Wednesday, April 4, 2001
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Wednesday, April 4, 2001 |
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Brooks Elementary selected as demo site for Reading Rescue program
Reading is an important part of daily life. Without the skill, it is difficult to apply for a job, lease an apartment or succeed in school. Research indicates that regardless of race, class or socioeconomic level, 20 percent of students will develop severe reading problems. Given this percentage, one local school has decided to tackle the problem head on by teaching all children to read. Brooks Elementary has been chosen as one of four Georgia demonstration sites for Reading Rescue, a tutoring and classroom support program. Developed by Dr. Nora Hoover at the University of Florida in 1995, the program has since moved into over 200 schools in five states. A $45,000 grant in staff development was awarded to Brooks by Griffin Regional Educational Student Association and the state Department of Education to offset training costs. Griffin RESA selected Brooks as an ideal demonstration site due to its small student population, varied demographics and central location. Like most schools in Fayette County, Brooks Elementary's reading scores are more than respectable. Last year, Brooks' third grade average reading score was at the 65th percentile on the nationally normed Iowa Test of Basic Skills. That means that on average, Brooks' students scored better than 65 percent of other students who took the test nationwide. But an average percentile score of 65 means that some students are scoring will below that percentage. Brooks wants to ensure that it teaches those children to read well. Twenty-three teachers, as well as Principal Harry Sweatman and assistant principal Donna Vining, have been trained to deliver the Reading Rescue program at the school. Each teacher is assigned to one child that he or she tutors for 30 minutes a day during regular school hours. Teachers use their planning periods to work with their students as well as provide tutoring while their classrooms are engaged in independent study. The program is limited to first grade students so as to target problems and correct them before incorrect practices are adopted. Only in its first year of implementation, the staff at Brooks Elementary reports that one can already see the benefits of the program. "We are just real pleased with the results. We have already had about 15 or more students to graduate from Reading Rescue," Sweatman says. One part of Gov. Roy Barnes' reform bill package for state schools mandates early intervention for all children scoring below the 25th percentile on a standardized reading test. In its first years, Reading Rescue is credited with moving one Florida school from a "F" to an "A" and several others from "D" and "C" to "A." "Reading Rescue is a proven program. We are convinced by the data that it significantly benefits struggling readers. Granting us the funds to implement the program is like planting a seed from which many plants will grow and produce more seeds," says Cheryl Hilderbrand, Fayette County reading coordinator. It takes an average of 52 days for a student to reach a level of competency. At the time of graduation, Sweatman says he makes the achievement special for his students by presenting them with certificates during a special ceremony. Before teachers and administrators can begin implementing Reading Rescue, they must first complete a four-day training session to prepare them to administer individual assessments of literacy and to provide instruction using research-based strategies. This training is done on-site within the school system. Beyond the initial week, the Reading Rescue training sequence includes two follow-up days during the first year of implementation: one in the fall and one in the spring. Brooks has just completed its spring follow-up training. After the school has implemented the program for three years, it can then claim to be a Reading Rescue school and can train other schools to deliver the program. Reading Rescue is not the only tutorial reading program offered by the Fayette County School System. The county has a successful tutoring model that is delivered by classroom aides. Many students have been brought up to grade level through this daily 30 minutes of one-on-one reading instruction. However, the new reform bill discourages the use of paraprofessionals for regular instruction. The state has cut funding for paraprofessionals, urging systems to hire certified personnel. Reading Rescue's tutoring model is a little different from Fayette County's, but the primary difference is that certified teachers deliver most of the tutoring during the school day. Additionally, Reading Rescue requires more writing and reading by the student. "I would like to see this program spread to other elementary schools in the system. Research clearly indicates that all children do not learn how to read through the same teaching methods," said Hilderbrand. "We must make sure that all children learn letter sound-relationships (phonics) and that all children learn to make meaning from texts (comprehension), but how we teach those things will depend on a child's learning style, his memory and retrieval system, and his or her processing abilities. Some children simply must have one-on-one tutoring."
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