document resume ed 376 454 cs 011 899 title 1980-81, …document resume ed 376 454 cs 011 899 title...

DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 376 454 CS 011 899

TITLE Reading English Rotation Impact Study. Comparison ofThree Years of RER Adoptions' Results 1979-80,1980-81, 1981-82.

INSTITUTION McDuffie County School District, Thomson, GA.SPONS AGENCY Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (ED),

Washington, DC. Compensatory Education Programs.PUB DATE [83]

NOTE 36p.; A USOE Title I ESEA Developer/DemonstratorProject. Pamphlets, which are printed on coloredstock, may not copy well.

PUB TYPE Reports Descriptive (141) ReportsResearch/Technical (143)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Demonstration Programs; *High Risk Students;

Individualized Instruction; Language Arts; ProgramDescriptions; Program Effectiveness; *ReadingPrograms; Reading Research; *Remedial Reading;Secondary Education; Secondary School Students

IDENTIFIERS Elementary Secondary Education Act Title I

ABSTRACTThis compilation presents material related to the

Reading English Rotation program, an individualized, diagnostic,prescriptive language arts program designed to meet the needs ofsecondary school students who score lowest in reading achievement.The compilation begins with a comparison of three years of evaluationdata, noting that the average grade equivalent gains were consistentand impress...ve. The paper also includes a 4-page pamphlet describingthe project; a set.of 10 charts, lists, and tables describing aspectsof the program; a copy of "Federal Focus," a one-page interpretivereport for school administrators on federal education programs; apamphlet entitled "Do You Want to Hold His Attention?"; and apamphlet entitled "Title I, ESEA Basic Skills for Secondary Schools."(RS)

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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document.

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READING ENGLISH ROTATION

IMPACT STUDY

-Comparison of Three Years

of

RER Adoptions' Results

1979-80, 1980-81, 1981-82

U 3 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOffice of Educafional Research and improvement

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)

A TM& document has been reproduced asreceived from the perSOn Or (agoras' Itonoragrnalong rt

TT Minor changes have been made to improvereproduction quality

Points of now or opinions staled in this docuwent do not necesSafily represent officialOE RI DOSII.On or PofiCy

2

The RER program has compiled the evaluation data from itsadoptions each year and reported the average gains.

Over the last three years, 1979-80, 1980-81, and 1981-82,six states have sent their evaluation data which has been com-piled in the table on the following page.

This data reflects the impact of the RER program on sevendifferent grade levels (3-9).

The average grade equivalent gains were consistent and im-pressive. Seven of the thirteen grade levels reporting averageda 10 months gain (or better) per 8 months of instruction. Nineof the thirteen grade levels averaged 1 month or more readinggain per month of instruction.

The above gains far surpass the national average of 3 monthsreading growth per year of instruction for Chapter I students.

3

IMPACT STUDYfor

1979-80, 1980 -81, 1981-82

SCHOOL STATE GRADELEVEL

TOTAL NUMBERTESTED OVER

3 YEARS

AVERAGE GAINOVER 3 YEARS

Main Street Elementary MS 3 150 1.0

Main Street Elementary MS 4 158 .9

Braver Intermediate SC 5 174 .6

Brewer Intermediate SC 6 169 .7

North Middle Grades GA 6 339 .7

Rockmart Middle GA 6 149 .7

E. J. Hayes Middle NC 6 162 1.1

Rockmart Middle GA 7 152 .8

River-ton Intermediate MS 7 226 1.1

Sunset Junior High UT 7 337 1.2

Sunset Junior High UT 8 303 1.0

Thornton Township High IL 9 193 1.0

Nash Central Junior High NC 9 124 1.2

TOTAL NUMBER REPORTING 2,636

The above table includes data reported by six different states,nine different school districts, seven different grade levels (3-9)from 2,636 students over three consecutive years using the ReadingEnglish Rotation Program.

