G-Town Talks

In a comment to my last blog post Nancy writes,

Nancy Says:
February 6th, 2008 at 7:38 pm

So let me get this straight. You will finally have a comprehensive reading program in grades K-6 AND this week a decision was made to discontinue the mandatory summer reading program - making it optional for students. They won’t be assessed or held accountable. I was told the decision was made because students were failing the first quarter, they refused to do the assignment attached to the reading. You might be helping the smallest of our community but you’re giving up on the older students. Maybe your pose of administrators should ensure that EVERYONE is cared about, in the correct way.

This is an interesting comment. I was part of a brief conversation just this morning (maybe five minutes, if that) in which our ELA department chairperson was looking for a decision on summer reading. I specifically heard our building principal state that there wasn’t a need to make a decision now, but that he did believe the summer reading assignment should have a “neutral or positive effect” on student grades. I would hope that our encouragement of summer reading could have a positive effect on our students. The last thing I would want is for our students to associate reading with something negative or punitive.

The New York Statewide Summer Reading Program  is a wonderful program that supports the importance and academic gains for students who read over the summer. This is an incredible partnership with local libraries to encourage all children to read. Recently, I met with representatives of both of our local libraries as we are very interested in working together to benefit all children. This is a terrific start.

In addition, NYSED posted guidance on locally required summer reading assignments in April, 2006. Some of their suggestions include,

The State Education Department also suggests that:

• Any locally required summer reading assignments should be integral to the school district’s existing curriculum.
• Parents(s)/guardians should be encouraged to review the reading list to be aware of the titles and authors and to encourage and help guide their children’s reading.
• Students should have a choice among one or more required readings.
• Options should be provided to students for demonstrating completion of the assignment (e.g., a book report, an oral presentation, or a media or electronic presentation).
• For students who will be away on vacation, all the necessary materials for their summer reading assignment should be provided to them before school ends in June.
• If assignments are given to determine placement in Advanced Placement (AP) courses or as part of the body of work required for the AP course, the district/school should have appropriately trained teachers available to the students for guidance and assistance over the summer, in addition to making all necessary materials available.

Any efforts made by our administrative team, in conjunction with our teachers and teacher leaders, will be with the above guidelines in mind. There certainly was no district decision to discontinue the summer reading program.   If at any time Nancy, or any other member of our school community for that matter, would like to meet in person to more fully discuss the summer reading program or my involvement with our older students, I would be most happy to do so.

We need a consistent, coordinated K-6 reading program. That’s what headed us down the path of piloting four different series/approaches in our district this year. And that’s what we heard over and over again from our reading pilot teachers today. Our decision making group of eight invited our pilot teachers to talk about what they absolutely need us to know about the series they’re piloting.

We had a hefty agenda of questions to answer and intermittently, we had pilot teachers talking to us. They let us know what they like/dislike about their pilots, what’s working for their kids and what’s not working. Some told us what they liked about the other pilots. A few endorsed a program they’d used previously.

This decision making group has an onerous task ahead of us. We have compiled monthly feedback assessments from the pilot teachers, we’ve looked at the DIEBELS data from fall and winter assessments, we’ve brought in an Orton Gillingham expert to talk to us. I’ve visited pilot classrooms and observed teaching/learning.  We’ve consulted the research. We’ve listened to pilot teachers. And now we will develop a GCS K-6 consistent reading program.

Here’s what I know for certain. We will build a program based on what we know about the way children learn to read. We will build it with components that best prepare our students in reading and writing. We will have a planned, consistent K-6 program and we will require all teachers to teach the components of the program. We will deliver solid staff development, opportunities for coaching, and lots of support. We will go in as administrators and ensure that everyone is following the program, in the correct way. If we see the fidelity of the program compromised, we will bring in additional support.

I know for certain that every child who enters kindergarten through sixth grade in 2008 will have an articulated, consistent, coordinated reading program. I know for certain we will have stronger readers and more student success. I know we are actively engaged in the key effective practices that research has shown time and again to be present in successful schools. I know this emphasis on literacy is the key to it all.