A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Kansas

Team Report

• State Reading Standards include specifics about beginning readers.
• The state?s reading assessment program includes a diagnostic assessment of all children entering grade 2, effective Fall 1999.
• The state, in collaboration with professional organizations, is training trainers who will provide staff development to second grade teachers on the new assessments, as well as on early reading strategies. Training will also include emphasis on state standards.
• The state legislature and governor have funded structured mentoring programs which can address needs of "at risk" readers.
• The state is hosting a November conference which will include a focus on effective beginning reading instruction.

A Kansas Success Story

Kansas City, Kansas: a multi-ethnic, urban, high level of poverty, low-academic achievement district

The Kansas City, Kansas school district is engaged in a long-term effort to address the large failure rate in their schools. This effort addresses several of the recommendations of the NRC Report including a focus on children who are at risk of failing to learn to read, on-going staff development, school restructuring, and professional reading specialists. They are starting the 3^rd year of attention to the needs of at risk students in the primary grades. Their efforts include:

• (1996--present) the adoption and expansion of a reading intervention program, Kansas Accelerated Literacy learning, which provided 1-to-1 and small group intervention service
• (1997/98) a pilot project with 5 high poverty schools to include day-long in service sessions in grades K-2 for an entire school year
• (1998/99) selection and training of "Literacy Leaders" for every building and provision of a variety of in service sessions on topics related to this K-2 initiative (e.g., Promoting Phonemic Awareness, Running Records, Guided Reading, Writer?s Workshop, etc.)

For further information, contact:

Dr. Diane Corcoran Nielsen
202 Bailey Hall
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS 66045-2340
(785) 864-9664
(785) 864-5076
E-mail: dnielsen@falcon.cc.ukans.edu

State: Kansas
Team Leader: Sharon Freden
Phone Number: 785-296-2304

As a result of attending this Summit, what two things does your state team commit to doing in the next six months toward enhanced literacy for children and their families?

1. Convene again as a planning group to plan out next steps: probably a state "summit" which can identify issues and establish a focus.

1. "Supply" us with a person from the writing committee to address our summit.
2. Provide us with numerous (thousands) of copies of Starting Out Right when it becomes available. That will enable us to get the word out about the research findings.

[Iowa]

[Kentucky]