DEADLINE - APRIL 30, 2003
The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) announces a professional development opportunity for teachers in Grades K-3 to improve student achievement in reading and writing. Districts with highest needs related to the 2003 Primary Benchmark Exam will have priority for participation. Other slots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.
The ARKANSAS (AR) READING FIRST LITERACY INSTITUTES for regular classroom teachers, intervention (Title I/Reading Recovery) teachers, and special education teachers will be offered as grade level Institutes, except in areas where there is insufficient participation at each grade level. These Institutes build on the knowledge base developed in ELLA and EFFECTIVE LITERACY; however, participation in either of the two professional developments is not a requirement for participation in the Institutes.
CONTENT OF INSTITUTES
FIVE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A COMPREHENSIVE READING PROGRAM OF INSTRUCTION
The AR READING FIRST LITERACY INSTITUTES will focus on implementation of the research base provided by the National Reading Panel report and other recognized research which focuses on the five essential elements of literacy instruction listed below:
*Phonemic awareness instruction
*Phonics/spelling instruction
*Fluency instruction
*Vocabulary instruction
*Comprehension instruction
In addition, the Institutes will address the development of writing proficiency and the impact of writing on reading and spelling development.
EXAMINING AND SELECTING APPROPRIATE READING PROGRAM MATERIALS, STRATEGIES, INTERVENTIONS
The AR READING FIRST professional development will enable schools to use a well-developed protocol to review their reading program and/or select core reading programs and supplemental materials that support the teaching of the essential elements of reading.
EXAMINING AND SELECTING APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENTS
Teachers and administrators will be guided through a process of examining and selecting current reading assessments for validity and reliability. School teams will be able to select appropriate assessments for screening, diagnosis, and progress monitoring of student achievement, as well as an evaluation of the reading program being used.
All professional development will be based on the Arkansas Reading/Language Arts Standards with the goal of improving reading and writing achievement, and, therefore, proficiency on the Primary Benchmark Exam.
SCHEDULE
The long-term professional development will be held over a three-year period as shown below:
Summer I, 2003 -- three days
School Year I, 2003-04 -- three days
Summer II, 2004 -- two days
School Year II, 2004-05 -- two days
Summer III, 2005 -- two days
School Year III, 2005-06 -- two days
Upon receipt of the registrations, an e-mail regarding dates, locations, and times will be forwarded to all registrants.
The Institutes may be taken for professional development credit or graduate credit in areas where graduate credit is offered. Regardless of the type of participation, the course assignments and a report of each participant’s classroom work will be provided to the school district in which the participant is employed.
Administrators are encouraged to attend the full three-year training. Administrators are required to attend at least three of the six days of the first year of training. Administrators are also required to attend the Principal’s Walk-through Training that is being offered in all of the educational service cooperatives during fiscal year 2003-04.
LOCATION
The Institutes will be held regionally across the state with specific locations to be announced after the registration process is completed.
REGISTRATION
Attached is the registration form, which must be postmarked by April 30, 2003. Please complete and send it to the following address:
AR READING FIRST, Arkansas Department of Education, #4 Capitol Mall, Room 401B, Little Rock, AR 72201 to the attention of Krista Underwood, Director, AR READING FIRST.
Any questions related to this memo may be addressed to Krista Underwood either by e-mail at kunderwood@arkedu.k12.ar.us or by phone at 501-682-7998.