“The Escondido Union School District is proud to continue its literacy partnership with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, as we transition seamlessly to the new Medallion series,” Escondido Union School District Superintendent Jennifer Walters said. “Our teachers retain the same level of confidence in HMH’s California Reading program and build upon their confidence to further meet the unique needs of individual students, including English Language Learners, with the support of Medallion.”

Houghton Mifflin Reading – Medallion Edition builds upon the successful Houghton Mifflin Reading California, which is used in a vast majority of California school districts. The Medallion program provides schools with updated curriculum at about one third of the cost of a new program; thus helping districts save a combined total of $50 million. With the recent adoption by these districts, Medallion Edition has now been adopted by 54 California School Districts, representing more than 350,000 students statewide. It was approved by the California State Board of Education as part of the California Reading Language Arts adoption in November 2008 and is the only approved offering designed specifically to meet the needs of financially challenged school districts.

“As California struggles to balance its budget, educators remain committed to giving students the best possible academic resources,” Houghton Mifflin Harcourt K–12 President Mike Lavelle said. “ Houghton Mifflin Reading – Medallion Edition delivers the latest instructional materials, including a free digital version, at about one third of the costs of any other program on the state list.”

The program features enhanced academic vocabulary development and new explicit writing instruction as well as many other new components, including a Technical Skills Toolkit to make certain beginning readers master the important skills that predict their future reading success. Other new components include a state-adopted parallel and equitable Spanish edition, Edición Medallón, as well as an English Language Development program to help students learn English while mastering English language arts standards.

“Medallion provides significant cost savings and enables districts to build on their investment of time, money, resources and professional development,” Lavelle continued. “With the adoption of Medallion, teachers can continue the success they have been experiencing with Houghton Mifflin Reading.”