Reading First (RF) Grant

John Silber Early Reading Initiative

Sullivan and Brayton Elementary Schools are the recipients of a Reading First (RF) Grant and are evaluated annually by the Office of Reading which has determined that both schools have "fully implemented" RF programs. Greylock Elementary receives John Silber Early Reading Initiative funds. All schools adhere to the same core reading program, supplemental reading interventions and assessments.

The District has the benefit of an Office of Reading First/John Silber Implementation Facilitator and consultants from IDEAL Consulting who have guided the implementation of the Schoolwide Reading Improvement Model since its inception. As a result, the district has progressed over time in reading in all elementary schools as measured by the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills and the Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation.

We are grateful to the Office of Reading for the funds and the direction it has provided to reach our shared goal of developing competent readers by third grade.

• Sally Goodrich, District Coordinator for Reading First and John Silber

• Gerry Bednarz, Brayton Elementary School Reading First Coach

• Bernie Eastman, Sullivan Elementary School Reading First Coach

• Jeff Howe, Greylock Elementary School, John Silber Early Reading Initiative Reading Coach

Please see below for additional information about Reading First and John Silber Early Reading Initiative from the Office of Reading, Department of Education's Web Site: www.doe.mass.edu/read/

The Massachusetts Department of Education's Office of Reading supports school districts and schools in implementing proven scientifically based methods of reading instruction in order to prevent reading difficulties.

The Federal Reading First program asserts that students who do not learn to read easily benefit from particular strategies, materials, and approaches that have documented evidence of effectiveness for this population. Reading First schools target struggling K-3 readers from specific high-risk student subgroups.

In addition to the federal Reading First Grant Program, the Office of Reading funds three other literacy initiatives: The Secondary School Reading Grant Program (SSR), the John Silber Early Reading Initiative (JSER), and the Early Literacy Intervention Grant (ELI).

Reading First and John Silber Grants fund the following elements:

Professional Development

• Teacher Reading Academies (TRAs) are intensive multi-day workshops designed to provide an introduction to Reading First principles and the five components of reading instruction. TRAs are offered to educators working with Grades K-1 and Grades 2-3. Reading First Reading Specialists (RFRS) are school-based reading coaches that receive professional development via state-wide events related to the art of coaching as well as the five components of reading. The areas of focus for the 2004-2005 school year are Vocabulary and Comprehension. Reading Specialists will participate in Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training in August and September of 2005. Please double click the link below for more information about the responsibilities of coaches:

Reading First Reading Specialist Job Description

• The Leadership for Literacy Course is provided to Reading First principals and district coordinators.

• The Implementation Facilitator (IF) Network is a team of Massachusetts Department of Education staff who work directly with schools to implement Reading First. Among many activities, their assistance encompasses the integration of TRA content, the implementation of reading programs, and the administration and interpretation of assessments. In addition to content and instructional expertise, they work to transfer their skills in project management, team building, and school change. Small teams of IFs work together to provide ongoing, sustained professional development through bimonthly regional meetings.

Regional Meeting Information

Partners

• Donahue Institute at the University of Massachusetts. The Donahue Institute is the public service and outreach arm of the UMASS President's Office. The Institute has a contract with the Massachusetts Department of Education to conduct a statewide evaluation of MRFP.

• dataMetrics Software, a provider of test reporting software for the Massachusetts Department of Education, has customized its TestWiz test processing software for Massachusetts schools and districts that receive Reading First funding. dataMetrics provides training to MRFP staff on the use of their software and reports.

• Hanson Initiative for Language and Literacy through Massachusetts General Hospital provides professional development and consulting to support Reading First in Massachusetts.

Monitoring

• Monitoring of districts by the Massachusetts Department of Education is performed by Office of Reading staff annually. Go the Office of Reading website for statewide results of the Reading First initiative.