4

STATES INVOLVED

in

Three Years Comparison Study

of

Reading English Rotation Adoption Results

ALA

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COMPARING THE AVERAGE GROWTH OF STUDENTS IN THE RER PROJECT,

1979-80,-WITH THEIR AVERAGE YEARLY GROWTH PRIOR TO 1979-80.*

NUMBER OFSTUDENTS' SCORESREPORTED

KEY

591 676 510 405

RER GROWTH, 1979-80

°7-.WVERAGE GROWTH/YEAR PRIOR TO RER PROJECT

THESE FIGURES WERE COMPUTED ASSUMING NO REPEATING OF GRADES.

7

Comparison of average grade level prior to RERwith average grade level after RER instruction.

GradeLevel

7.0

6.0

5.0

4.0

3.0

Grades 1

Number ofStudentsTested

1980 - 1981

4 - 10 12

475 3,838 421

AverageGain .9 1.0 1.1

Key: ma Pre Grade Equivalent Score

um Post Grade Equivalent Score

5.0

4.0

3.0

2.0

1.0

GradeLevel

Average NCE gain for RER students, 1981-82.

Number ofstudents'scores re

Key;

7 8

815 497

1:021 Chapter I National AverageUNIF Average NCE gain

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The purpose of the nationally validatedTitle I ESEA Project "Reading English Ro-tation" is to Improve the academic perfor-mance of each student, assist each studentin becoming functionally literate, and tobuild a daily success pattern for each parti-cipant.

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IDENTIFICATION

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.,--Y-SUMMARYThis project has served more than 750seventh and eighth grade students duringthe past seven years. Project participantswere the lowest achieving reading stu-dents in the grade being served. Afterhaving completed six, seven and in somecases eight years of public school, stu-dents entered the Reading English Rota-tion Program reading at beginning thirdgrade level. For each month in the projectthe students averaged a gain of 1 month's

growth -* in reading achievement andslightly less :than month's growth in

:'Landircige Arts ..etChieVeMent, Mani 'gainedinOre than 2 month's.growth:per month of

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THE FEDERAL ROLEIN REMEDIAL EDUCATION

Title I was the first major Federalprogram to reach needy children in al-most every school district. Today, ithas become the cornerstone of Federalaid to education, serving almost 5 mil-lion children in 14,000 school districtsnationwide.

HOW SCHOOLS SPEND THEIRMONEY

Because there are not enough fundscurrently available to serve all eligibleschool-age children, school districtsmust set priorities.

Most Title I programs teach basicskills: 82 percent teach reading; and 34percent, math skills.

And most concentrate their effortson the early grades. Only 17 percent ofthe funds support programs for grades7 through 12 and, of that amount, sen-ior high school students receive only 2percent.

SERVING OLDER CHILDREN

A child who does not receive neededremedial help is likely to fall furtherand further behind. For those wholeave secondary schools without ade-quate basic skills, the risk of unemploy-ment is especially high.

Many school districts would like toexpand their services to secondary stu-dents to help prepare them to competesuccessfully when they enter the laborforce. They are looking for programsthat will meet both the requirements ofTitle I and the distinct needs and cir-cumstances of older children. Fortu-nately, schools nationwide have devisedseveral ways to achieve this.

PLANNING YOUR PROGRAM

After a school has identified the ser-vices that secondary students need toimprove their skills, it must decide howto provide those services. Below aresome of the options in use:

Sfudy Hall. Districts that set asidetime during the school day for studycan use these periods for Title I pro-grams without disrupting the regularinstruction schedule.

Elective. Title I services are availableto students during a period normallyreserved for an elective course.

In-Class. Working with the class-room teacher, Title I instructors giveextra help to program participants.

Excess Cost. A district may restruc-ture its entire instructional program forall Title I participants, to permit Title Iinstruction in selected subjects insteadof the regular courses. If the costs ex-ceed those for a regular course for thesame children, schools may use Title Ifunds to cover the extra costs. How-ever, the district must provide the samelevel of State or local funding that itwould provide in the absence of Title I.

Extended School Day. Schools giveTitle I services outside normal schoolhours.

Extended School Year. Schoolsdesign summer programs with Title Iservices for participants.

PROJECT EXAMPLES

Using one or more of these options,schools nationwide have developed avariety of programs to fit their particu-lar needs. Below are examples of sev-eral programs that are operating at thesecondary level.

The contact person listed after eachexample can provide additional infor-mation on how the model works, andwhere it may be observed at the second-ary level.

