training programs, and citizenship have held steady
or risen over the past fifty years or so, K-12 texts have, if anything, become less demanding. This finding
is the key impetus behind the Standards’ strong emphasis on increasing text complexity as a key
requirement in reading” (p. 2).
A unique feature offered by AR is Reader Certification. As a student progresses through more complex
texts, the program establishes easy-to-understand levels that represent the student’s current status and
transitions, such as moving from picture books to chapter books. Reader Certification encourages
students to broaden their reading experiences by attempting books that are challenging, yet within their
zone of proximal development.
Challenging students to read complex texts is important, however, it’s even more important that students
are able to comprehend this challenging text. Accelerated Reader Quizzes serve as an efficient method
for determining if students can understand what they read. Further, AR provides an easy way for
educators to monitor and manage what students are reading, the text complexity of what they are reading,
and the amount they are reading. Because Accelerated Reader includes over 145,000 quizzes, on both
fiction and nonfiction, ranging from the most basic text for emerging readers to the most complex texts for
high schools, it is the perfect tool to support Common Core State Standards implementations.
CCSS Emphasis: Comprehension
Research indicates that there is a high correlation between literal and inferential comprehension. A 2006
ACT study cited in Appendix A says, “that a pedagogy focused only on ‘higher-order’ or ‘critical’
thinking was insufficient to ensure that students were reading for college and careers” (p. 3).
AR quizzes are designed to measure how well students understand and recall what they read. A study
that examined reading data from more than 6,000 schools showed that students in schools that used AR
did significantly better on both standardized and performance-based assessments designed to measure
critical thinking.4 This suggests that the knowledge on which AR quizzes are based builds a foundation for
critical reading and provides the background knowledge needed for higher-order thinking.
4
Paul, T. D., VanderZee, D., Rue, R., & Swanson, S. (1996, October). Impact of Accelerated Reader on overall academic achievement and school
attendance. Paper presented at the National Reading Research Center Conference, Literacy and Technology for the 21st Century, Atlanta, GA.
5
CCSS Emphasis: Content-Area Reading
“These standards also ensure students are being prepared to read, write, and research across the
curriculum, including in history and science. These goals can be achieved by ensuring that teachers in
other disciplines are also focusing on reading and writing to build knowledge within their subject areas.”5
Because AR provides quizzes for such a wide-range of titles, it’s easy for content-area teachers as well
as reading teachers to incorporate content-area reading through genres such as historical fiction,
informational texts, and expository texts. Books can be selected so students are challenged with complex
texts of appropriate difficulty.
CCSS Emphasis: Read Aloud and Read With
“It is particularly important that students in the earliest grades build knowledge through being read to as
well as through reading, with the balance gradually shifting to reading independently. By reading a story
or nonfiction selection aloud, teachers allow children to experience written language without the
burden of decoding, granting them access to content that they may not be able to read and understand
by themselves” (p. 27).
The versatility of AR and its compatibility with the Standards is evident in the early grades. Teachers and
students may choose how students interact with a book: Read To, Read With, and Read Independently
(TWI). The program allows teachers to run a TWI Report to monitor all types of reading practice. In
addition, Recorded Voice Quizzes read the question and answer choices to a student who has had a
book read aloud.
CCSS Emphasis: Vocabulary
“Although direct study of language is essential to student progress, most word learning occurs indirectly
and unconsciously through normal reading, writing, listening, and speaking (Miller, 1999; Nagy, Anderson,
& Herman, 1987)” (p. 32).
The best way to expand one’s vocabulary is through reading. AR includes Vocabulary Practice Quizzes
for over 10,000 titles. These quizzes are designed to reinforce vocabulary acquisition, assist with individualizing vocabulary instruction, and generate student interest in words through authentic, in-context
literature experiences. Vocabulary words are identified by finding words that are at or above the average
reading level of the text, appear in the book at least twice, are significant to the book’s meaning, and are
interesting or useful in everyday conversation. Many of the words selected for Vocabulary Practice
Quizzes fall into the category of “academic vocabulary” or “tier 2 words”—those words that go beyond
high frequency words yet are not content area words. Quizzes include 5, 10, or 15 words from a
particular book as well as review words from previously read books.
CCSS Emphasis: Variety of Texts
“Through reading a diverse array of classic and contemporary literature as well as challenging
informational texts in a range of subjects, students are expected to build knowledge, gain insights,
explore possibilities, and broaden their perspective.”6
With more than 145,000 quizzes ranging from contemporary fiction and classics and to more than 66,000
nonfiction titles, AR offers reading practice for nearly any title chosen. These selections can be searched
by anyone in the AR BookFinder™ online database, making it possible to match students with texts of
appropriate complexity that match their interests.
5
http://corestandards.org/about-the-standards/myths-vs-facts
6
http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/key-points-in-english-language-arts
6
CCSS Emphasis: Pleasure Reading
“Students need opportunities to stretch their reading abilities but also to experience the satisfaction and
pleasure of easy, fluent reading within them, both of which the Standards allow for” (p. 9).
