1. To what extent are there patterns in student selection of preference settings in Read & Write Gold (e.g., font size, text color & background, voice, voice speed & pitch)?
2. Do observed patterns relate to student characteristics such as type of disability?
3. Are there any correlations between observed patterns, frequency of use, and student scores on state tests of reading?

Results of this study were of limited value due to low levels of school use of the Read & Write Gold (RWG) software. Based on the RWG usage data from the 23 schools reviewed in Phase 1 of the project, Kentucky students with disabilities are not getting sufficient access to a digital curriculum for the supports built into the software to have an affect. Thus the second major area of focus was to determine what implementation strategies would increase use of the RWG software for instruction in schools where it is installed and available for use by students with disabilities. To answer this question the project team is working in intensive way with one Kentucky middle school.

Update for 2009

In this year's study, project staff are working directly with special education and general education teachers at the target middle school to support their delivery and use of accessible electronic text by students with print disabilities across all content and all classrooms. The project established two teams for implementation: a full district team and a school level core team. Accomplishments to date include the following:

• Formation and regular meetings of school and district level ETEXT Implementation Teams
• Needs assessment survey completed by 23 staff
• Establishment of student baselines for text reader usage
• Establishment of baseline student reading and math levels
• Conversion of social studies text from paper to digital in grades 6, 7, and 8 with high-speed scanner and RWG scan/OCR tool
• Creation of online class groups within publisher's ThinkCentral website for grade 6 science text
• Creation of online student accounts within publisher's MyHRW website for grade 7 science text
• Developed procedure for conversion of grade 7 science online textbook inaccessible images to accessible PDF
• Creation of online class groups within publisher's SpringBoard website - 7th grade Language Arts
• Digitizing of 6th grade Corrective Reading textbook
• Developing procedure for sharing and use of mobile laptops/carts
• Worked initially with two special education and two regular education teachers to implement use of text reader with 6th and 7th grade digital textbooks and supplementary materials
• Expanding project participation to third special education and general education teacher
• Students at 8th grade using RWG with Math Player to access complex math content