Council for Education Policy Research and Improvement July 11, 2002.

Council for Education Policy Research and

Improvement

July 11, 2002

45-55-65

5+3+ii+iii

The Just Read, Florida! Executive Order 01-260 signed by Governor Jeb Bush on September 7,

2001 directed the Florida DOE to: • Inventory and review reading programs used in Florida• Make recommendations on

– statewide standards for reading programs

– family literacy programs

– public/private partnerships

– early reading instruction strategies

– reading screenings and assessments

• Make recommendations on– reading course requirements

– teacher preparation and professional development

– use of technology as a means of instruction

Reading Program Inventory• Over 1,600 reading programs used statewide• Average of 30 minutes spent on reading in elementary and 46

minutes in high school• Professional Development for new teachers - averaged between

2-5 hours• Professional Development for experienced teachers averaged

between 1-3 hours• 75% commercial/25% developed locally• 41% used technology in the delivery• 68% not evaluated to determine effectiveness• Average 2001-02 program implementation cost per student: $16

in high school and $23 in elementary

Limited English Proficient

• Over 260,000 LEP students in Florida, 10% of Florida students

• Represent 258 different countries, speaking 207 languages

• 70% speak Spanish

• 11.22% speak Creole

By 2012, all students will read on grade level or higher.

A true statewide effort, involving:• Superintendents, School Board Members, District Administrators,

Principals, Teachers• Parents and Families• Community and Business Leaders• Mentors and Volunteers• Community Colleges, Colleges, Universities• Workforce• The Readiness Community• State Agencies• United States Department of Education

Five Main Elements of Just Read, Florida!

• Educators

• Parents and Families

• Community and Business Involvement

• Ready to Read

• Reading First

K-12 Educators

Empower teachers to teach reading based on what works.

5+3+ii+iii

5+3+ii+iii

•Five essential components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary development, comprehension (5)

•Three types of assessment: screening, diagnosis, progress monitoring (3)

•Initial Instruction (ii)

•Immediate Intensive Intervention (iii)

K-12 Educators

Empower teachers to teach reading based on what works.

• Florida Center for Reading Research• Reading endorsement• Summer conference for principals • On-line reading classroom • Summer reading professional development • Up to 100 hours per teacher of free professional development from

major instructional materials publishers

ParentsReading begins at home.

• “I’m A Reader” kit – for every newborn in Florida

• School-Home Reading kit – for teachers and parents

• SUNLINK Database – virtual card catalogue

• Summer Activities Kit for Parents– for all nine weeks of the summer

Community and Business Involvement

Mobilize the state to create a literate Florida.

• MentoringTeen Trendsetters and AmeriCorps

• Phone Line Story Time reading aloud with a famous Floridian

• The “Business Challenge” 10 point guide on how to get involved

• Public Awareness effortsWinn Dixie, McDonalds, Comcast Cable, Outdoor Advertisers

Ready to Read• Partnership with local readiness coalitions:

– Ready to Read Response Team– Training on early literacy development

• Research-based reading training for preschool teachers: – Heads Up! Reading program

• Public Awareness campaign– Public Service Announcements, donated by Target– Television special developed by WFSU/The Florida Channel– Child Care Resource and Referral Network -- expanded to

include reading programs

Purpose of Reading First

• Creates a new authority (replacing the Reading Excellence Act) to help states and districts utilize scientifically based reading research (SBRR) to implement comprehensive reading instruction for children in grades K - 3.

Basic Premises of Reading First

• All but a very small number of children can be taught to be successful readers.

• Prevention of reading problems is far more cost effective and efficient than remediation.

• Reading failure can be prevented by relying on the extensive scientific research base in reading.

Reading First Will Help Schools and Teachers Produce Successful Readers

• By focusing on high quality, comprehensive K-3 classroom reading for all children.

• By basing instructional decisions on what works.

• By putting the solid research base on reading into the hands of teachers.

Reading First Supports

• Increased professional development.

• Scientifically based instructional processes, materials, and in-service.

• Valid and reliable screening, diagnostic, and classroom assessments.

• Statewide accountability and leadership structure.

Reading First a Larger, More Focused Initiative than Previous Programs

• Much larger than previous efforts – $900 million versus $300 million

• More focused– Coordinated federal and state programs

• Unprecedented funding and support for state education agency activity– 20% of the total

State’s Role in Reading First Professional Development

• Model is a collaborative approach

• Teachers will observe and practice research-based instructional strategies for reading

• Model patterns a curriculum developed by University of Texas

• We will “Florida-fy” Texas materials - strengthening assessment and making even more provision for LEP students

State’s Role in Reading First Professional Development

Just Read, Florida!

Summer Leadership Conference

Lessons Learned from Texas …. Provide professional development for principals FIRST!

