AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL

POLICY CONFERENCE

“On the Ground” Panel

WHAT IS THE ALABAMA READING

INITIATIVE?

A statewide movementA statewide movement

Anchored by reading researchAnchored by reading research

Aimed at ultimately achieving Aimed at ultimately achieving grade-level reading for all of grade-level reading for all of Alabama’s public school Alabama’s public school studentsstudents

HOW IS IT ACHIEVING ITS HOW IS IT ACHIEVING ITS GOAL?GOAL?

Through intensive teacher Through intensive teacher development efforts that are the development efforts that are the heart and soul of the initiative.heart and soul of the initiative.

HOW ARE READING HOW ARE READING INITIATIVE SCHOOLS INITIATIVE SCHOOLS

SELECTED?SELECTED?

It is voluntaryIt is voluntary

Schools are selected from a pool of Schools are selected from a pool of applicants who make 7 commitmentsapplicants who make 7 commitments

SEVEN COMMITMENTS SEVEN COMMITMENTS OF ARI SCHOOLSOF ARI SCHOOLS

1.1. Set 100% literacy as a goal.Set 100% literacy as a goal.

2.2. Achieve commitment of at least 85 Achieve commitment of at least 85 percent of faculty.percent of faculty.

3.3. Attend the 10Attend the 10--day training program.day training program.

4.4. Be led by the principal.Be led by the principal.

SEVEN COMMITMENTS SEVEN COMMITMENTS OF ARI SCHOOLSOF ARI SCHOOLS

5.5. Adjust their reading instruction Adjust their reading instruction accordingly.accordingly.

6.6. Model researchModel research--based reading based reading instruction for other schools.instruction for other schools.

7.7. Be evaluated by an outside Be evaluated by an outside evaluator.evaluator.

# Schools• 16 schools in 1998-1999• 81 schools in 1999-2000• 267 schools in 2000-2001• 423 schools in 2001-2002• 450 schools in 2002-2003• 485 schools in 2003-2004

Funding$ 1,500,000

$ 6,000,000

$10,000,000

$11,300,000

$12,500,000

$12,500,000

GROWTH IN THE NUMBEROF ARI SCHOOLS

SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ARI

126 Total (25%)

• 66 Middle Grades (5-8, 6-8, 7-8, K-8)

• 16 Bonafide High Schools (9-12 or 10-12)

• 6 Grades 7-12

• 4 Grades K-12

• 34 Other Combinations (4-12, 4-6, 4-8)

INITIAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Day 1- Conceptual Framework: What interferes with reading comprehension?

Formal Assessment: What does the data say about students at our school?

Faculty Meeting: What does the research say about struggling readings? How do we anticipate serving struggling readers?

Day 2- Informal Assessment

Faculty Meeting: What is our plan for informally assessing struggling readers?

Day 3- Vocabulary Development

Day 4 - Comprehension Instruction

Day 5 - Comprehension Instruction

Faculty Meeting: How can we organize schoolwide to give struggling reading what they need to be

successful?

Day 6- Content Area Reading

Day 7- Reading/Writing Connection

Day 8 - Reading/Writing Connection

Faculty Meeting: What policies and practices need to

be in place to increase the amount of reading and the amount of writing?

Day 9- Content Area Writing

Day 10- Faculty Meeting: What is our plan for serving

struggling readers?

BUILDING CAPACITYBUILDING CAPACITY

Trained 17,000 teachersTrained 17,000 teachers

Trained 300 reading coachesTrained 300 reading coaches

Certified 500 trainersCertified 500 trainers

Provided technical assistance Provided technical assistance

through 15 regional coachesthrough 15 regional coaches

FINDINGS FROM THE FINDINGS FROM THE ALABAMA READING ALABAMA READING

INITIATIVE INITIATIVE EVALUATIONSEVALUATIONS

XX

XX

XX

XX

Year Year

33

XXDiscipline referrals are Discipline referrals are decreasingdecreasing

XXSpecial Education referrals Special Education referrals are decreasingare decreasing

XXXXXXThe vast majority of The vast majority of participating schools are participating schools are making progress toward making progress toward 100% literacy, but there is 100% literacy, but there is variabilityvariability

XXXXXXStudents in participating Students in participating schools made greater gains schools made greater gains than did students in nonthan did students in non--participating schoolsparticipating schools

Year Year

44

YearYear

22

YearYear

11FindingsFindings

XX

XX

XX

XX

XX

XX

XX

XX

Year Year

33

XXSchool working as a teamSchool working as a team

SmallSmall--group instructiongroup instruction

Frequent progress monitoringFrequent progress monitoring

XXXXHighly skilled reading specialistHighly skilled reading specialist

XXXXPrincipal leadershipPrincipal leadership

XXXXOutside supportOutside support

XXSustained professional development Sustained professional development effortsefforts

