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DOCUMENT RESUME CS 014 312 ED 450 361 Kent, Melba AUTHOR Building a Network of Support for Successful Implementation. TITLE Reading Recovery Council of North America, Columbus, OH. INSTITUTION 1998-00-00 PUB DATE NOTE 6p. Reading Recovery Council of North America, Inc., Suite 100, AVAILABLE FROM 1929 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1069. Tel No. 614-292-7111. Web site: http://www.readingrecovery.org. Journal Articles (080) PUB TYPE Network News; Spr p10-13 1998 JOURNAL CIT MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. EDRS PRICE Board of Education Role; Early Intervention; *Emergent DESCRIPTORS Literacy; *Instructional Effectiveness; Models; Partnerships in Education; Primary Education; Principals; Program Descriptions; Program Design; *Program Effectiveness; School Administration; School Community Relationship; Teacher Administrator Relationship *Reading Recovery Projects IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT This article argues that successful implementation of Reading Recovery requires a systematic plan to ensure that everyone at the district level, school level, teacher level, and parent/home level understand the goals and benefits of the program, including school board members, community members, central office administrators, principals, teachers, and parents. It describes how, in the author's Texas school district, they have implemented a Reading Recovery Advisory Board, principal's meetings, School Literacy Teams, and parent awareness sessions as vehicles to accomplish this. The article discusses how each of these groups specifically impacts the success of the Reading Recovery program. In general, it argues that these regular group meetings promote understandings, provide opportunities for continuous dialogue, and refine thinking about the lowest achieving children, whose successes are continually placed before these groups. (SR) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Building a Network of Support For Successful Implementation. by Melba Kent U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS CENTER (ERIC) BEEN GRANTED BY This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization _JsLaus_sd originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. rn BEST COPY AVAILABLE TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Points of view or opinions stated in this ,. '1- document do not necessarily represent INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) C) official OERI position or policy. 2 U Spring 1998 NETWORK Building A Network of Support For Successful Implementation avoid the many unproven "quick fix" commercial reading pro- MELBA KENT, TEACHER LEADER grams on the market. The Board is comprised of the Associate FORT BEND INDEPENDENT SCHOOL Superintendent of Administration, Reading Recovery site DISTRICT coordinator, Language Arts coordinator, Title I Supervisor, MISSOURI CITY TX teacher leaders, school board members, principals, classroom Fort Bend Independent teachers, Reading Recovery teachers, community representa- School District became a tives, and Reading Recovery parents. It meets twice a year for Reading Recovery site Board members to review program results, resolve implementa- more than four years ago. At tion issues, and learn about the positive influence of Reading the onset, we recognized that a Recovery on all participants. Meetings generally include successful implementation reports on program status at the district level as well as the model would require a system- school level. Reading Recovery teachers give overviews of their atic plan not only to select the students and report on former Reading Recovery students as most well suited schools they advance through the grade levels. The meetings conclude (Jackson, 1997), but to ensure with a "Behind-The-Glass" lesson. In this way, board members that everyone at the district observe the Reading Recovery process first-hand and see the level, school level, teacher level, and parent/home level under- positive influence it has on individual students (See Figure 1 stood the goals and benefits of the program. Board members, for a sample Advisory Board agenda). community members, central office administrators, principals, teachers, and parents needed to know how Reading Recovery Principals' Meetings fit with the established literacy goals of the system. In our district, the overall literacy goal for all children is that they will No program can be truly effective without the support of school principals. What they value and express through their be reading at or above grade level by the end of third grade. Reading Recovery is one intervention program that can indeed leadership will typically be valued by their staff. Unless each help attain this goal. participating school has a supportive principal who under- stands the Reading Recovery process, the program will never The biggest threat to a new intervention program occurs achieve its full potential. Therefore, principals of Reading immediately after its initial success. Marie Clay (1994) says further that "an innovative program that is getting good results Recovery schools meet several times throughout the year both has many supporters in the growth stage. Once it is in place it individually and as a group with the teacher leaders and site coordinator. These meetings are scheduled at the beginning of is taken for granted" ( p.139). In recognition of this pitfall, we the school year so they can be included on the school calendar. have instituted a Reading Recovery Advisory Board, principals' Group meetings provide a forum to discuss program results at meetings, School Literacy Teams, and parent awareness ses- the school level and to provide administrative support for sions as vehicles for ongoing successful implementation of Reading Recovery teachers and students. Challenges that arise Reading Recovery within the district. In general, these regular group meetings provide opportunities for continuous dialogue, as