Rotation Model

In Thomson, Ga., Title I eligiblestudents work with a teaching teamcomposed of two locally funded profes-sionals, one Title I funded professional,and a maximum of four non-profession-als funded from any source. Normally,each locally funded teacher is responsi-ble for approximately 30 students dur-ing each 45-minute instructional period.In this plan, 60 Title I students are di-vided into subgroups of about 20 basedon individual diagnostic test data.

During a 90-minute time block, eachsubgroup rotates through three instruc-tional periods of 30 minutes each witha different teacher at each station. Dur-ing these periods, basic English, devel-opmental reading, and reading/languageskills are taught.

Contact:Marcelyn Hobbs, Program DirectorRotation ProjectNorris School, McDuffie CountySchools

Thomson, Ga. 30824Telephone: (404) 595-3527

Peer Tutoring

High Intensity Tutoring (HIT) is anindividualized instruction program forstudents whose reading and math skillsare below grade level. Tutors are peerswho are at least two grades ahead ofthe students being helped.

The plan calls for one teacher andtwo aides to monitor up to 10 pairs ofstudents in an area set aside for the pro-

gram. HIT teachers keep detailed rec-ords, and move each pupil at his or her

own pace through progressively diffi-cult material. The tutors conduct three30-minute sessions each week, missinga different class in their own schoolschedule each time; however, they com-plete the homework in the classes theymiss.

Tutors use highly structured drill andworkbook materials that require littleor no explanation and can be quicklyand accurately corrected. The basictechniques are programed instructionand reinforcement. Both tutors andpupils earn rewards and l nth improveschool performance.

Contact:Greg ByndbrianDissemination SpecialistHITHighland Park School District20 BartlettHighland Park, Mich. 48023Telephone: (313) 956-0160

Extended School Day

Under this plan, parents, teachers,and administrators cooperate to pro-vide Title I basic skills instruction. Bytaking classes after school, studentsavoid losing regular instruction timeduring the day. The teachers who pro-vide individualized instruction to par-ticipants in the after-school programmust be committed and sensitive. Byrequiring homework and involvingparents, the program develops stronghome-school ties that reinforce instruc-tion. The school provides transporta-tion to ensure that participating stu-dents reach home safely.

Contact:Mr. Tee S. GreerAssistant SuperintendentDivision of Federal and State

Relations1410 North East 2d AvenueMiami, Fla. 33132Telephone: (305) 350-3122

Coordinated Instruction

Project Seaport is a nedia! pro-gram that features cic .00perationbetween Title I specialzsis and class-room teachers. Specialists give Title Istudents individualized instruction ina laboratory setting, two or three dayseach week, one period a day. The stu-dents may elect to use their free peri-ods for additional laboratory instruc-tion. The specialists focus instructionon content areas as they are presentedby classroom teachers. Specialists andclassroom teachers meet each week toplan and coordinate instruction.

1

Contact:Mary C. Macioci, Project DirectorProject SeaportNewport School DepartmentAdministration Center

Grant Programs OfficeNewport, Rhode Island 02840Telephone: (401) 849-4588

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19

TITLE 1 ESEA

NATURE OF THE PROGRAM

READING/ENGLISHROTATIONPROJECT

Norris Middle SchoolMcDuffie County School SystemThomson, Georgia 30824

Types An individualized, diagnostic,perscriptive language arts pro-gram designed to meet stu-dents' identified needs

Audiences Students in grodes 6 - 12Purposes To improve the academic per-

formance of each participantTo assure that each participantbecomes functionally literateTo build a daily success patternfor each participantTo develop a love for reading

Rationales Focuses on reading as the key toall other learningUtilizes a child's speaking voca-bulary as a basis for effectivereading instructionProvides a management supportsystem that enables the teacherto cope with the short attentionspan of low achieving disadvant-aged studentsEnables an administrator to low-er pupil-teacher ratio; therebymaximizing the interaction be-tween the teacher and the learn-er

HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK?

Organization:What are the specific program objectives? The pro-

ject has specified the following performance object-ives:

1. Ninety-five percent of students participating inthe program will make ten months' progress in read-ing as measured by the SRA Achievement Test; and,

2. Ninety-nine percent of students will read, andshare with an adult, at least 36 library books thathave been selected on the basis of the student's iden-tified interests and independent reading level.

