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

Oregon

Team Report

• Oregon provides technical assistance and professional development for our federal and state-funded Head Start Pre-kindergarten programs regarding the acquisition of language and literacy skills.
• Oregon Department of Education Early Childhood staff provide professional development opportunities to school districts on instructional strategies for teaching reading in the primary grades.
• Oregon has a statewide network of trainers who provide early brain research workshops. Parents, teachers, junior and high school students, and childcare providers are receiving customized training in early brain development and how that relates to prevention of reading difficulties in young children.
• The Oregon Education Act for the 21^st Century includes an extensive early childhood program with a goal of serving 50 percent of eligible children by 1999, and all eligible children by 2004.
• A multi-agency team is working to support the use of resources for developing family literacy approaches individualized to community needs. So far, no state resources are specifically targeted for this approach, but collaborations at the local level are choosing to use existing resources to develop projects that include the four components of family literacy. Legislation promoting and supporting family literacy is in the planning stages. Oregon?s state-coordinated local evaluation of Even Start projects has demonstrated that the family literacy approach is working for those most in need. A follow-up study of 40 families is in process.

An Oregon Success Story

Beaverton School District is one of the largest in Oregon, with over 30,000 students. The district has developed a strong literacy emphasis and consistently demonstrates a commitment to early literacy programs that are supported by research. The district uses a combination of federal and state funds to provide professional development to all staff. All kindergarten teachers have been trained in the Early Literacy Inservice Course (Rigby), and all primary teachers have been trained in First Steps (Heinemann). These programs are both designed to increase the awareness of teachers regarding reading as a process, and to develop strategies that will meet the literacy needs of all children. This has resulted in many success stories around the district. Teachers are talking to each other at all grade levels about reading and writing, and are more actively engaged in involving parents in developing literacy skills with their children.

For further information, contact:

Linda Hoyt, Title I Coordinator
Beaverton School District 48J
16550 SW Merlo Rd.
Beaverton, OR 97008
(503) 591-4374
(503) 591-4415

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