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For Immediate Release
Voyager Reading and Math Intervention Programs
Approved By the Texas Education Agency
Dallas, April 12, 2006 – Voyager Expanded Learning® announced today that it has been approved by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) as a provider of intensive reading and mathematics intervention for the Texas Intensive Reading and Mathematics Initiative.
Voyager Expanded Learning is the only company to have been selected twice by the TEA. Voyager's reading intervention programs, Voyager Passport™ and Passport Reading Journeys™ and its math intervention program, Vmath®, were specifically listed as approved instructional programs under the initiative.
During the 2004-05 school year, Voyager partnered with more than 100 Texas school districts to implement Voyager Passport for at-risk fourth and fifth grade students.
Results showed that in four months, fourth graders more than doubled their reading rates in fluency, reducing the number of at-risk readers by one-third. Fifth graders also doubled their reading rates in fluency, reducing the number of at-risk readers by 22 percent.
Voyager was selected by the TEA to provide intervention programs to school districts and charter schools that experience difficulty in improving student performance in reading and/or mathematics. The programs target fourth through sixth grades for the 2005-06 school year, and fourth through seventh grades in the 2006-07 school year.
"We know the TEA employs a rigorous evaluation process with stringent criteria and we are proud to have been selected as an approved reading and math intervention provider for the Texas Intensive Reading and Math Initiative," said Dr. Jeri Nowakowski, executive vice president, product development, research and marketing.
All programs approved by the TEA must include comprehensive research-based instruction for reading and mathematics; assessment and performance outcome measures; data-driven instruction systems; professional development in the implementation and use of a comprehensive research-based reading and mathematics program. Voyager Passport, Passport Reading Journeys and Vmath exceed the necessary requirements of intensive reading and mathematics instruction as outlined in the review process. Voyager is one of 10 approved reading programs and eight approved math programs.
All Voyager programs include access to VPORT®-Voyager's performance management system. VPORT provides real-time data at the student, classroom, building and district level on key reading and math skills. The system enables teachers, principals and district administrators to evaluate progress and use the information to differentiate instruction and target areas of need. It also provides direction for ongoing support services provided by Voyager.
Voyager Passport is a reading intervention system for kindergarten through sixth grade students that aligns with all major reading programs. The program provides 30-45 minutes of direct, systematic instruction in each of the essential reading components and is targeted toward students who need additional reading instruction.
Passport Reading Journeys is a daily, 60-minute reading intervention system for middle and high school students reading two or more years below grade level. The program uses engaging video DVDs with teen hosts, online comprehension and vocabulary activities and high-interest topics, such as forensics, that keep students interested and motivated to improve their reading skills.
Vmath is a 30-40 minute math intervention system for students in grades three through eight that enhances any math curriculum by providing targeted instruction and practice in essential concepts, skills and strategies. Vmath offers flexible implementation models, including small group instruction, extended-day instruction and intervention-specific classes.
About Voyager Expanded Learning
Voyager Expanded Learning provides core, intervention and supplemental reading programs, as well as math intervention and ongoing professional development programs for school districts throughout the United States. Founded in 1994, Voyager has delivered extended-time reading and basic skills intervention programs as well as large-scale reading programs to more than 1,000 school districts in cities such as Dallas, Phoenix, New York, Philadelphia and the District of Columbia, resulting in dramatically improved student performance. Partnership and collaborations with the Discovery Channel enable Voyager to provide timely and powerful curricula for the American classroom. Voyager Expanded Learning, Inc. is a business unit of ProQuest Company based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. For more information, please visit www.voyagerlearning.com or call 1-888-399-1995 .
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