How is the program organized? The project opera-tes in four phases: identification of student strengthsand,weaknesses; grouping students exhibiting similarneeds and interests; instruction based on establishedneeds; and evaluation of program bffectiveness asevidenced by student achievement. Taking into ac-count the characteristics of the participants and theiridentified needs, an innovative organizational patternwas designed.

Rotation groups are formed consisting of 60 stu-dents divided into three groups of 20. Each group of20 moves to three different classrooms during a two-period time block of one hour and 30 minutes. Eachclassroom is equipped to serve a different function.

This rotation grouping, as well as sub-grouping ineach classroom, permits flexibility of student move-ment as reading levels improve and specific readingskills are mastered. An added athiantage is that re-gularly scheduled classes in social studies, mathe-matics and science are not interrupted.

How are the classrooms organized? One of theclassrooms is equipped as a reading laboratory wherethe supervising reading teacher and two teacheraides work individually or with small groups of child-

ren on basic reading skills. In an adjacent classroom,a developmental reading teacher and one aide workwith small groups of students using a language exper-ience approach to teach trade books and paperbackbooks chosen on the children's interest level. In thethird adjacent classroom, an English teacher and anaide again reinforce the reading skills and teach thebasic English skills using the sentence patterns deve-loped in the reading classroom. During the two-periodblock of time (90 minutes), each group of 20 partici-pants remains in each of the three classrooms forapproximately 30 minutes.

Materials and Activities:How are student needs determined? In order to

identify potential candidates for the program, the SRAAchievement Test is administered in September toall students in grades 6 through 12. All students scor-ing two or more grades below grade level are individ-ually tested with several diagnostic test including theBasic Sight Word Test. At the time of administrationthe teat' er records reading level and specific readingdifficulties encountered by the student, such as failureto identify beginning and ending consonant sounds,initial blends, and vowel sounds. In addition to thesetests, some students are given an Informal ReadingInventory. On the basis of these tests, and beginningin ascending order from the lowest score, the programparticipants are chosen.

After the project group is selected, the supervisingreading teacher diagnoses the individual needs andprogress of participants through the repeated use ofbasic word tests and informal reading inventories.Among the inventories used is the University of Geor-gia Test of Phonic Skills, as well as numerous teacher-made test exercises designed specifically to deter-mine the extent of reading skill mastery. In develop-ing these test exercises, teachers use the child'sspeaking vocabulary, since students read at a higherlevel when words are chosen from their daily livingexperiences. A few other informal inventories, de-signed to identify the child's special interests and toassess changes in his self-image, have also been de-veloped by project teachers and administered to stu-dents.

A record of diagnostic results and the completion ofspecific activities and materials is maintained in anindividual folder for each student. All of this informa-tion serves as the basis for formulating performanceobjectives, for grouping, for instruction, and for theselection of specialized materials which are tailoredto participants' needs, interests, and instructionallevel.

What materials are provided? A wide variety of mu-lti-level instructional materials are utilized, in keepingwith the program's emphasis on individualized pro-gramming. Teachers carefully plan for the use of themost appropriate materials for specific learning acti-vities. One strategy is the use of teacher-made exer-cises which are tailored to the student's interestsand experiences. A well-equipped listening center is

located in the reading laboratory where studentsmay listen to taped programs or make their own re-cordings. Students are also exposed to trade books,paperbacks, magazines and various library titles, inaccordance with their identified interests and inde-pendent reading levels.

How are the materials used? All instruction focuseson reading and on the concomitant communicationskills of listening, speaking, writing, spelling andEnglish. Specific needs are diagnosed individually,and every effort is made to help each participantdevelop basic skills sequentially. Emphasis is alsoplaced upon motivating a serse of enjoyment in thereading experience.

Each of the three rotation classrooms utilizes differ-ent activities and materials. For example, in the read-ing laboratory, students listen to tapes which aresequentially programmed, complete oral and writtenactivities, and are encouraged to read independently.In the developmental reading classroom, the studentsrelate their own experiences which are utilized forskill building. Also, stories are read aloud by theteacher or aide as a means of increasing vocabulary,developing listening skills, and encouraging a love ofreading. In the third classroom (Basic English), teach-er-prepared exercises, language workbooks, andgames are used to reinforce basic skills which havebeen taught.

