One of the problems educators noticed among middle and high school students was the inability of some to comprehend the materials they were studying – not because of the subject matter, but because they didn’t fully understand what the words they were reading actually meant.But since the implementation of the Alabama Reading Initiative, educators have seen some improvement in the reading abilities of school children.
"I think it’s very powerful, and we’re really excited to be a part of it and to see the improvement in the kids and what they are learning," said Lewis Brooks, elementary programs coordinator for the Talladega County School System.
Frank Buck, principal of Graham Elementary in the Talladega City School System, agreed.
"You find readers who are much more fluent," he said. "They don’t just call the words. They read with pleasure. They read with emotion. They comprehend what they are reading much better."
Graham Elementary began participating in the program in 2000. The following year, the rest of the system’s elementary schools joined the ARI.
All grade levels may participate in the reading initiative, but it is mainly geared toward the elementary grades, where educators can catch any problems early.
To be eligible for participation in the program, Buck said that 80 percent of teachers must commit to an intensive two-week training course before the school year begins.
Fortunately, many schools have had that support.
Though the ARI was introduced to different schools at different times, the results are uniform. They are good.
The County School System first introduced the initiative in Lincoln Elementary in 1999. Since then, all the elementary schools have begun participating, as have several of the middle and high schools.
According to Janet Cumbee, director of instruction and assessment, one of the reasons for the success of the ARI is that teachers and administrators are able to examine a variety of data about a child’s reading ability.
One of the major sources of that information is the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literary Skills (DIBELS) test. The test is given three times a year so that educators may assess how a student is performing throughout the year.
They can measure such areas as fluency, comprehension, phonics and initial sound fluency.
Educators are then able to work with the reading coaches provided to the schools to develop a strategy for dealing with a particular child or group of children.
"The results let us know who is likely to fall behind, and we can provide intense one-on-one instruction before students have a problem," Buck said.
For students who don’t do well, their progress is monitored on a regular basis. And the reading coaches work with teachers and principals to develop a strategy that will best suit the needs of a particular student.
"Reading is a skill like basketball," Buck said. "You have to practice."
He said that students reading below their grade level are given assignments that challenge, but not frustrate, the reader.
The data collected from the DIBELS test allow educators not only to see how a particular student is doing, but to also see how a class, a grade or a whole school is doing in reading performance. The latter scores are then reported to the state department of education.
The Sylacauaga School System is the newest participant in the ARI. Its program just began this school year, but Superintendent Jane Cobia said she and administrators are "cautiously optimistic."
She said she was impressed by the differentiated instruction, which allows children of different abilities to learn at different levels.
"I’m especially pleased with the way the teachers are responding," Cobia said. "I’m pleased with the interest in trying to help these kids."
Most educators expressed no problems with the ARI.
Buck said the only reservation a school might have is the time commitment necessary for the training.
But after that, he said, the results will likely prove worth it.
Cumbee agreed.
"I think we’ve been really pleased," she said. "We hope to see it extended, not only to all our schools, but across the state."
Buck said the initiative was something educators could definitely be proud of. He credited much of the success to State Superintendent Joe Morton and to Gov. Bob Riley, who have been extremely supportive of the program.
"The reading initiative is one thing where other states are looking at Alabama and patterning their programs after us," Buck said.
