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If you are not the right person to be receiving these Updates, please forward and send address corrections to sfonseca@cns.gov

A MESSAGE FROM DIRECTOR CAROL H. RASCO

In this issue, I am pleased to announce upcoming America Reads training conferences, as well as the release of the National Research Council's report "Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children." We also included a special section on evaluation of America Reads programs with a guest article by Lois Bader. Finally, many thanks to all those who submitted responses for the On-Line Directories. By the end of April, we hope to have the America Reads on-line directories up and running on our Web site: www.ed.gov/inits/americareads

TRAINING

The U.S. Department of Education and the Corporation for National Service are working together to provide training to support the America Reads Challenge. Please see the enclosed flyer about the Corporation for National Service regional trainings. The Department of Education also will be conducting America Reads training conferences, as discussed below.

In the FY 1998 budget, Congress appropriated $5 million to be used for the training of tutors through the America Reads Challenge Federal Work-Study (FWS) program and other pilot sites. The Department plans to use this $5 million to contract with the Regional Education Laboratories to subcontract with approximately 60 America Reads partnerships to provide direct training for FWS and volunteer tutors (partnerships shall include FWS colleges and universities, as well as schools and school districts, America Reads/Read*Write* Now! pilot sites, community literacy organizations, and Corporation for National Service programs); conduct 16 regional tutor training conferences for trainers and coordinators of America Reads programs; and provide technical assistance and research for these activities.

The regional training conferences will be held between July 1 and Sept. 30, 1998 in the following locations (exact dates to follow): Sturbridge, Massachusetts; New York, New York; Washington, D.C.; Nashville, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Detroit, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; Minneapolis, Minnesota; San Antonio, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Los Angeles, California; San Francisco, California; Phoenix, Arizona; and Seattle, Washington. There will be no charge to attend the conferences, but participants will be responsible for paying their own travel and lodging expenses.

More details on these training conferences and subcontracts will be provided in upcoming America Reads Updates.

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL'S REPORT

On March 18, 1998, the National Research Council released a two-year study on the "Prevention of Reading Difficulties in Young Children." It includes a review of reading research, assessments of various strategies for prevention and intervention, and recommendations based on these findings. The executive summary can be found at the following Web address: www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/ReadDiff/index.html

The following press statement about the study was issued by Secretary Riley on March 18:

"The Council's findings send the nation's parents and educators a clear signal that we need to move beyond the contentious reading debate in some communities and focus on how children learn to read. I hope this report will help end the reading wars and focus America's schools on what works in teaching reading.

This report is not just another in a series of studies on reading. We as adults must engage, motivate and be willing to nurture real improvements in the way we teach our children to read. Teachers, administrators, parents and communities must take the serious steps needed to help children learn to read.

The study clearly defines the key elements all children need in order to become good readers. Specifically, kids need to learn letters and sounds and how to read for meaning. They also need opportunities to practice reading with many types of books. While some children need more intensive and systematic individualized instruction than others, all children need these three essential elements in order to read well and independently by the end of third grade. Effective teaching and extra resources can make it possible for many " at-risk" children, to become successful readers.

When we talk to our children we are actually giving them the building blocks for learning to read. This report confirms that to lay the foundation for reading successfully, families, caregivers and early childhood educators can help our youngest children develop strong language skills by talking to them, singing nursery rhymes and reading to them beginning at birth. Each of us can apply this report in our daily lives by making a commitment to read to a child thirty minutes each day.

The report emphasizes that well-trained teachers are the other key to helping our children become successful readers. It details the need for a corps of well-trained teachers who participate in ongoing training based on research, and reading specialists in every school.

I am pleased that this report provides research-based support for the Administration's key education proposals to help master the basics, especially reading:

• The Class Size Reduction initiative that will provide smaller classes in grades 1, 2 and 3, and more qualified teachers to give students more competent instruction; and,
• The America Reads Challenge, which supports school and community efforts to extend learning time to allow children to practice and further develop reading skills by the end of the third grade.

We are committed to ensuring that these important findings get into the hands of teachers, parents and care givers across America to help to improve reading for all children."

NOW AVAILABLE ON THE WEB

On the Road to Reading: A Guide for Community Partners was developed to support America Reads programs and tutors. It contains information on how most children learn to read, how tutors can support young readers, how to involve families, how to build community partnerships, and how to develop a tutoring program. The National Service Resource Center has made this guide available for downloading on the Web at: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/RoadtoRead/

It is in PDF format so you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print this document. Instructions for obtaining Acrobat Reader are included on the above web page.