How is student progress assessed? Evaluation is anintegral part of each day's instruction. The supervisingreading teacher continuously assesses the extent towhich specific skills are mastered, and teachingactivities are planned accordingly, with all teachersparticipating.

Achievement gains attained as a result of projectparticipation are determined through pre/posttestresults on the SRA Achievement Test as well as thespecific skills mastered on the various diagnostictests.

WHAT ARETHE IMPLEMENTATION REQUIREMENTS?

Training:Is inservice training needed or suggested? Staff

development is a vital part of daily two-hour staffplanning periods. Project staff also participate inweekly inservice sessions conducted by a readingspecialist. Teaching aides also receive special train-i ng.

What provisions are available for staff training?Awareness materials are available and visitors arewelcome at the project site. The project staff doesprovide on site training for adopting districts as wellas workshops conducted at adopting sites. Dates andtimes to be scheduled.

Materials and Equipment:What special materials must be purchased? A var-

iety of multi-media, high-interest, low-level materialsis recommended. The materials should alloW !or in-dividual as well as small group instruction. Choiceshould be based on student need and interest. Most

materials are airer:Ady found in the schools. It becomesa matter of organization and management.

Are special facilities or equipment needed or sug-gested? Since one of the rotation modules utilized bythe program is a reading laboratory, it is suggestedthat such a facility be provided by any district seekingto adopt the program. The laboratory should be equip-ped with standard hardware and software to facilitateaudiovisual skill-building for program participants.The program uses a minimum amount of hardwareand focuses primarily on the personal interaction withconcerned. interested and supportive adults.

Cost:

What is the :ost of installing the program? Firstyear costs are estimated at $360.42 per student dueto the need for the special instructional materialsfor individualized teaching. This amount includes theextra personnel 1 lead teacher and 4 paraprofess-ionals.

What are the annual maintenance costs? The pro-ject estimates that it will cost an adopting schooldistrict approximately $4 to $5 per student per year tooperate the program excludi.ig personnel.

WHAT HAS THE PROGRAM ACHIEVED?

How was the program developed? The programwas developed with Titie I funds in response to a cri-tical need to raise the reading level of economicallydisadvantaged students at the junior high schoollevel in the McDuffie County School System. Over aperiod of seven years, more than 750 students wereserved. The project has been nationally validatedand approved for dissemination by the Joint Dis-semination Review Panel of the U.S. Office of Educa-tion.

What evidence documents the effectiveness of theprogram? The basic evaluation for this project was theanalysis of data yielded by the pre and post adminis-tration of the Gates-MacGinitie or SRA AchievementTest. While no true experimental design was utilized,an attempt was mode to compare the results with cer-tain historical data.

Prior to participating in the program, targeted sixthgrade students were reading at a 3.3 grade equiva-lent level. That is, for every year in school, these child-ren were making a half-year gain in reading. How-ever, during the project years this rate of growthchanged dramatically. Specifically, the average rateof progress was three times the previous rate.

Table 1 presents the percentage of students duringeach project year who made gains greater than 10months (average rate of growth for "normal" popu-lation).

TABLE 1

Percentage of students making gains greater than 10months

Project Year % Students with Gains

Greater than 10 Months1972 70%1973 86%1974 90%

SUMMARY

This project has served more than 750 seventh andeighth grade students during the past seven years.Project participants were the lowest achieving read-ing students in the grade being served. After havingcompleted six, seven and in some cases eight years ofpublic school, students entered the Reading EnglishRotation Program reading at beginning third gradelevel. For each month in the project the students aver-aged a gain of 1 month's growth in reading achieve-ment and slightly less than 1 month's growth in Langu-age Arts achievement. Many gained more than 2month's growth per month of instruction. By the endof each new project year, students were reading in-dependently using books selected at their readingand interest level and also sharing these books withadults. Additionally, students who had reluctantlyparticipated at the beginning of the year longed tobe allowed to remain in the project all day. Attitudesand general self-image greatly improved as academicprogress accelerated.