a result of program implementation include ensuring that promote understandings, and refine thinking about the lowest daily lessons occur for all students, seeking solutions for student and/or teacher absenteeism, and promoting parental support. achieving children attaining average reading and writing levels The site coordinator and teacher leaders meet individually within a short period of time. The successes of Reading Recovery children are constantly placed before these groups in with each principal twice a year to offer assistance. These order to change the predominant mindset that these children meetings typically involve discussions of goals, staffing, budget- ing, additional training, and the school's annual report. cannot succeed. In the following paragraphs I will discuss how each of these groups specifically impacts the success of the School Literacy Teams Reading Recovery program. In Reading Recovery: A Guidebook For Teachers In Training, Reading Recovery Advisory Board Clay tells us to "adopt a watch-dog role for ex-Reading Recovery children in the school" and check on their progress The purpose of the Reading Recovery Advisory Board is to for a three year period (1995, p. 96). School Literacy Teams at promote interaction and communication across the entire each of the sixteen Reading Recovery schools in our district school district. Input from all levels keeps the Advisory Board have been a powerful mechanism for monitoring the progress focused on the important issues and emphasizes the potential of current Reading Recovery students, former Reading for student achievement. It is particularly important to have active involvement from the business community in order to continued on next page 3 BEST COPY AVAILABLE NETWORK. NEWS 11 Spring 1998 For Successful Implementation -- Building A Network of Support continued from previous page Every meeting begins with a discussion about the progress of Recovery students who have been referred for long term ser- the students and their successes. All Reading Recovery teach- vices, and students who have advanced through the grade lev- ers report on their students' writing and text reading using the els. In our fourth year of implementation, the School Literacy School Literacy Team progress chart which is distributed to Team has evolved to include the monitoring of all students each team member (See Figure 3). Recognizing that daily who are having reading problems. lessons are critical to student success, Reading Recovery teach- School Literacy Teams meet every six weeks with the meet- ers report the number of days the students miss lessons. Overall ing dates scheduled on each school's calendar at the beginning classroom performance is also discussed in order to better of the year. Members of each team include Reading Recovery understand how much of the Reading Recovery progress is teachers, first grade teachers, the principal, counselor, speech transferred to the classroom. It is most helpful when Reading teacher, resource teacher, a kindergarten teacher, an ESL Recovery teachers talk with classroom teachers about insights, (English as a Second Language) teacher, and depending on the questions, and concerns regarding each Reading Recovery stu- number of years since implementation, representatives from the dent. If progress is not being observed in the classroom and/or second, third, and fourth grade (See Figure 2 for a sample agenda). continued on next page Fort Bend ISD FORT BEND INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT Reading Recovery® School Literacy Team READING RECOVERY® ADVISORY BOARD DECEMBER 11, 1997 Settlers Way Elementary School Orientation Meeting I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate all your effort in the Reading Recovery program in helping Brandon learn how to read. I can August 25, 1997 tell a major improvement in his reading has been accomplished. He really enjoys it! Thanks again. I have learned that quality control of an intervention to recover failing Ken Rostek, Parent, Highlands Elementary, November 19, 1997 children requires that the teacher is a member of a school team which is mounting the intervention to reduce reading difficulties in that school. Welcome And Introductions Clay, Early Detection of Reading Difficulties, p.4 Mary Jackson, Director of Special Programs Introduction of Team Members Program Status Participating Schools 1997-1998 Orientation Melba Kent, Reading Recovery Teacher Leader Student Performance Why Did Settlers Way Choose Reading Recovery? First Grade - Bonnie Manley, Townewest Elementary Expectations? Second, Third, and Fourth Grades - Carolyn Fall, Glover tt, Purpose of team Elementary tb. Philosophy of Reading Recovery - Central Ideas District-Wide Results From 1994 to 1997 Choosing Students Rosetta Ford, Reading Recovery Teacher Leader Scheduling Lessons - RR is in addition to good classroom instruction. Staff Development Accomplishments Successful Implementation - What Does It Take? Academics 2000 Grants Melba Kent, Reading Recovery Teacher Leader Checklist For RR Implementation 'kt, School Literacy Teams Jeremy Frazier, First Grade Teacher, Lexington Creek Elementary Looking Ahead HCDE Presentation/TASB Conference Jane Clarke, Board of Trustees, President Parent Orientation - When? Faculty Orientation - When? Looking To The Future Observation Of Reading Recovery Lessons by School Our Vision For Further Implementation Literacy Team Members Mary Jackson, Director of Special Programs Schedule of School Literacy Meetings Descubriendo La Lectura Kathryne Salinas, Teacher Leader In-Training Questions/Concerns Behind The Glass Lesson A Literacy Poem Carolyn Fall and David Quintero Figure 1 4 Spring 1998 12 :;NETWORK NEWS Successful Implementation -- Building A Network of Support For continued from previous page Organized For Continued Success Reading Recovery sessions, then the team brainstorms ways to The Reading Recovery program in Fort Bend ISD recognizes help the student. In one instance, the Reading Recovery that our audiences