May 2007 — Features
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Reading First :: Reading First...Technology Second?
Berger says the truly rewarding anecdotes are at the instructional level. Teachers' usual responses to assessments had been along the lines of: Yes, I know my kids are struggling. "Now," says Berger, "this shows them exactly where their students are and what they need to get where they're going."
THE NEWS, IN OTHER WORDS
Below is an example of an Associated Press article after it was rewritten for use by Achieve3000, which is contracted to rewrite AP stories at several different reading levels.
A Cloud That Won't Go Away
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (Jan. 31, 2007)
In Utah, many people cannot go outside because the air is too dirty. How did the air get dirty? Cars and factories gave off gases. The gases went into the air.
The air is not safe to breathe. It makes people cough. Many people are staying indoors. Kids stay in at recess. The air was not as dirty last winter. Why not? Last winter, the days were windy. The wind blew the dirty air away. This winter, the air has been still.
People are hoping for a big wind. They hope it will blow the dirty air away.
Dictionary
- Breathe (verb): to take in air and then let it out
- Cough (verb): to quickly push air out of the mouth
- Factory (noun): a place where things are made
Berger plans on developing a set of tools that would use data to drive a process of early screening and intervention for reading disability. The tools would provide district leaders with reports about at-risk students. In fact, Berger is stepping up emphasis on superintendents- giving them data and providing ways for them to use the data systematically.
Personalized Instruction
Where there is assessment, personalized instruction is sure to follow. Achieve3000's supplemental reading programs are used in both Reading First and mainstream classrooms. According to the company's vice president of curriculum and product design, Rivki Locker, "It's one set of materials to meet the needs of every learner in your classroom." Here's how one of the programs, KidBiz, works in grades 2 to 5:
- Reading comprehension is assessed using a tool that assigns each student a Lexile level, which makes it easier to match text difficulty with reader ability.
- Students receive daily level-appropriate, standards-aligned nonfiction reading and writing assignments via e-mail.
- Student comprehension levels are regularly monitored and are assessed again at the middle and end of the year.
- Teachers and administrators receive ongoing management reports and diagnostic data on each student.
How's this for an idea? Achieve3000 has a contract with the Associated Press. "We are the only company that's allowed to rewrite AP stories," Locker says. The company rewrites the stories at 11 different reading levels. Students receive one new article every day, plus they have access to seven years of archives. The articles are about two weeks old, but Achieve3000 can make allowances for really pressing news. (See "The News, in Other Words," side bar.)