USEFUL INFORMATION

Where can the program be obtained?

Marcelyn Hobbs, Project DirectorReading/English Rotation Project

Norris Middle SchoolMcDuffie County SchoolsThomson, Georgia 30824(404) 595-3527

REFERENCES

Project Brochures and Reports

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SHORTpOTENTIoN

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A USOE TITLE I ESEADeveloper/Demonstrator/Project

IINSTRUCTLON

IDENTIFICATION

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Develop-

mental

Reeding

EVALUATION

A Nationally Validated Protect

United States Office of Education

Reading English Rotation ProjectA Language Arts Program

developed by

McDUFFIE COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEMNorris Middle School P.O. Box.1387

Thomson, Georgia 30824

(404) 59511277337

READING ENGLISH ROTATION PROJECTNORRIS MIDDLE SCHOOL

THOMSON, GEORGIA

DEVELOPER DEMONSTRATOR

I. HISTORY OF THE PROJECT

II. CHARACTERISTICS OF PROJECT STUDENTS

III: 13ASIC ASSUMPTIONS OF THE PROJECT

IV. PROJECT MODEL

V. ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERN

VI. PROJECT CLASSROOMS

VII. PROJECT EVALUATION

VIII. PROJECT COST

IX. PROJECT VISITATION

X. PROJECT TRAINING

HISTORY OF READING ENGLISH ROTATION PROJECTNORRIS MIDDLE SCHOOL

THOMSON, GEORGIA

1. BEGAN IN 1970 -

1971 -

1972

1973 -76

1977 -82

2. USOE JDRP APRIL'

60 STUDENTS --

120 STUDENTS -

120 STUDENTS

120 STUDENTS

240 STUDENTS

1973

1 TEACHER - 1 AIDE

3 TEACHERS - 3 AIDES

- 3 TEACHERS - 4 AIDES



3. ED FAIR 1973 - REPRESENTED SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

4. MAY, 1977 -

5. 1977-1982

HONORED BY USOE AS 1 OF 50 NATIONALLY VALIDATEDTITLE I PROGRAMS IN NATION

- AWARDED CONTRACT BY USOE AS 1 OF THE4 TITLE I PROJECTS DESIGNATED AS DEVELOPERDEMONSTRATOR

,, 1ti

CHARACTERISTICSOF EDUCATIONALLY DEPRIVED

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

I. HAVE A SHORT ATTENTION SPAN.

2. ARE EASILY DISTRACTED.

3. ARE READING TWO OR MORE YEARS BELOWGRADE LEVEL.

4. HAVE A POOR SELF-CONCEPT1

5 COME FROM ECONOMICALLY DEPRIVED AND/OR.CULTURALLY DIFFERENT HOME WHICH OFFERSLITTLE, IF ANY, INTELLECTUAL STIMULATIONOR MOTIVATION TO READ PRINTED MATERIALS.

6. NEED A WIDE VARIETY OF INDIVIDUALIZEDLEARNING MATERIALS WHICH DO NOT REMINDHIM OF TRADITIONAL

READING TEXTBOOKSWITH WHICH HE HAS FAILED.

BASIC ASSUMPTIONS

OF THE

READING ENGLISH ROTATION PROJECT

1. LOW ACHIEVERS HAVE A SHORT ATTENTION SPAN.

2. READING IS ONLY ONE FACET OF THE COMMUNICATIONPROCESS; THERE IS AN INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEENTHE ABILITIES TO READ, LISTEN, SPEAK, AND WRITE.

3. READING ACHIEVEMENT CAN BE INCREASED BY INTE-GRATING THE TOTAL COMMUNICATIONS PROCESS.

4. Low ACHIEVERS NEED A WIDE VARIETY OF MULTP-LEVELLED, HIGH INTEREST, RELEVANT READINGMATERIALS WHICH DO NOT REMIND THEM OF TRADP-TIONAL BOOKS IN WHICH THEY HAVE ALREADY FAILED.