are constantly changing. This means we teacher and classroom teacher scheduled times for each to public about Reading Recovery's must continually inform the observe the student in both settings. In another example, a "purposes, procedures, and outcomes" (Clay, 1994, p. 134). It is fifth grade buddy reader was assigned to a student who was not Reading Recovery important to revisit the goals and benefits of reading at home each night. why our district instituted so that all participants understand The meeting continues with a discussion about referrable the program. Through the Reading Recovery Advisory Board, children, discontinued Reading Recovery students, and those communication lines are laid to coordinate the program dis- former Reading Recovery students in second, third and fourth trict-wide. Regularly scheduled individual and group meetings grade. Some school teams have assigned each member to report with the principals of participating schools provide a format to students have an advocate who on one child. In this way, these address their concerns and earn their support. The School follows them throughout their elementary school years. If Literacy Team is the backbone of our effort to educate and needed, the team establishes a plan for those students who involve the administrators, teachers, parents, and community. need extra help. All team members observe a Reading Recovery lesson at the beginning of the year and participate in writing the annual Fort Bend ISD schedules and plans par- report. The School Literacy Team also Reading Recovery® School Literacy Team for the ent awareness sessions and faculty awareness sessions fall and spring of each year. These sessions are designed to Glover Elementary School inform both groups about the program's "purposes, procedures, Second Six Weeks and outcomes" (Clay, 1994, p.134). October 21, 1997 One unexpected by-product of the School Literacy Team is Exceptions are not made for children of lower intelligence, for that it has served as a catalyst for change in the classroom. second-language children, for children with low language skills, Teachers have requested information on how to use running for children with poor motor coordination, for children who seem records to monitor their students' progress. Some schools have immature, for children who score poorly on readiness measures, also begun to see the value of using leveled texts and have pur- by someone or for children who have already been categorized chased them for the classrooms. According to Clay (1985), "quality control of an interven- else as learning disabled. RRCNA Guidelines and Standards tion to recover failing children requires that the teacher is a member of a school team which is mounting the intervention (page 4). School How Are Our Students Doing? to reduce reading difficulties in that school" Qtt, Students Being Served - Progress Chart and Classroom Literacy Teams at each of the sixteen Reading Recovery Performance schools have been a powerful support in sustaining a quality and faces qtt, Students Needing Service program. Each school team differs in its composition Former RR Students - Second, Third, and Fourth the ' its own specific issues. However, each team has in common Graders desire to provide the best intervention program possible for read. Through the every student having difficulties learning to The Reading Recovery/Early Literacy Conference take responsi- team problem-solving process, all team members Highlights From Sessions bility for each child's success or failure. Plans for next year. How can we get School Literacy Team members to attend? Parent Awareness Sessions In an effort to maximize literacy support for Reading Goals For The Year Recovery students, parent meetings are held in the Fall and Observation of RR Lessons by School Literacy Team qtt, Spring at each of the Reading Recovery schools. At these Members meetings, parents learn about the program and how they can Faculty Orientation help their child at home. Teachers give an overview of the Readers, Writers, and Parents Workshop - How is it Observation Survey and the lesson components as well as offer going? suggestions for how to use appropriate questioning and prompt- Effective Early Literacy Coaching - Marlys Sloop ing techniques in order to reinforce good reading. Parents are invited to schedule a time to observe a Reading Recovery les- New Moon son as well. continued on next page 5 NETWORK NEWS 13 Spring 1998 Building A Network of Support For Successful Implementation -- continued from previous page References It has become a vehicle for changes in the classroom environ- ment and has evolved to deal with all children with reading Clay, M. M.(1993). Reading Recovery: A guidebook for teach- problems. Because parental support and involvement ers in training. Portsmouth: NH: Heinemann. enhances a child's reading success, training sessions are con- Clay, M. M.(1995). Reading Recovery: A guidebook for teach- ducted regularly to equip the parents with the skills and ers in training. Portsmouth: NH: Heinemann. knowledge to be more supportive at home. Through the sys- Clay, M. M. (1994). Reading Recovery: The wider implica- tematic plan of engaging all stakeholders, we have established tions of an educational innovation. Literacy, Teaching and a strong network of support that will ensure that Reading Learning, 1, 121-141. Recovery remains fundamental to achieving the district's read- Jackson, M. (1997). A process for.site selection of Reading ing goals. Recovery campuses. Network News, Spring, 6-8 6 U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) z National Library of Education (NLE) Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) REPRODUCTION RELEASE 014 312 CS (Specific Document) I. DOCUMENT IDENTIFICATION: 2) 0-6 Supao-ut 401, SuLCIA4w2-- 46t,ti-R-CLC-4/1-4" Title: --rtetuRrUZ) 41.eku-4.) Author(s): LOW Da Q JAI) Corporate Source: Publication Date: -6-CatiriV3 saCt3Y.QM CbUfkCji 01) 411rdA APAdlinft iggSe II. 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