With over 145,000 quizzes, AR is a rich resource for students and teachers. Among the collection is a
broad selection of popular contemporary literature so there are books of interest to all students to promote
independent reading practice.
CCSS Emphasis: Exemplars of Reading Text Complexity, Quality, and Range
Appendix B includes exemplars of reading text complexity, quality, and range that serve as examples of
the type and breadth of texts in which students in each grade band should be engaged. These texts are
intended to serve as examples rather than a required reading list.7
The text exemplars included in the Standards are very diverse ranging from read-alouds and poetry to
complex informational texts and speech excerpts. Nearly half of the exemplar texts have an Accelerated
Reader quiz. Some of the remaining texts do not lend themselves to AR Reading Practice Quizzes
(e.g. poetry).
CCSS Emphasis: Research and Evidence Based Criteria
Evidence and research-based criteria have been set by states, through their national organizations’
8
CCSSO and the NGA Center.
Accelerated
Reader Is Supported by 168 Scientific
Research Studies and Reviews*
large scientific
evidence base supporting
Accelerated
Reader includes
experimental
and quasi-experimental
AR is supported byThe
168
research
studies
and
reviews.
Of thoseresearch
143 are independent
studies—generally considered by both the No Child Left Behind Act and the research community to provide the
strongest
evidence
of
effectiveness
and
to
be
consistent
with
the
definition
of
scientifically
based
research—and
research studies and 25 are peer reviewed studies.
includes articles published in peer-reviewed journals.
INDEPENDENT RESEARCH
RENAISSANCE
LEARNING
INTERNAL
RESEARCH
TOTALS
1
4
31
24
69
10
103
Product Foundation
White Papers
n/a
n/a
10
10
Reliability and
Validity Assessment
Research
1
n/a
1
2
22
n/a
n/a
22
73
70
25
168
GOVERNMENT/
UNIVERSITY/
RESEARCH
FIRM
SCHOOL
Experimental and
Quasi-Experimental
26
Correlational and
Case Studies
TYPE OF
RESEARCH
Independent
Reviews
TOTALS
Total Independent Research Studies = 143
Total Peer Reviewed Studies = 25
*As of December 2011
7
C
ommon Core State StandardsAccelerated
Initiative.
(2010). Common Core State Standards for English language arts & literacy in history/ social studies,
Reader, Advanced Technology for Data-Driven Schools, Renaissance Learning, and the Renaissance Learning logo are trademarks of Renaissance Learning, Inc.,
and its subsidiaries, registered, common law, or pending registration in the United States and other countries. © 2011 Renaissance Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.
science, and technical subjects.
Appendix B: Text exemplars and sample performance tasks Washington, DC:
National Governors Association
R43179
Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers, Council of Chief State School Officers. Retrieved from www.corestandards.org
8
http://corestandards.org/frequently-asked-questions
7
Guided Independent Reading Practice
In order for students to read increasingly difficult texts, they need lots of reading practice. This is where
Accelerated Reader can help. AR can take every student from where they are and move them forward toward
the goals of the Common Core State Standards. AR allows students to practice in their Zone of Proximal
Development (ZPD) expressed as a Grade Equivalent (GE) score. In other words, they read books in their
reading range that are challenging without causing frustration. This is important for building confidence and
experiencing success with texts.
ZPDs are based on a student’s reading level, not a student’s grade level and provide guidance for
independent reading practice. ZPDs serve as a starting point that should be adjusted based on a student’s
performance and motivation with the goal of moving students to the high end of the range, and ultimately, to
the level of difficulty required by the Common Core State Standards. ZPD ranges were developed and have
been updated using actual student reading data.9 The ranges were also validated through a sophisticated
analysis of reading data from more than 50,000 students.10
Grade Equivalent Score
Suggested ZPD
1
1.0-2.0
2
2.0-3.0
3
2.6-3.6
4
3.0-4.5
5
3.4-5.4
6
4.0-6.1
7
4.3-7.0
8
4.5-8.0
9
4.6-9.0
10
4.7-10.0
11
4.8-11.0
12
4.9-12.0
* These recommendations are for a student performing at grade level. Each student’s
unique reading level should be considered when setting a student’s Zone of Proximal
Development (ZPD). ZPD is the range in which students should read to be challenged
without being frustrated.
