Working closely with Scholastic Inc., the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS), and the American Institutes for Research, BPA researchers are studying the implementation of Scholastic’s READ 180 program in five urban school districts in different regions of the United States.

READ 180 is a intervention designed to help struggling adolescent readers. In this evaluation, we are interested in using rigorous qualitative methods to identify the determinants of high quality implementation at the district, school, and classroom levels and understanding the ideal conditions for the successful implementation not only of READ 180 but also of other interventions that support struggling students. The case studies of the five districts that emerge from this project are designed to inform Scholastic in its delivery and support of the READ 180 program and enable members of the Council of the Great City Schools to take better advantage of interventions that target school reform.