Archive for the 'Reading' Category

Reading First national conference

Published
by
JohnL
on 3 August 2008
in Administration, Assessment, Musings and Reading
. 1 Comment
People at RF '08
Wrapping up ‘08 RF conference

As reported previously, I had the pleasure of attending the Fifth Annual Reading First National Conference. I found it a very impressive event. Although I really am flattered to be among the folks shown in the accompanying photo (l-f: Donna Scanlon, Joe Conaty, Frank Vellutino, and Katherine Mitchell), I think my favorite part of the event was hearing what the teachers, coaches, and administrators had to say.

When I hear most other folks talk about reading, they use a very different language; they talk about book tubs, word walls, high-interest books, round-robin reading, and such. When I talk with a select few colleagues about reading instruction, I am accustomed to talking about students’ performance on specific measures of component skills, altering teaching demonstrations (e.g., pacing), features of instructional presentations, scaffolding instruction systematically, and etc. For the first time in my life, I was in a place where literally 1000s of people were talking the way I am accustomed to being able to talk with only a few colleagues.

The teachers, coaches, principals, and others whom I met in Nashville know their stuff! Not only that, they know that they can help each other by collaborating using their shared language. There are powerful teams capable of excellent reading instruction scattered around the US now. They know they can teach kids to read. They have done it.

As Joe Conaty pointed out in his closing remarks, no one can take away from those teams what they now know how to do. Remembering this really makes my emotional cup full to overflowing.

Previous posts about the conference: Laura Bush’s comments (29 July 2008); pin map (28 July 2008); overview (28 July 2008).

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Laura Bush’s comments on RF

Published
by
JohnL
on 29 July 2008
in Administration, Assessment, News, Policy and Reading
. 0 Comments

First Lady Laura Bush spoke to the Reading First conference attendees 29 July in Nashville (TN, US). Following introductory comments by Raymond Simon, US Deputy Secretary of Education, who called for “More Reading First, not less,” Mrs. Bush addressed about 5500 people for about 10 minutes.

After restating the importance of reading in contemporary society, the rationale for evidence-based reading instruction, and the importance of data-based education, Mrs. Bush cited examples of successes in Reading First schools (interrupted by cheers and applause from the representatives of those schools and educators affiliated with them who were in the audience). She ended her comments with a call for restoration of funding of the Reading First program:
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RF pin map

Published
by
JohnL
on 28 July 2008
in Administration, News, Policy and Reading
. 0 Comments
The pin map
The map of pins

As promised, here’s an image of the US map showing pins placed to show the locations of people attending the conference. The two unidentified pinners waited patiently for their turn to insert their pins. Just out of view to the right, there were several more attendees waiting their turns. A larger copy of the image will open if you click on this thumbnail.

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Reading First national conference

Published
by
JohnL
on 28 July 2008
in Administration, News, Policy, Reading, Research and The press
. 0 Comments

Despite the distressing recent news about funding for the US Reading First program, the annual conference is in full swing and there seems to be a lot of enthusiasm for the program here at the site in Nashville (TN, US). As I understand, there are >5000 educators from all around the US who have registered for the conference (there’s a map with pins for sites that I plan to photograph and publish here), and the teachers and administrators (coaches, principals, reading specialists) with whom I’ve spoken seem committed to making sure they know what to do to ensure that students learn to read.

Registration for the conference is free, and that price of admission permits one to attend sessions delivered by people such as Anita Archer, Frances Bessellieu, Nell Duke, Stu Greenberg, Annemieke Golly, Jan Hasbrouck, Roxanne Hudson, Mike McKenna, Maddie McKeown, Stan Paine, Tin Shanahan, Sharon Walpole, dozens of others. Who wouldn’t be willing to give up a few days of summer vacation to attend this conference?

Mrs. Laura Bush is slated to speak in a few minutes, so the local TV stations are here in force. There are several vans with antennae parked right outside my hotel room.

Obligatory reminder: I’m a member of the Reading First Advisory Committee, but my statements here are my own. They do not reflect the views of the committee or of other members of the committee.

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Moscovitch on RF

Published
by
JohnL
on 9 July 2008
in News, Policy, Reading, Research and The press
. 0 Comments

In an editorial opposite the editorial page of the Boston (MA, US) Herald, Edward Moscovitch advocated continuation of the Reading First program. Under the 8 July 2008 headline “No time to close book: Though threatened, reading program is working,” Mr. Moscovitch addresses many of the concerns discussed about Reading First. Here’s his lead:

Reading First, a major part of the No Child Left Behind law, encourages schools in low-income districts to use frequent assessments and research-based instruction to improve student reading. Report after report shows student gains.

And yet today the program is headed for the congressional chopping block - a victim of misunderstood studies and even more specious charges of insider dealings. If that happens, the nation’s children will be the real losers.

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Some factors affecting effectiveness

Published
by
JohnL
on 18 June 2008
in Administration, Arithmetic and mathematics, News, Policy, Reading and Teacher education
. 0 Comments

According to an analysis by Gregory J. Palardy and Russell W. Rumberger, differences in teacher effectiveness have larger effects on young children’s outcomes in reading and math than do differences in teachers’ backgrounds factors such as level of education and types of certifications held. The teacher quality effects were also substantially greater than the effects for children’s families’ SES in their study and than the effects for class-size reduction (25 25 versus 15 students per classroom) reported in another study.

Professors Palardy and Rumberger arrived at this conclusion by analyzing data from a large data set that is representative of students in the US. They used a sophisticated analytic approach that permitted them to assess the effects of inputs, processes, and outputs at the school, classroom, and individual student levels.

This study uses Early Childhood Longitudinal Study data to investigate the importance of three general aspects of teacher effects—teacher background qualifications, attitudes, and instructional practices—to reading and math achievement gains in first grade. The results indicate that compared with instructional practices, background qualifications have less robust associations with achievement gains. These findings suggest that the No Child Left Behind Act’s “highly qualified teacher” provision, which screens teachers on the basis of their background qualifications, is insufficient for ensuring that classrooms are led by teachers who are effective in raising student achievement. To meet that objective, educational policy needs to be directed toward improving aspects of teaching, such as instructional practices and teacher attitudes.

Palardy, G. J., & Rumberger, R. W. (2008). Teacher effectiveness in first grade: The importance of background qualifications, attitudes, and instructional practices for student learning. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 30, 111-140.

Link to the abstract.

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Ability grouping benefits some

Published
by
JohnL
on 12 June 2008
in Administration, News, Policy, Reading and Research
. 1 Comment

In Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis for June of 2008, Joseph P. Robinson of Stanford University reported the results of a study showing that kindergartners from Hispanic backgrounds who received reading instruction in groups based on ability had better outcomes than their peers in conditions where students are not grouped by ability. Professor Robinson found that Hispanic children from homes where English is not the primrary language benefit from ability grouping in kindergarten and first grade. Ability grouping reduced the difference in achievement between these Hispanic students and their White peers. However, the benefits for the Hispanic students in kindergarten faded during first grade unless the children had ability grouped instruction during first grade.
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Up-coming ILL sessions

Published
by
JohnL
on 9 June 2008
in Administration, Assessment, News, Policy, Reading, Research, Teacher education and The press
. 0 Comments

The Institute for Literacy and Learning is offering an outstanding series of presentations over the next few months. Randy Sprick, Sharon Vaughn, Jan Hasbrouck, Rollanda O’Connor, Deb Glaser, Patricia Mathes, and Lucy Hart-Paulson will present free, on-line chats about discipline, reading, assessment in response-to-instruction models, matching interventions to students’ needs, professional development, early language and literacy, and more.
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