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

Mississippi

Team Report

The Mississippi Reading Initiative, Every Child A Reader, is a research-based K-12 initiative with a primary focus on K-3. Goals One and Two are based on the research concerning the predictors of reading success by the NRC Report and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Goal One employs efforts that will enable all students to exit kindergarten with appropriate readiness skills. The action steps include establishing Pre-K programs and parent centers for early literacy intervention, collaborating with Head Start and other agencies to promote a smooth transition from home to school, and providing professional development on best practices in early childhood education.

Goal Two establishes the action steps that will ensure that all students exit third grade as readers. These steps include revising kindergarten guidelines, developing a resource supplement to the Language Arts Framework on the reading instructional intervention process, training all K-3 teachers and administrators in the intervention process and creating peer coaching study teams in each school for professional development follow-up and implementation of best practices.

Based on the research provided the Reading Instructional Intervention Supplement for K-3 includes three components:

1. Benchmarks that state what children should know and be able to do.
2. Informal Assessments that provide on-going authentic assessments.
3. Reading Instructional Intervention Strategies that assist in meeting the Benchmarks for reading success.

A Mississippi Success Story

The focus of the Reading Intervention Process is ensuring that all students are afforded the opportunity to obtain skills that are the predictors of reading success according to the research through quality direct reading instruction.

Dr. John Manning, past Executive Director of International Reading Association and senior professor of reading instruction at the University of Minnesota, was hired to provide hands-on demonstration lessons in kindergarten and first-grade classrooms on reading intervention in Mississippi?s lowest performing districts. The technical assistance program models acquisition of the skills of letter-name knowledge, phoneme awareness, and grapheme/phoneme correspondence.

In Canton Municipal, Coahoma County and Tunica County, there were many individual student success stories. Students in first-grade classrooms began to exhibit the skills of the predictors of reading success as their teachers implemented newly acquired instructional strategies for literacy. Though individual student progress was measured a success, there must be more time for strategy implementation and to collect data of overall success of these districts.

Carla Dearman
Mississippi Department of Education
P.O. Box 771, Suite 231B
Jackson, MS 39205
(601) 359-3778
(601) 359-1818 Fax
E-mail: cdearman@mdek.12.state.ms.us

State Commitment Form

State: Mississippi
Team Leader: Carla Dearman
Phone Number: 601-359-3778

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. Expansion of Early Childhood Program
   • Develop a pre-kindergarten curriculum framework development incorporating NRC research.
     Action Steps:
     1. Surveyed 152 districts to assess Mississippi's pre-kindergarten programs.
     2. Created a writing team of teachers, administrators, and representatives from Head Start and the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL).
     3. Completed a study of research and exemplary programs.
     4. Determined the pre-kindergarten benchmarks, informal assessments and instructional strategies will include categories: Language Literacy, Math and Concepts, Social/Environmental, and Physical Development.
     5. Compiled recommendations for the 1999 Legislative package.
     6. Targeted completion date January.
   • Examine parent centers and create a model center; provide technical assistance for statewide implementation.
     Action Steps:
     1. Examined exemplary parent center programs.
     2. Created a team from exemplary programs to produce a parent center document.
     3. Developed a document on the components of an effective parent center, how to set up a program, and how to access community involvement.
     4. Arranged production of a video tape series for parents with ETV.
     5. Determine model parent centers in the state to showcase.
2. Teacher Preparation
   • Convene a task force to study and make recommendations for elementary and secondary concerning reading.
     Action Steps:
     1. Sent a survey concerning pre-service teacher training to members of Mississippi Reading Association.
     2. State Superintendent of education met with the IHL Presidents and College Deans to begin discussion of needs.
   • Regulate lead teacher concerning reading certification and responsibilities as a reading specialist.
     Action Steps:
     1. Trained lead teachers in six pilot districts on responsibilities in reading.
     2. Trained teams in pilot districts on Analytical Reading Initiatives.
   • Provide ongoing professional development for follow-up and new strategy implementation.
     Action Steps:
     1. Trained six pilot districts utilizing Reading Success Network in collaboration with SECAC.
     2. Utilized peer coaching study teams in pilot districts to train on the process of reading intervention.
     3. Developed training to be delivered statewide at the regional service centers beginning in February that include:
     • Utilizing Learning Centers in Kindergarten to teach Reading and Math.
     • The process of Reading Intervention K-3.
     • Making Curriculum Connections to Reading K-4.
     • Reading in the Content Areas 7-12.

1. Produce a series of 10 minute videos on reading:
   • Parent engaging a child in a meaningful conversation.
   • Modeling a parent reading to a child.
   • Modeling a teacher reading to a child.
   • Parent-Teacher communication on a child's reading instruction.
   • Public Service announcements for reading.
2. Access to a U.S. Team for Professional Development.

[Minnesota]

[Missouri]