Meeting the Challenge

THE CHALLENGE

• 100,341 students in grades 3-11 score at the lowest levels on the Stanford Achievement Test and cannot read.
• Without increased efforts, 10 percent to 40 percent of Alabama’s school children will have difficulty learning to read and will fall further and further behind.

THE SOLUTION

• Target the reading achievement of Alabama students on three fronts: beginning reading, expanding reading power, and effective intervention.
• Utilize a broad-based, grassroots support group (the Alabama Reading Panel) to design a research-based, extensive teacher training program to show teachers how to achieve high levels of literacy for all of their students.
• Focus in 1998-99 on 16 schools (called Literacy Demonstration Sites), selected from a pool of applicants, that agree to:
  1. set 100% literacy as a goal,
  2. achieve commitment of at least 85 percent of faculty,
  3. attend the 10-day training program,
  4. adjust their reading instruction accordingly,
  5. model effective reading instruction for other schools, and
  6. be evaluated by an outside evaluator.
• Involve colleges of teacher education as partners.
• Provide ongoing professional development to schools to ensure future success.
• Evaluate student, teacher, school, and higher education outcomes to guide continuous improvement.
• Expand statewide
  • 16 schools in 1998-1999
  • 81 schools in 1999-2000
  • 267 schools in 2000-2001
  • 424 schools in 2001-2002
  • 449 schools in 2002-2003
  • 480 schools in 2003-2004

EARLY SUCCESS

• $1,500,000 in contributions from businesses, professional organizations, and government supported the first two training efforts (summers of 1998 and 1999).
• 17,000 teachers in the 449 schools gave rave reviews to the first training institutes.
• The Alabama legislature has appropriated funds for 4 years: $6,000,000, $10,000,000, $11,300,000, and $12,500,000.
• Three outside evaluators report that students in ARI schools score better than students in comparison schools. Discipline referrals decrease. Special education referrals decrease.
• The Alabama Reading Initiative is receiving national attention.
  • Wrote its story in the Winter 1999 journal published by the National Education Association.
  • Received the State innovation award from the Education Commission of the States in August, 2002.
  • Was awarded one of first three Reading First grants in July, 2002 ($102,000,000 over six years).
  • Spotlighted at White House Reading Summit in September, 2002.
  • To be featured in United States Department of Education publication, The Achiever in November, 2002.