5. Low ACHIEVERS TEND TO HAVE LOW SELF-CONCEPTS;HIGH SELF-CONCEPTS CORRELATE POSITIVELY WITHHIGH ACHIEVEMENT.

6. "LITTLE" SUCCESSES BREED BIGGER SUCCESSES.

7. A LOWER-PUPIL RATIO MAXIMIZES THE INTERACTIONBETWEEN THE TEACHER AND THE LEARNER.

8. MAXIMIZING ONE FACET OF THE LANGUAGE ARTSTHROUGH THE REINFORCEMENT AND REPETITION INOTHER LANGUAGE ARTS AREAS MAXIMIZES LEARNING.

28

IDENTIFICATION

O

GROUPING

Basic

Iiipp op

ew es vs ow ow a.

INSTRUCTION

EVALUATIONaMa

2,

ORGANIZATION PATTERN

THREE CLASSROOMS

TITLE I


1 REGULAR CLASSROOM

1 ENGLISH TEACHER

1 PARA-PROFESSIONAL

20 TITLE I STUDENTS

(SUB- GROUPED)

30 MINUTES

1 REGULAR CLASSROOM. 1 READING TEACHER

1 PARA-PROFESSIONAL

20 TITLE I STUDENTS

(SUB-GROUPED)

30 MINUTES

30

1 REGULAR CLASSROOM1 READING SPECIALIST2 PARA-PROFESSIONALS

20 TITLE I STUDENTS

(SUB-GROUPED)

30 MINUTES

ADAPTION MODEL

ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERN

TWO CLASSROOMS

TITLE I


1 REGULAR CLASSROOM

1 ENGLISH TEACHER

22 TITLE I STUDENTS

SUB-GROUPED

(ROTATE IN CLASS)

50 MINUTES

1 REGULAR CLASSROOM

1 READING TEACHER

1 PARA-PROFESSIONAL

22 TITLE I STUDENTS

SUB-GROUPED

(ROTATE IN CLASS)

50 MINUTES

3 .1

ADAPTATION MODEL


THREE CLASSROOMS

TITLE I


1 REGULAR CLASSROOM

1 ENGLISH TEACHER

1 PARA-PROFESSIONAL

20 TITLE I STUDENTS

(SUB--GROUPED)

30 MINUTES

1 REGULAR CLASSROOM

1 SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER

1 PARA-PROFESSIONAL

20 TITLE I STUDENTS

(SUB-GROUPED)

30 MINUTES

1 REGULAR CLASSROOM

1 READING SPECIALIST

2 PARA-PROFESSIONALS

20 TITLE I STUDENTS

(SUB-GROUPED)

30 MINUTES

ADAPTATION MODEL


THREE CLASSROOMS

TITLE I


1 REGULAR CLASSROOM

1 MATH TEACHER

1 PARA-PROFESSIONAL

20 TITLE. I STUDENTS

(SUB-GROUPED)

30 MINUTES

1 REGULAR CLASSROOM

1 SCIENCE TEACHER

1 PARA-PROFESSIONAL

20 TITLE 1 STUDENTS

(SUB GROUPED)

30 MINUTES

4,

1 REGULAR CLASSROOM

1 READING SPECIALIST

2 PARA-PROFESSIONALS

20 TITLE I STUDENTS

(SUB GROUPED)

30 MINUTES


ADOPTING DISTRICT COMMITMENT

LEA REQUIREMENTS

1. ADOPT THE PROJECT KERNEL

IDENTIFICATION

INSTRUCTION

V

EVALUATION

2. FURNISH FOLLOW-UP DATA

PRE AND POST TEST SCORES FROM ACHIEVEMENTTESTS

3. ATTEND TRAINING SESSION

3 DAYS A MINIMUM OF 1 TEACHER AND 1 ADMINISTRATOR

PERSONNEL REQUIRED PER ROTATION

2 TEACHERS STATE PAID

60 1 TEACHER - FEDERAL FUNDS

STUDENTS 4 PARA-PROFESSIONALS - FEDERAL FUNDS3 CLASSROOMS - 2 PERIODS


TRAINING WILL CONSIST OF:

1. CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDENTS

2. CURRICULUM RATIONALE

3, CREATING A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

4.' CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

5, DIAGNOSTIC TESTING GROUPING

6. SKILLS PROGRESSION BOOKLET AND SCOPE

AND SEQUENCE CHARTS

7. TEACHING TECHNIQUES, METHODS, AND

MATERIALS

8. PROJECT STAFFING

9. PLANNING FOR INSTRUCTION

10. ADMINISTRATIVE SESSION

Lie..1111111-

An interpretative report for school administrators on federal educational programs

Volume 6, Number 3 AASA Convention Issue March 1981

Johnny Can Read .