9
Paul, T. D. (2003). Guided independent reading: An examination of the Reading Practice Database and the scientific research supporting guided
independent reading as implemented in Reading Renaissance. Wisconsin Rapids, WI: Renaissance Learning. Available online:
http://doc.renlearn.com/KMNet/R001541030GD656E.pdf
10
Borman, G. D., & Dowling, N. M. (2004). Testing the Reading Renaissance program theory: A multilevel analysis of student and classroom
effects on reading achievement. Unpublished manuscript, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Available online:
http://www.education.wisc.edu/elpa/people/faculty/Borman/BormanDowling2004_RdgRenProg.pdf
8
A Sampling of Text Exemplars Taken from Appendix B
The Common Core State Standards Appendix B: Text Exemplars and Sample Performance Tasks11 provides
hundreds of examples of texts identified as being exemplar in the following categories: stories, poetry,
read-aloud stories (K-3), read-aloud poetry (K-3), informational texts, read-aloud informational texts (K-3),
and drama (6-12). Below are examples of the types of texts included in Appendix B along with ATOS book
level and interest level information.
Grade
Band
Title/Author (Copyright)
Fiction/
Nonfiction
ATOS
Book Level
Interest Level
K
Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes (2004)
F
2.3
Lower Grades (K-3)
K
My Five Senses by Aliki (1962)
NF
2.0
Lower Grades (K-3)
1
Hi! Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold (2006)
F
1.5
Lower Grades (K-3)
1
Starfish by Edith Thacher Hurd (1962)
NF
2.3
Lower Grades (K-3)
2-3
Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens (1995)
F
3.2
Lower Grades (K-3)
2-3
The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert
Coles (1995)
NF
4.4
Lower Grades (K-3)
4-5
The Black Stallion by Walter Farley (1941)
F
5.2
Middle Grades (4-8)
4-5
Hurricanes: Earth’s Mightiest Storms by
Patricia Lauber (1996)
NF
6.0
Middle Grades (4-8)
6-8
Dragonwings by Laurence Yep (1975)
F
5.3
Middle Grades Plus (6-12)
6-8
Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the
Underground Railroad by Ann Petry (1955)
NF
6.6
Middle Grades (4-8)
9-10
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953)
F
5.2
Upper Grades (9-12)
9-10
The Gettysburg Address by Abraham
Lincoln (1863)
NF
4.3
Middle Grades (4-8)
11-CCR*
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale
Hurston (1937)
F
5.6
Upper Grades (9-12)
11-CCR*
Walden by Henry David Thoreau (1854)
NF
8.7
Upper Grades (9-12)
* College and Career Ready (CCR)
At the lower end of the grade bands, it’s common for books to have a higher ATOS book level because books
are often used as read alouds at that level. Notice that in many cases, the ATOS book level is lower than
the grade band, particularly as the grade levels increase. The broad readability range at the higher grades
reflects the varied texts to which students should be exposed, including those with low readability yet higherlevel content and themes. Most reading material is written at a level below 6.0.
11
C
ommon Core State Standards Initiative. (2010). Common Core State Standards for English language arts & literacy in history/ social studies,
science, and technical subjects. Appendix B: Text exemplars and sample performance tasks. Washington, DC: National Governors Association
Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers, Council of Chief State School Officers. Retrieved from www.corestandards.org
9
Renaissance Learning Tools to Support Text Complexity
• All books with an Accelerated Reader Quiz, more than 145,000 titles, have an ATOS book level, an
interest level to provide quantitative and qualitative text complexity information and a fiction/
nonfiction classification.
• This information is readily available on AR BookFinder at www.arbookfind.com. When this information is
coupled with reader and task considerations, educators have a powerful tool for guiding students to
appropriately challenging texts.
• AR BookFinder also includes information on Common Core State Standards exemplar texts.
This information can be found by going to the Advanced Search tab and choosing Common Core State
Standards Appendix B Titles from the Additional Criteria dropdown menu. The Subtopics field allows
you to select a grade band.
ATOS Book
Level and Interest
Level information
are available for
every title.
Exemplar
Texts with AR
Quizzes can
easily be found in
the Advanced
Search tab.
• Educators can also submit text for ATOS analysis at http://www.renlearn.com/ar/overview/atos/.
Simply enter the text and automatically receive its ATOS level.
With the
ATOS Analyzer
educators can submit
their own materials
and instantly receive
an ATOS Level.
10
Accolades for Accelerated Reader
There is consensus among key federally funded organizations charged with evaluating educational
products that Accelerated Reader is fully supported by scientifically based research.
Accelerated Reader has earned the top rating for Prevention and Intervention at all grade levels by the
National Dropout Prevention Center.
Accelerated Reader has been awarded the Readers’ Choice Top 100 Products of 2010.
For More Information
More information is available on the sites listed below.
• Common Core State Standards, visit: http://corestandards.org/
• Renaissance Learning tools and services to support the CCSS, visit: http://www.renlearn.com/CCSS/
• Text Complexity, visit: http://www.renlearn.com/textcomplexity/default.aspx
• Accelerated Reader, visit: http://www.renlearn.com/ar/default.aspx
11
P.O. Box 8036 Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495-8036 (800) 338-4204 www.renlearn.com .
© 2012 Renaissance Learning, Inc.
L2706.0412.XX.XM
R45721