© 2025 Vista Higher Learning Reading and Writing Growth with Vista’s Engage 9 Setting The study was conducted in six high schools within a school district in Arizona during the 2024–2025 academic year. Participating schools served grades 9–12 MLs enrolled in English language development and literacy intervention courses. The population reflected the district’s linguistic diversity, with students with multiple home languages and varying levels of English proficiency. Timeline The study took place across one full school year, beginning in the fall of 2024 and concluding in the spring of 2025. Students completed pre-assessments at the start of instruction and post-assessments at year’s end using the AZELLA. This allowed researchers to measure both growth in reading and writing skills and progress in proficiency classifications aligned with Arizona benchmarks. The next section outlines how students’ reading and writing growth was measured throughout the school year. How Reading Growth Was Measured The AZELLA was the primary measure used in this study to evaluate MLs’ reading and writing growth. The 2024–2025 results served as the main dataset. Statewide data for that same year were not yet available at the time of analysis; therefore, 2022–2023 statewide data were used for context. AZELLA is administered when students first enter the district and again each winter or spring until they meet the state’s English proficiency benchmarks. Students who achieve proficiency transition into the district’s English Language Arts program and are no longer assessed using AZELLA. According to the Arizona Department of Education (2023), “AZELLA is designed to meet both state and federal requirements to measure Arizona students’ English language proficiency. AZELLA assesses the 2019 Arizona English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) and is used for both placement and reassessment purposes for all eligible students in Grades K–12.” The AZELLA demonstrates strong reliability and validity for grades 9–12, with reliability coe icients ranging from .81 to .85 for reading and writing. The test provides both an overall proficiency score and domain-specific subtest scores. This study used reading and writing subtests to measure student growth from pre-instruction (fall 2024) to post-instruction (spring 2025).
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