FinallyOne of the most neglected areas of compensatory

education is the problem of the low achieving secondaryschool student. On the theory that early interventionproduces the biggest payoffs, federal compensatoryprograms have encouraged school districts to concentratetheir efforts on the youngest students. Good secondaryprojects are hard to find.

An exception worth noting is the Reading EnglishRotation Project (RER), developed in 1970 under ESEATitle I in the McDuffie County School System at NorrisMiddle School, Thomson, Georgia. Its target is the lowestachieving readers in middle schools and junior and seniorhigh schools. They learn to read, and they like it.

"The problem was how to remcdiate masses of studentsreading two or more levels below grade at the secondarylevel," explained project director Marcelyn Hobbs at anAASA convention session. The solution was to capitalize onone of their outstanding characteristicsa short attentionspanby giving them brief pe:iods of intensive instruction.

"The second component is a management system thatdoes not use pull-out," said Hobbs. The basic model usesthree teachers (two regular, one Title) in three classrooms,with four paraprofessionals. It appears to overcome thebiggest difficulty with secondary Title I projects byproviding for the "excess costs" requirement. "Themanagement system is what first won national recognitionfor the project," and Hobbs. Since it was validated and in-cluded in the National Diffusion Network (NDN) in 1977,RER has had more than 200 adoptions in 33 states.

The project is based on the assumptions that low achievershave a short attention span, are easily distracted, have apoor self-concept, receive little intellectual stimulation ormotivation to read at home, and need a variety of learningmaterials that do not remind them of the traditional text-books with which they have failed. RER integrates the basiccommunication skills of reading, writing, listening, andspeaking. The rationale is that reading achievement can beincreased through reinforcement and repetition in the otherlanguage arts. The project uses a low pupil/teacher ratioand seeks "little successes" that breed bigger successes.

07,

A Secondary Reading Program

RER starts with group achievement tests to identify the60 lowest achievers, who art then given individualdiagnostic tests to assess each student's specific readingweaknesses. They are divided into three groups of 20 thatrotate through three classrooms during three 30-minuteperiods, comprising the first two periods of the school day.

In each classroom, they arc divided into even smallergroups. One classroom is a reading laboratory emphasizingsequential skills development. The second uses a languageexperience approach for developmental reading. The thirdis geared to instruction in basic skills using the child'sspeaking vocabulary. After two intensive periods, thechildren are mainstreamed for the rest of the day.

Students are assessed at entry, midterm, and exit. Theyare also evaluated daily by the three teachers who, Hobbssaid, share a common planning period and adjust their in-struction to meet the students' needs on a daily basis.

In her own project, said Hobbs, "these students con-sistently show one month's reading growth for each monthof instruction. Remember that prior to entering RER, theyshowed two months' reading growth per year." And, assometimes happens, the adoptions are showing even greatergains than the parent model. By the end of a year, studen-ts are reading independently. Some who start reluctantlybeg to be allowed to stay in the project all day.

Hobbs said the project has been adopted using fundsfrom Title I, Emergency School Aid, the Migrant program,and CETA for the paraprofessionals. It has served all ethnicgroups and children from many different backgrounds ofpoverty. After the major personnel costs, she said, startingup costs about $250 per child for materials and equipmentand about $15 a year per child thereafter.

From the audience, the superintendent of a Mississippischool district that has adopted RER said, "It's just a wellorganized program that gets across what children need."

For further information, contactMarcelyn Hobbs, Director of Reading English RotationNorris Middle SchoolP. 0. Box 1087, Thomson, Georgia 30824: (404) 595 -

3527. or ask your state NDN facilitator.

document resume ed 376 454 cs 011 899 title 1980-81, …document resume ed 376 454 cs 011 899 title...

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