Allison Lunsford's pupils don't need her to tell them they've improved with her Read 180 program at Leavelle McCampbell Middle School. In the past year, her eighth-graders have seen not only their reading comprehension improve but also their other grades have gotten better.

Brittany Williams, 13, said she didn't really enjoy reading before joining the program in seventh grade. Now she enjoys Nancy Drew mysteries and has even seen her math scores jump from C's to A's and B's, because she can read the material better.

The Read 180 program began last year with $45,000 in funding from the Scholastic publishing company for training and materials.

Just renewed for its second year by the Aiken County school board, the initiative offers sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders in need of reading improvement a 90-minute session with three stations to improve reading comprehension: one where they read on their own, one where they spend time in small groups discussing books, and one involving computers to strengthen their skills reading aloud.

The goal is to improve reading scores by helping pupils establish critical-thinking skills.

Colton Daniels, 14, was placed in the program after receiving low scores on state standardized tests in seventh grade.

"I used to make D's in reading, and now I make A's," he said. "I'm just able to understand it better."

In the past year, pupils in the Read 180 program have outpaced an average year growth in reading, according to Principal Jacki Barnwell.

Each year, reading scores are judged on a scale -- with 200 being able to read basic books, such as Clifford the Big Red Dog or Berenstain Bears, and 1,000 being able to comprehend a technical text for a subject such as chemistry. Pupils need to gain at least 75 points a year on the scale to keep reading skills on grade level.

Read 180 pupils in sixth grade gained 125 points last year, seventh grade gained 104 points, and eighth grade gained 96 points on the scale.

"I'm ready to see the three-year trends to see how our sixth-graders improve by the time they are in the ninth grade," Mrs. Barnwell said.

One pupil even cried last year because she didn't want to leave the program.

In the past year, 10 pupils graduated from the program, Ms. Lunsford said. Once they easily grasp the skills she teaches, she knows they are ready to move on.

"I still keep in touch with their language arts teachers to make sure they are still progressing," she said.

With the first year under her belt, Ms. Lunsford said she's glad she can spend more time on the children and looking at their data to improve her instruction.

Pupils, such as Colton, also appreciate Ms. Lunsford's hands-on teaching style that puts information to work in a real-world context.

Daily writing activities include writing about their own lives or current events. Pupils also enjoy the mobility of the program, where they rotate stations every 20 minutes instead of sitting in desks all day.

"Children come into this room not really knowing what success looks like, and they come in and see what success feels like and they want more of it," Ms. Lunsford said.