Teachers keen about new reading program

If excitement is contagious, all of McCook's fourth through eighth graders will be reading better at this time next year.

At the McCook Public Schools board of education meeting Monday evening, two social studies teachers, one English teacher, one reading teacher and one science teacher -- all very enthusiastic -- described the "Direct Instruction" literacy program they want to implement for students at Central Elementary and McCook Junior High.

While McCook's aim is to improve the reading skills of the 57 percent of students who do not read at a normal success rate, the DI program is geared to make better readers of all students.

"We are so excited about the possibilities," said junior high science teacher Krystal Weber, " ... to increase reading skills and help all students at Central and the junior high."

Social studies teacher Lynda Baumbach said the DI program will "help all students reach their maximum ability. It challenges all students to progress."

McCook's program would be patterned after a successful "DI" reading program at Gering, said English teacher Cindy Wilcox. "DI is very structured, very scripted, like Reading First," she said. The success of Reading First in the lower elementary grades is what has prompted teachers and board members to look for a way to continue a literacy program through at least eighth grade.

DI is one of the nation's top literacy programs, Baumbach said, with 34 years of "phenomenal research" behind it. McCook teachers looked into several options, and were most impressed with Direct Instruction, she said.

DI has helped to decrease absenteeism, tardiness and behavior problems at participating schools, Baumbach said. Wilcox said that schools using DI have had marked decreases in special education numbers.

Every teacher, regardless of his/her subject area, will be teaching reading, Wilcox said. Weber said Gering has witnessed improvements in grades within all subjects as reading skills and comprehension improve.

Social studies teacher Gene Weedin said that DI is a good fit with and a continuation of Reading First. McCook will witness improved reading and comprehension even within other subjects, he said.

Baumbach said that eighth graders study reading within language arts, and DI will now give them a concentrated reading course. "Students will get to senior high and to college with improved comprehension and reading for information," she said.

Students reach target goals to progress through the reading program and are tested throughout, junior high reading teacher Tara Fries said, making them accountable for their own progress.

"Students instantly see success," Wilcox said. "They're very excited about it." She continued, saying that DI is "not that horrid word, 'tracking,'" in which students are placed at a level and kept there.

"DI is learning, and growth, and progress," she said. "It's not 'tracking'."

Elementary Principal Kathy Latta said it is unrealistic to believe that 100 percent of all students will read at grade level. However, Baumbach said, DI helps all students to reach their maximum ability, challenging even high-ability learners with upper level reading and reading and analysis.

Fries said that all 500 fourth-eighth grade students will be tested this spring for placement in the program next fall. Special Services coordinator Carol Huff said placement will be determined by a student's DI pre-test scores, as well as achievement test scores and state assessment scores.

Huff told board members that 57 percent of McCook's students fall below the 71st percentile success rate of reading, which is the nationally-accepted normed reference determined by the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. "It's difficult to teach students in any class if they have difficulty reading," Baumbach said.

Board member Ron Soden said Gering's reading levels have improved from 400 of 500 students reading below grade level to 250 out of 500 students reading below grade level.

Wilcox said the schedule at the junior high would be adjusted to include a 50-minute reading block first thing in the morning, from 8:10 a.m. until 9:02 a.m. The schedule at Central will not change significantly as students are in self-contained classrooms and do not move from room to room for changes in subjects.

Starting times at the junior high will be coordinated with the starting times of other buildings, Junior High Principal Dennis Berry said.

Berry said he and other administrators are very supportive of the literacy program. It would add three additional days of training for fourth-eighth grade teachers, he said. "It's a great program that helps all students learn. We're waiting for board approval," he said.

The only negative to the project is, he said, "It costs money. But ignorance is expensive, too."

Implementation of the program at McCook will cost $96,800 for start-up- costs, materials, a reading coach, a reading consultant, on-site visits and staff training. The program will require no new staff hiring, Baumbach said, and Wilcox added that the board can utilize funds allocated this year for new language arts books for the DI program. Board member Jim Coady said there is money available to start the program without coming up with new funds.

The board authorized Superintendent Dr. Don Marchant to implement the DI program at Central and at the junior high. Board member Tom Bredvick asked for reading benchmarks before starting DI and fellow board member Mike Gonzales asked for a progress report a year from now.