The Southeastern Louisiana University America Reads Web site includes a Tutor Information Form, Student Referral Form, Parental Permission Forms, Weekly Record of Activities, and Memorandum of Understanding. <www.selu.edu/Academics/Education/AmericaReads>.

Your tutors may want to visit the "President's Trip to Africa" Web site for tutoring materials. A special feature, "Follow the President," will include maps and learning activities for children. <www.whitehouse.gov/Africa>.

READ ACROSS AMERICA

On Monday, March 2, the America Reads Challenge lent our support to an extensive effort on the part of the National Education Association (NEA) to increase public awareness of children's literacy. In celebration of Dr. Seuss' birthday, the goal for that day was to have every child in every community in the company of a book. Thanks to all the America Reads colleges who helped make Read Across America a success!

For example, Sussex County Community College soliticited Read Across America pledges from all faculty, staff, and administration members and used Read Across America as a community service project in some of their Freshman Seminar classes. Some members of their theater studies program gave dramatic readings of selected Dr. Seuss books on March 2 to children. The SCCC Reading Buddies (America Reads tutors) participated in the following ways:

1. Using Dr. Seuss books in their schools the week of March 2.
2. Advertising the event through posters and signing up people to pledge.
3. Pledging to read to another child for 30 minutes on March 2.
4. Participating in the Read Across America evening program at one of their sites.
5. Distributing used books for interested people to use for their pledge.

Vice President Gore and Secretary Riley participated in a Read Across America event on March 2 in Smyrna, Georgia, the First Lady read to young children in Washington, DC, and the President's radio address on February 28 focused on reading and literacy. According to early reports, the day was a huge success, with millions of people involved nationwide.

EVALUATION

Many colleges and universities have requested guidance on evaluation. While the Department of Education cannot require America Reads Federal Work-Study programs to conduct evaluations, we encourage programs to work with their local preschool, elementary school, or community program to use evaluations to assess and improve program effectiveness. The Department cannot endorse specific assessment tools for you to purchase by listing them in this Update. To find assessment tools, you may wish to contact the reading specialist in your local school district, professors at your institution, or other colleges who have implemented evaluations of their America Reads programs.

By calling 1-800-USA-LEARN, you can also obtain copies of the Department of Education's publication "Making Information Work for You: A Guide for Collecting Good Information and Using it to Improve Comprehensive Strategies for Children, Families, and Communities." Although not specifically focused on literacy programs, the guide includes chapters on "A Framework for Continuous Evaluation," "Getting Started," "Documenting Progress and Results," "Resources for Obtaining Good Information," and "An Evaluator's Toolkit."

The following guest article by Lois Bader provides general evaluation ideas for America Reads programs.

EVALUATING AMERICA READS PROGRAMS
by Lois Bader

Lois Bader is Professor of Literacy at Michigan State University. For over 10 years, she also has been the executive director of the LVA - Capital Area Literacy Coalition. She is the author of several books and articles on literacy, including the Bader Reading and Language Inventory.

The range of differences in America Reads programs calls for different evaluation strategies. Depending on a program's size, resources, and goals, an America Reads program may use pre- and post-tests; checklists; self-evaluations; case studies; journals; or questionnaires from parents, teachers, children, tutors or specialists to learn how their efforts have impacted their populations. You may evaluate the children, the tutors, or the administrators.

Institutions desiring to identify a research design appropriate for their program evaluation should feel supported in their choice of designs. All research designs employed in the social sciences have limitations and strengths. Murphy's law seems to operate. We cannot always get sufficient cooperation to assign children to treatment groups or control groups; high mobility makes long term treatment and consistency in populations of interest problematic, and tests may not reflect what was learned.

The following evaluation suggestions are given with the intent of sharing ideas that may be adapted to a particular setting.

Where to Start

• Consider program goals. Select the goals and objectives to be evaluated; select evaluation procedures; decide how evaluation results will be used and disseminated. Examples of program goals focusing on children are: improving children's reading ability; enjoyment of reading; access to books. Examples of program goals focusing on tutors are: demonstration of sound tutoring techniques; understanding children's development; commitment to community service.

• The effectiveness and efficiency of program administration may be evaluated in such areas as communication, collaboration, recruitment, training, and supervision. Tutors, teachers, parents, colleges or university faculty are examples of groups that may be surveyed.

