AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL

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AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL POLICY CONFERENCE
On the Ground Panel
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WHAT IS THE ALABAMA READINGINITIATIVE?
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A statewide movementAnchored by reading
researchAimed at ultimately achieving
grade-level reading for all of Alabamas public
school students
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HOW IS IT ACHIEVING ITS GOAL?Through intensive
teacher development efforts that are the heart
and soul of the initiative.
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GROWTH IN THE NUMBEROF ARI SCHOOLS

• Schools
• 16 schools in 1998-1999
• 81 schools in 1999-2000
• 267 schools in 2000-2001
• 423 schools in 2001-2002
• 450 schools in 2002-2003
• 485 schools in 2003-2004

• Funding
• 1,500,000
• 6,000,000
• 10,000,000
• 11,300,000
• 12,500,000
• 12,500,000

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SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ARI126 Total (25)

• 66 Middle Grades (5-8, 6-8, 7-8, K-8)
• 16 Bonafide High Schools (9-12 or 10-12)
• 6 Grades 7-12
• 4 Grades K-12
• 34 Other Combinations (4-12, 4-6, 4-8)

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INITIAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SECONDARY
SCHOOLS
Day 1- Conceptual Framework What interferes
with reading comprehension?
Formal Assessment What does the data say about
students at our school? Faculty Meeting What
does the research say about struggling readings?
How do we anticipate serving struggling
readers? Day 2- Informal Assessment Faculty
Meeting What is our plan for informally
assessing struggling readers? Day 3- Vocabulary
Development
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• Day 4 - Comprehension Instruction
• Day 5 - Comprehension Instruction
• Faculty Meeting How can we organize
  schoolwide to give struggling reading what they
  need to be successful?
• Day 6- Content Area Reading
• Day 7- Reading/Writing Connection
• Day 8 - Reading/Writing Connection
• Faculty Meeting What policies and practices
  need to
• be in place to increase the amount
  of reading and the amount of writing?
• Day 9- Content Area Writing
• Day 10- Faculty Meeting What is our plan for
  serving
• struggling readers?

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ARI Schools Stanford 9 Reading Scores
Average Reading Comprehension Gains, by Grade
Level

Chart 3
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
NCE Points Relative to Non-ARI Schools
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.0
Elementary
Middle
High
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WHAT WE CHANGED IMMEDIATELY (Summer, 2002)

• Halted the rapid expansion of ARI and put more
  emphasis on ongoing professional development
• Retooled the 78 schools not making sufficient
  progress

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THE RETOOLING PROCESS

• Held in schools for 5 days
• Devoted 50 of professional development time to
• modeling with students
• having teachers practice with students

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HOW WE ARE WORKING FOR IMPROVEMENT

• Take variability seriously
• (The retooling and
• recertification process)
• Put more emphasis on accountability
• (The recertifying process)
• Emphasize leadership development

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RECERTIFICATION CONTENTSECONDARY SCHOOLS

• COMPONENT 1
• COMPONENT 2
• COMPONENT 3
• COMPONENT 4
• COMPONENT 5
• FORMAT OF EACH DAY

• Assessment/Fluency
• Intervention
• Reading/Writing Connection
• Comprehension Instruction
• Vocabulary Development
• Content study
• Demonstration lesson
• Teacher practice
• Faculty meeting

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MORE ACCOUNTABILITY

• Much is riding on the ARI.
• A new governor wants to expand the ARI
  statewide.
• We need to weed out non-serious ARI schools.
• We need to expand to new schools.
• Recertification will have consequences!

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CONTACT INFORMATION Katherine A.
Mitchell Director, Alabama Reading
Initiative Director, Alabama Reading First
Initiative Phone [phone] Email
kmitchll_at_alsde.edu Pamela Duke Secondary
Specialist, Alabama Reading Initiative Phone
334-353-1389 Email pduke_at_alsde.edu