XXImplementation of all SBRR componentsImplementation of all SBRR components

Several factors discriminate higherSeveral factors discriminate higher-- from from lowerlower--performing schools:performing schools:

Year Year

44

Year Year 22

Year Year 11

FindingsFindings

0.1

1.8

0.8

1.1 1.1

0.5

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

NC

E Po

int G

ain

Rel

ativ

e to

non

-AR

I Sc

hool

s

Cohort 1 =16 Schools Cohort 2 =65 Schools Cohort 3 =186 Schools

TOTAL 267 Schools

ARI Schools Stanford 9 Reading ScoresCumulative Reading Comprehension Gains

Cohort 1

Cohort 2

Cohort 3

Data is based on gainsof individual students relative to their scores

one year earlier

Chart 1

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

NC

E Po

ints

Rel

ativ

e to

Non

-AR

I Sch

ools

Elementary Middle High

ARI Schools Stanford 9 Reading Scores

Average Reading Comprehension Gains, by Grade Level

Chart 3

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS FROM OTHER HIGHLIGHTS FROM SPECIFIC EVALUATIONSSPECIFIC EVALUATIONS

Year 2 Year 2 -- Population of “struggling readers” Population of “struggling readers” decreased by 10%decreased by 10%

Year 2 Year 2 -- Discipline referrals decreasedDiscipline referrals decreased-- 67% after two years67% after two years-- 23% in first year23% in first year

Year 2 Year 2 -- Special Education referrals decreasedSpecial Education referrals decreased-- by 28% over two yearsby 28% over two years-- by 14% in one yearby 14% in one year

Year 4Year 4 -- Cohorts 1, 2, and 3 are still faring well. Cohorts 1, 2, and 3 are still faring well. Gains are not yet visible in Cohort 4.Gains are not yet visible in Cohort 4.

FACTFACT

The Year 3 Evaluation of the ARI The Year 3 Evaluation of the ARI and the Year 1 Evaluation of and the Year 1 Evaluation of Reading Excellence Act (REA) Reading Excellence Act (REA) identified 78 out of 267 schools identified 78 out of 267 schools where gains were less than the where gains were less than the gains made by nongains made by non--participating participating schools.schools.

WHAT WE CHANGED WHAT WE CHANGED IMMEDIATELY IMMEDIATELY (Summer, 2002)(Summer, 2002)

Halted the rapid expansion of Halted the rapid expansion of ARI and put more emphasis on ARI and put more emphasis on ongoing professional ongoing professional developmentdevelopment

““Retooled” the 78 schools not Retooled” the 78 schools not making sufficient progressmaking sufficient progress

THE “RETOOLING” THE “RETOOLING” PROCESSPROCESS

Held in schools for 5 daysHeld in schools for 5 days Devoted 50% of professional Devoted 50% of professional

development time todevelopment time to– modeling with studentsmodeling with students– having teachers practice with having teachers practice with

studentsstudents

HOW WE ARE WORKING HOW WE ARE WORKING FOR IMPROVEMENTFOR IMPROVEMENT

Take variability seriously Take variability seriously (The “retooling” and (The “retooling” and recertification process)recertification process)

Put more emphasis on accountabilityPut more emphasis on accountability(The “recertifying” process)(The “recertifying” process)

Emphasize leadership developmentEmphasize leadership development

RECERTIFICATION CONTENTSECONDARY SCHOOLS

COMPONENT 1

COMPONENT 2

COMPONENT 3

COMPONENT 4

COMPONENT 5

FORMAT OF EACH DAY:

Assessment/Fluency

Intervention

Reading/Writing Connection

Comprehension Instruction

Vocabulary Development

• Content study

• Demonstration lesson

• Teacher practice

• Faculty meeting

MORE ACCOUNTABILITYMORE ACCOUNTABILITY

Much is riding on the ARI.Much is riding on the ARI. A new governor wants to expand the A new governor wants to expand the

ARI statewide.ARI statewide. We need to weed out non-serious ARI We need to weed out non-serious ARI

schools. schools. We need to expand to new schools.We need to expand to new schools. Recertification will have Recertification will have

consequences!consequences!

CONTACT INFORMATION

Katherine A. Mitchell

Director, Alabama Reading Initiative

Director, Alabama Reading First Initiative

Phone: 334-353-1570

Email: kmitchll@alsde.edu

Pamela Duke

Secondary Specialist, Alabama Reading Initiative

Phone: 334-353-1389

Email: pduke@alsde.edu