The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Reading Recovery Initiative began the 2008-2009 school year and continues through the 2010-2011 school year.  This three-year Initiative promotes early intervention for students who are struggling with literacy. Research shows that children who fall behind in Grade 1 tend to remain below grade level in later school years (Snow, Burns, Griffin ). Early literacy intervention is critical for reducing the achievement gap and sustaining student success throughout students’ academic careers.  

Four studies of Reading Recovery® met the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evidence standards, these studies included about 700 first-grade students attending elementary schools in diverse settings across the United States . All studies focused on low-achieving students who received the Reading Recovery® intervention in first grade. Generally, outcomes at the end of first grade were used by the WWC to calculate a rating of effectiveness.

Purpose

The intent of the Reading Recovery Initiative is to intervene when students begin to struggle with literacy.  The priority of the Initiative is to support school districts that have the highest need and the greatest commitment to a successful implementation of the program.    

Eligibility

All Pennsylvania LEAs are eligible to apply; however, priority is given to LEAs that are struggling to make AYP.  

The goal of the Reading Recovery Initiative is to reduce the need for continued interventions by dramatically reducing the number of first-grade students who have extreme difficulty learning to read and write in an effective and efficient manner.

Reading Recovery is a highly effective short-term intervention of one-to-one tutoring for low-achieving first graders. The intervention is most effective when it is available to all students who need it and is used as a supplement to good classroom teaching.

Reading Recovery serves the lowest-achieving first graders —the students who are not catching on to the complex set of concepts that make reading and writing possible.
 
Individual students receive a half-hour lesson each school day for 12 to 20 weeks with a specially trained Reading Recovery teacher. As soon as students can meet grade-level expectations and demonstrate that they can continue to work independently in the classroom, their lessons are discontinued, and other identified students begin individual instruction.

Requirements

Ensure the commitment of the district’s superintendent, school board and site administration to adopt and implement the Reading Recovery program. 

Recruit candidate(s) for Reading Recovery teacher training.  This position requires 6 post graduate credits from Shippensburg University and a 2 1/5 hour block of time to instruct children.

Funding Overview

Reading Recovery Teacher Training

The Initiative will support the training of approved Reading Recovery teachers, including tuition support of 6 post-graduate credits, children’s books, professional books and teaching materials.

For more information contact:

Janet Bufalino, Ed.D.

Reading Recovery Trainer & Associate Professor

Shippensburg University

717.477.1166

jmbufa@ship.edu

or

Jo Beth McKee

Language Education Advisor

Pennsylvania Department of Education

717.525.5981

jobmckee@pa.gov