Tuesday, September 21, 1999
Reading focus of reform effort at school
Pupils also taught to follow directions
BY ANDREA TORTORA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Barb Taylor of the Northern Kentucky Community Center reads to students at First District School.
(Patrick Reddy photo)
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COVINGTON — The 27 teachers at First District Elementary have new job descriptions this year: All of them are reading teachers.
In an attempt to boost reading comprehension and improve the school's overall academic performance, First District is implementing Success For All, a research-based reading and school reform program operated by a nonprofit foundation in Baltimore.
The hope is that daily 90-minute reading sessions and a sharp focus on reading and following directions will improve the school as a whole.
There is little room to wiggle: First District must show improvement on state assessment tests after missing its goal last year. Educator Carl Ward is assigned to the school to help staff make improvements.
“This is a collective effort, and it's provided a focus for literary improvement,” Mr. Ward said. “We know the program shows results, and it goes way beyond reading.”
Created by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, Success For All is used in 1,130 schools in 44 states. Almost all of those schools have students that live in poverty. At least 80 percent of a school staff must support the program's use. Schools receive visits three times a year from Success For All staff.
At First District, facilitator Diana Hatfield trained teachers this summer. Family Resource Center director Jan Ising worked with staff on creating reading groups and finding tutors.
Students spent three weeks learning to get along with peers and to recognize hand signals that ask for quiet (a raised, open palm) and active listening (a “V” made by the index and middle fingers).
The first 90-minute reading period was kicked off Monday, with a special reading by Barb Taylor, housing director at the Northern Kentucky Communi ty Center. Ms. Taylor shared The Lion and the Mouse with students as a way to encourage them to get excited about reading.
“We learned about sharing and how to be quiet,” first-grader Cory Myerhoff said.
Every student's reading level was assessed, and students are placed in appropriate reading groups for their morning sessions. New assessments will take place every eight weeks to gauge progress and make adjustments.
The students with the most need will receive tutoring. At First District, 30 percent of first-graders, 20 percent of second-graders and 10 percent of third-graders need daily, 20-minute tutoring sessions. That adds up to 45 tutoring slots a day.
First District is the first Northern Kentucky school to use Success For All. The school received a federal grant to start the program, which has faced some national controversy about its outcomes and the costs. A school of 500 students spends about $75,000 for the first year, $30,000 in the second year and $23,000 in the third year.
Educators at Cincinnati's Hartwell School said they are seeing some results after two years in the program. Facilitator Christine Brown said the majority of parents and school staff likes Success For All.
“We would like to see a little bit more improvement,” Ms. Brown said. “But we can see that students are making strides with it.”
One of the most noticeable differences at Hartwell is a drop in disciplinary action. Ms. Brown said disciplinary action is down, especially during the 90-minute reading sessions.
The Success For All foundation does not guarantee immediate results. Schools are told it may take three to five years before significant changes occur.
A 1999 summary of Success For All outcomes reported positive improvements at schools that use the program.
In Flint, Mich., one school improved from 2 percent passing in 1992 to 48.6 percent passing in 1995 on Michigan's assessment exam. In Fort Wayne, Ind., the lowest scoring first-graders at two schools improved their reading comprehension by 1.13 points on Indiana's state test.
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