Summer Leadership Conference

for principals of selected eligible

Reading First schools

July 9-11, 2002

Tampa, Florida

State’s Role in Reading First Professional Development

Organizational Structure• The Triangle (FDOE, FLaRE, and FCRR) will support

and coordinate professional development• FLaRE is currently the statewide K-20 professional

development arm• A newly developed branch of FLaRE will support

Reading First statewide Professional Development

State’s Role in Reading First Professional Development

State team will include:• Representatives from the Triangle• Reading First Professional Development Director

• Reading First Professional Development Coordinators

Activities:

State Team will conduct professional development for Regional Teams who will be subcontracting with the FDOE to provide summer Reading First Academies beginning in the summer of 2003

LEA’s Role in Reading First Professional Development

• Provide high quality professional development to all K-3 teachers, including K-3 ESE teachers and all K-12 ESE teachers

• Ensure that a part of the Reading First allocation be used to hire reading coaches

• Support teachers attending the Reading First summer institutes in 2003

Twenty Percent of Reading First Funds are for State Level Use

Reading First grant amount to Florida is approximately $45.6 million

Approximately $9.2 million will be available to the state:– 65% - State Level Professional In-service and Pre-

service Development for all K-3 teachers

– 25% - Technical Assistance to the Local Education Agencies and schools

– 10% - Planning, Administration, and Reporting

Reading First Funds Can Be Used at the School Level for the Following

• Selecting and administering a screening, diagnostic, and classroom based reading assessment

• Selecting and implementing a learning system or program based on scientifically based reading research

• Procuring and implementing instructional materials, including education technology, based on scientifically based reading research

• Providing professional development for K-3 teachers and K-12 Exceptional Student Education teachers

• Collecting and summarizing data to document the effectiveness of activities carried out under the grant

• Reporting data • Promoting reading and library programs

Reading First Funds Can Be Used at the School Level for the Following (con’t)

• Humanities based family literacy programs• Providing training in the essential components of

reading instruction to parents or volunteers to be a student’s reading tutor

• Assisting parents through the use of materials and reading programs, strategies, and approaches based on scientifically based reading research to encourage reading and support their child’s reading development

• The district can use up to 3.5% for administration

Reading First Targets Struggling Readers and Students in Poverty

All Districts are Eligible in 2002-2003Eligible districts have at least 30% of fourth grade students reading below grade level (scoring Levels 1 or 2 on the 2001 Reading FCAT) and at least 10% of students in the district are from families with income below the poverty line.

Fifty-Nine Districts Have Eligible Schools in 2002-2003Eligible schools have more than the state average, 47%, of fourth grade student reading below grade level (scoring Levels 1 or 2 on the 2001 Reading FCAT) and at least 15% of students receiving free and reduced price lunch.

District and school eligibility will be recalculated each year.

•For each of the remaining five years of federal funding, LEA applications for new schools will be due in March and reviewed by the panel of experts for approval by April/May for the upcoming school year. •In total, there will be six years of initial grants awarded to districts for eligible schools.•The length of the grant depends on the year in which the application was accepted and initially funded. •The duration of the award will depend on the success of the project in increasing student achievement after the third year of implementation.

Major Changes from Current Law• Formula Grants to State Educational Agencies-

State grant applications reviewed after 3 years of implementation by peer review panel.

• Targeted Assistance Grants to State Educational Agencies- Beginning in 2004, new competition based on significant increases in third grade reading proficiency and improving reading skills of students in grades 1-3.

• Local Use of Funds- Requires selecting and administering screening, diagnostic, and classroom based assessments to determine students at risk of reading failure; providing professional development in the essential components of reading instruction to teachers K-3 and K-12 exceptional student education teachers.

New Accountability Requirements

• Federal- Requires USDE to contract with an independent organization to conduct a five year, rigorous, scientifically valid, qualitative evaluation of the Reading First State Grants program.

• State and Local- The state must submit annual report to US Secretary of Education Rod Paige which:

– Identifies schools and districts with largest achievement gains

– Describes the progress of the state and districts in reducing number of students reading below grade level

– Provides evidence that the state and districts have significantly increased number of students reading at or above grade level

Reading Program Specifications Provide Guidance to Schools and Districts in the Implementation of a

Comprehensive Reading Program

Reading Program Specifications were developed by the Florida Department of Education in coordination with representatives of all segments of Florida’s K-20 educational system.

Content of Reading Program Standards• Comprehensive Professional Development• Administrative Practices in Support of Reading• High-Quality Instruction is a Dynamic System• Reading Texts & Resources

State and FederalContact Information

Just Read, Florida! Office

325 West Gaines Street, Suite 1402, Tallahassee, Florida 32399

Phone: (850) 921-9969, Fax: (850) 487-7998

Website: www.myflorida.com

E-mail: [email protected]

U.S. Department of EducationOffice of Elementary and Secondary Education400 Maryland Avenue Southwest, Washington, DC 20202Phone: (202) 401-4877, Fax: (202) 205-0303Email: [email protected]

Website:http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/readingfirst/