California School Implementing Lindamood-Bell Exceeds Expectations in Academic Performance

Academic Performance Index, California, Elementary School Results, Seeing Stars, Visualizing and Verbalizing

Olive Elementary School in Vista, California, serves a large percentage of students who are at-risk of reading failure. During the 2008-09 school year, Olive implemented Lindamood-Bell® instruction to address the specific needs of this student population. Students received Symbol Imagery and Visualizing and Verbalizing instruction to develop symbol imagery and concept imagery for reading and comprehension. Instruction was delivered by Olive teachers who received professional development in the Lindamood-Bell programs. Academic Performance Index (API) growth was compared to the growth target set by the state. API is based primarily on the state achievement test, which is comprised of English-language arts, mathematics, history-social science, and science subtests. The chart below shows 2008–09 API growth.

Results
Olive’s API growth of 42 points was over eight times the target growth of 5 points. Statewide, API growth was 14 points. Olive didn’t meet the federal requirements of No Child Left Behind by making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in 2008 but did make AYP in 2009 in all subgroups (i.e., socioeconomically disadvantaged, English learners, and Hispanic). The results of this study illustrate that Lindamood-Bell instruction in the Symbol Imagery and Visualizing and Verbalizing programs lead to improved academic performance.

Profile
Grade Levels: 2nd-5th
Lindamood-Bell Programs Implemented:
·  Seeing Stars®
·  Visualizing and Verbalizing®
Outcome Measures:
·  Academic Performance Index
·  Adequate Yearly Progress