10/29/15 tw/kb
HAYS, Kan. -- The Kansas Department of Education has announced that Istation has been awarded a contract to participate in the Kansas Reading Success Program, which gives all Kansas public school and open-enrollment charter students in grades pre-K through eighth grade free and unlimited access to Istation Reading, a comprehensive e-learning literacy program.

Istation has contracted with the Fort Hays State University College of Education to provide various research and data analysis, including the examination of the effects of the Istation Reading program on participating students' reading ability.

"Research is a critical part of Istation's commitment to developing effective and innovative educational programs for all learners," said Istation Chairman and CEO Richard H. Collins. "We are proud to partner with Fort Hays State University -- a highly respected institution."

Istation Reading is a computer-delivered reading program that includes adaptive assessments and highly interactive digital curriculum compatible with desktops, laptops, tablets and chromebooks. Students can use their Istation subscriptions at school and at home. Educators and parents can access reports that show student progress and provide links to supplemental lessons.

In accordance with the Kansas Student Data Privacy Act, all collected data and research findings will be presented as aggregated data not specific to students or school districts. No individual student-level data will be provided for research purposes.

"I welcome the opportunity for Fort Hays State to research the implementation of Istation in Kansas," said Dr. Paul Adams, dean of the university's College of Education. He is also the university's Anschutz Professor of Education, a professor of physics and director of the FHSU Science and Mathematics Education Institute.

"Istation has the potential to help our pre-K-8 students with their growth in literacy, and it extends the learning opportunity from the classroom to the home," he said. " The research that will be conducted will help school districts in Kansas maximize the educational gains in literacy."

For more information about Istation's participation in the Kansas Reading Success program, go to www.istation.com/KansasReadingSuccess.

Istation also recently gave an unlimited number of subscriptions to the Istation Reading program to FHSU's Tiger Tots Nurtury Center. The subscriptions are good for a total of 33 months and come with training on the program.

For information from Istation, contact Teresa Woodard, 972-715-3887, woodard@istation.com.

At Fort Hays State, contact Dr. Kathleen Sanders, professor of advanced education programs, at 785-628-5866 or by email to ksanders@fhsu.edu.