• Research on specific program areas may be carried out if there are sufficient resources for rigorous study. Developing evaluation requires some rigor if the results are to be credible. Because evaluation can become fairly complex, it's always a good idea to use the resources of your college or university, such as professors or research assistants.

  Involvement

  Whether program evaluation is elaborate or streamlined, people representing the involved groups, such as schools, teachers, tutors, and others should be included as evaluation plans are made. First, those closest to the activities may propose ideas that may be missed. Second, they can raise questions regarding practicality. Third, recipients of evaluation reports are more likely to have confidence in the findings when they have participated in the procedures. A major reason for conducting program evaluation is to learn how the program can be improved. Evaluation can be an excellent tool for change when there is involvement.

  Dissemination

  As evaluations from across the nation are shared, there will be useful information that can inform all of us. With over 973 institutions participating, we will be able to make some generalizations that will be helpful for future program development and evaluation. Opening program evaluation to a range of devices and designs best suited to the size, setting, and goals of each program can result in our being able to get independent verifications that a uniform evaluation system imposed on dissimilar programs will not yield. As results are published, shared in conferences, on the Internet, or in other ways, we will learn a great deal from each other.

  Evaluation Resources

  The National Service Resource Center's Library Catalog, September 1996, has thirty evaluation guides, kits and manuals available for circulation. The Library Catalog can be obtained by calling (800) 860-2684. Materials may be kept for two weeks and may be renewed for an additional week, by phone.

  Additional Reading

  "The Case for Performance Monitoring." J. Wholey & H.P. Hatry. In Public Administration Review, vol. 52, no. 6. Washington, DC: American Society for Public Administration, November/December 1992.

  Combining Service and Learning: A Resource Book for Community and Public Service (volumes I & II). J.C. Kendall (editor). Raleigh, NC: National Society for Internships and Experiential Education, 1990.

  Evaluation: A Systematic Approach. P.H. Rossi & H.E. Freeman. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1987.

  How to Use Qualitative Methods in Evaluation. M.Z. Patton. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1987.

  Looking at Literacy: Indicators of Program Quality. J.L. Cook (editor), New York, NY: New York Adult Education and Training Alliance, 1996.

  Measuring Program Outcomes: A Practical Approach. United Way of America. Alexandria, VA. 1996.

  "Review of Research and Evaluation on Service Learning in Public and Higher Education." R.J. Draft & J. Krug. In Building Community: Service Learning in the Academic Disciplines, pp. 199-213. J. Kraft & M. Swadener (editors). Boulder, CO: University of Colorado.

  Road Map: Creating and Sustaining Project Impact: Guidelines for Evaluation and Dissemination. C. Kochlar & T. Backer. Washington, DC: Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation.

  Strengthening Experiential Education Within Your Institution. J.C. Kendall, J.S. Duley, T.C. Little, J.S. Permaul & S. Rubin. Raleigh, NC: National Society for Internships and Experiential Education, 1986.

  Sample Surveys

  The sample surveys on the following pages have been reprinted in reduced form with permission from the Read to Succeed: Literacy Tutor's Manual and the Read to Succeed: Tutor Trainer's Manual by Lois Bader published by Merrill-Prentice Hall.

  FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE AMERICA READS CHALLENGE...

  The America Reads Listserv is a forum for interested parties to discuss questions and best practices regarding America Reads programs. To subscribe:

  Address an e-mail to:	majordomo@etr-associates.org
  Type (in the text):	subscribe americareads

  The America Reads Web Site contains extensive information about the Challenge. By clicking on "Federal Work-Study Issues," you can find a listing of colleges signed on, as well as FWS Q&As (or by calling 1-800-4FEDAID): http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/

  Carol H. Rasco, Director, America Reads Challenge
  Cynthia Wong, U.S. Department of Education
  600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 6100, Washington, D.C. 20202
  Ph: (202) 401-8888, Fax: (202) 401-0596, E-mail: Cynthia.Wong@ed.gov

  Dr. Marsha Adler, Office of the President, San Francisco State University
  1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132
  Ph: (415) 338-6879, Fax: (415) 338-6885, E-mail: mnadler@sfsu.edu

  Sandra Fonseca, Corporation for National Service
  1201 New York Avenue, N.W., 9th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20525
  Ph: (202) 606-5000x280, Fax:(202) 565-2786, E-mail: sfonseca@cns.gov

  Toll free number for comments or ordering publications:
  1-800-USA-LEARN or TDD 1-800-437-0833

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