{"id":111874,"date":"2016-04-25T16:37:21","date_gmt":"2016-04-25T20:37:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=111874"},"modified":"2023-08-07T21:15:39","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T01:15:39","slug":"pilot-reading-initiative-shows-dramatic-results","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2016\/04\/pilot-reading-initiative-shows-dramatic-results\/","title":{"rendered":"Pilot Reading Initiative Shows Dramatic Results"},"content":{"rendered":"

A pilot reading initiative<\/a> led by two UConn professors is showing dramatic results four years after its implementation, much to the delight of lawmakers and advocates who have struggled for years to close Connecticut\u2019s significant reading achievement gap.<\/p>\n

In a presentation at the state Capitol last week, Professor Michael Coyne announced that schools adopting the CT K-3 Reading Model for three years or more had more than doubled the number of students meeting grade-level literacy goals, while also reducing the number of students at significant risk for reading failure by more than half.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe results are clear, the CT K-3 Reading Model works,\u201d said Coyne, a professor in the Neag School of Education and research scientist with UConn\u2019s Center for Behavioral and Educational Research<\/a>. \u201cAcross all of our outcomes, we\u2019re consistently showing that students experience greater growth in early literacy skills across grade levels and across literacy measures when their school implements the CT K-3 Reading Model.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

My friends used to say, \u2018You can\u2019t read.\u2019 Now they can\u2019t say that because I am a GREAT reader. — Louis<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

With 50 percent of African-American, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged students in Connecticut reading below proficiency levels, Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the General Assembly approved legislation in 2012 establishing the pilot initiative. The legislature\u2019s Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, which was instrumental in getting the legislation passed, sponsored last week\u2019s Capitol event, along with the Connecticut Commission on Children and the state Department of Education.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe results of this program prove we can move the needle in child literacy,\u201d said State Rep. Patricia Billie Miller (D-Stamford), a member of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus.<\/p>\n

While Connecticut is one of the wealthiest states in the nation, it is one of the worst states in the country when it comes to the academic gap in reading, Billie Miller said. Lawmakers\u00a0\u2013 particularly those in the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus \u2013 and advocates have struggled to reverse the trend.<\/p>\n

\"UConn<\/a>
UConn professor Michael Coyne, a research scientist with the Neag School of Education\u2019s Center for Behavioral and Educational Research, discusses the results of the CT K-3 Reading Model at the state Capitol on April 22. (Shawn Kornegay\/UConn Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been very frustrating for me to get this ship to move in a direction so all of our children can benefit from the wonderful resources of this state,\u201d said six-term State Rep. Douglas McCrory (D-Hartford), a former middle school teacher who is now a vice principal for the Capitol Region Education Council. \u201cWe will not allow anyone to get in the way of what we want to do, and this program\u00a0\u2013 we know it works.\u201d<\/p>\n

The CT K-3 Reading Model led by Coyne and Neag professor George Sugai is based on proven, effective, empirically-validated practices for teaching and assessing reading. It is a framework that incorporates a school-wide reading improvement plan, a comprehensive literacy assessment system, high-quality classroom reading instruction, evidence-based supplemental intensive reading interventions, ongoing coaching, and targeted professional development for teachers. It also emphasizes the importance of forging partnerships with parents.<\/p>\n

The initiative started with five schools, but has since expanded to 34. Supporters would like to see the model adopted statewide.<\/p>\n

Making reading a top priority<\/strong><\/p>\n

Connecticut Education Commissioner Dianna Wentzell, who attended the presentation, was impressed with the results.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce you prove you can do it, then you must do it,\u201d said Wentzell. \u201cWhen kids fall behind early, we know catching up isn\u2019t easy. \u2026 This is really an inspiring event.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Early<\/a>
(Graphic courtesy of Michael Coyne)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More than 1,000 students in 50 classrooms in five schools in Hartford, East Hartford, New Haven, and Windham have been exposed to the model for the past four years. While outcome data revealed successes early on, schools that participated for three years or more showed the most dramatic improvement. In those schools, first grade students considered at high risk for reading failure dropped from 34 percent to 12 percent over four years, and those considered at low risk for reading failure jumped from 32 percent to 67 percent, Coyne said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese schools committed to reading as a top school priority,\u201d Coyne told lawmakers. \u201cThey approached this challenge with a sense of urgency, a level of intensity, and an attention to detail that frankly is highly unusual for typical educational reforms and initiatives. But I think that level of detail is absolutely necessary to ensure that no children slip through the cracks.\u201d<\/p>\n

While much will be made of the significant improvements in student performance, Coyne said the initiative also shows that providing teachers ongoing support, training, and sufficient resources is critical to the model\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe CT K-3 Reading Model is not about adopting a program or intervention,\u201d Coyne said. \u201cIt\u2019s about changing systems. It\u2019s about changing the way we teach reading at a system level to ensure that all students become successful readers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Melissa Hickey, Connecticut\u2019s statewide reading director, urged proponents to continue their push to expand the CT K-3 Reading Model, so that other children struggling with reading can get the help they need.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday we\u2019ve seen data that clearly shows that we, in Connecticut, are narrowing the reading achievement gap,\u201d Hickey said. \u201cPlease know that this work matters, your work matters \u2026 we are<\/em> making a difference in the lives of children.\u201d<\/p>\n

To underscore her remarks, Hickey read a letter from Louis, a third grade student at Hartford\u2019s Burns Latino Studies Academy who participated in the new reading model.<\/p>\n

\u201cReading used to be hard for me because the words were too big and I couldn\u2019t read them,\u201d Louis wrote. \u201cBut I\u2019ve been reading a lot with Ms. Gordon [his classroom reading instructor] and she helps me read. \u2026 I like the books she gives me and I ask her if I can read them again. Now I am a good reader. My friends used to say, \u2018You can\u2019t read.\u2019 Now they can\u2019t say that because I am a GREAT reader. I am proud of myself because I worked hard to learn to read better. Now I don\u2019t watch TV that much. I feel awesome!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The CT K-3 Reading Model, led by UConn professors, more than doubled the number of students meeting grade-level literacy goals over four years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":111933,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1715,2428,1855,2225],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[1928],"class_list":["post-111874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-impact","category-educational-psychology","category-neag","category-uconn-storrs"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-07-18 14:10:21","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111874"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111874\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":112087,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111874\/revisions\/112087"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/111933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111874"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=111874"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=111874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}