• Reading First Initiative

• Early Reading First

Reading First Initiative
Title I, Part B, Subpart 1, Sec. 1201-1208

Top of this section

Mandated

Participation is voluntary.

Timeline

No specific timeline indicated

Funding Level

FY02 - $900 million

Compliance

States participating in Reading First must submit annual progress reports. After the third-year progress report, the secretary of education can withhold funds or take other necessary actions if the state education department is not making significant progress in meeting the purposes of Reading First.

Related Links

ECS Issue Site on Reading/Literacy

Requirements or Provisions

The Reading First Initiative is a new program (replacing the Reading Excellence Act) to help states and districts identify and adopt "scientifically based" reading programs for children in kindergarten through 3rd grade. Another goal of the program is to ensure that teachers can identify children at risk of reading failure and provide the most effective early instruction.

The Reading First requirements include the following:

• States, to the extent practicable, must contract with an entity that conducts scientifically based reading research. This entity will assist the state with annual reporting requirements.
• States receiving funds must make an annual report providing evidence that it is carrying out the Reading First program effectively. Among other things, the reports must: (1) identify schools and districts that report the largest gains in reading achievement, (2) describe the progress being made to reduce the number of students reading below grade level and (3) provide evidence that the program has significantly increased the number and percentage of students, in all designated groups, who are reading at or above grade level.
• The governor must establish a reading or literacy partnership that includes representatives from the state, school districts, community-based organizations, programs with a strong reading component, as well as a parent, a teacher and a family literacy provider. Existing state partnerships may qualify.

At the national level:

• Funds are available to support an external evaluation of the Reading First program, provide technical assistance to states and districts and disseminate information about Reading First projects shown to be effective in improving reading instruction.
• The U.S. Department of Education must conduct a rigorous, five-year evaluation of state and local activities funded by Reading First.

According to the law (Sec. 1208), "scientifically based reading research" means research that:

• Applies rigorous, systematic and objective procedures to obtain valid knowledge relevant to reading development, reading instruction and reading difficulties
• Employs systematic, empirical methods that draw on observation or experiment
• Involves rigorous data analysis adequate to test the stated hypotheses and justify the general conclusions drawn
• Relies on measurements or observational methods that provide valid data across evaluators and observers, and across multiple measurements and observations
• Has been accepted by a peer-reviewed journal or approved by a panel of independent experts through a comparably rigorous, objective and scientific review.

Policymakers may also want to take into account a report by the National Reading Panel, which identifies criteria that reading research should meet:

• Addresses achievement of one or more skills in reading
• Has results that can be generalized to the larger population of students, which therefore excludes case studies with small numbers of children
• Examines the effectiveness of an approach, which requires the comparison of students using a specific reading approach or program with students not using that strategy
• Is regarded as "high quality," which requires a peer review by other scholars in the field.

(Source: Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children To Read, Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement, September 2001, www.nifl.gov/nifl/partnershipforreading/
publications/PFRbooklet.pdf)

Allocation of Funds

For the first two years, 100% of funds will be allocated to states as formula grants in proportion to the number of children, ages 5-17, from families with incomes below the poverty line.

Beginning in FY04, up to 10% of funds, but no more than $90 million, will be available as incentive or target grants to states that increase the number of students reading at a "proficient" level, as defined by each state.

States must distribute at least 80% of their funds to districts, giving priority to high-poverty areas with a high percentage of students in grades K-3 reading below grade level. States can use the remaining funds for the following activities:

• Teacher preparation, professional development, and licensure and certification (65% of the funds)
• Technical assistance to help districts implement Reading First (25%)
• Administration, planning and reporting (10%).

Status of the States

The following states encourage or require schools and/or disticts to use "research-based" reading programs: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wyoming.

States that use research-based reading strategies as part of their teacher preparation and/or professional development initiatives include: Arizona, California, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi and South Dakota.

A few states - including Idaho, Okahoma and Texas -- have adopted comprehensive reading policies that address issues such as curriculum, assessment, teacher preparation and development, intervention, reporting and accountability.

(Sources: ECS StateNotes: Summary of State Policies To Improve Student Reading, June 2001, www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/12/35/1235.htm; Lexis-Nexis/StateNet)

Policy Questions for State Leaders To Consider

• How will your state help districts and schools determine if reading programs meet the criteria spelled out in ESEA 2001?
• How will your state enforce the adoption and use of programs based on scientific reading research?
• What evaluation and reporting requirements will your state put in place to make sure the programs are improving reading achievement?
• How will your state provide comprehensive, objective information about reading programs to districts, schools and teachers?
• How can your state use the Reading First Initiative to develop or strengthen a comprehensive reading policy for all students?
• How will your state determine the cost of using and evaluating reading programs based on scientific research? How will your state pay for these programs?

Early Reading First
Title I, Part B, Subpart 2, Sec. 1221

Top of this section

Mandated

Participation is voluntary.

Timeline
No specific timeline indicated

Funding Level
FY02 - $75 million

Compliance

Unspecified

Related Links

ECS Issue Site on
Reading/Literacy

National Association for the Education of Young Children
www.naeyc.org/childrens_
champions/federal.htm

Requirements or Provisions

Early Reading First will provide grants to districts and/or public or private organizations to "support local efforts to enhance the early language, literacy and pre-reading development of preschool-age children, particularly those from low-income families, through strategies and professional development that are based on scientifically based reading research." Money may be spent on activities that provide preschool-age children with high-quality oral language and literature-rich environments, professional development based on scientific research knowledge, activities and instructional materials based on scientific research and scientifically based reading screenings and assessments.

Allocation of Funds

Competitive grants will be awarded to school districts and/or public or private organizations that serve preschool-age children. The secretary of education may set a maximum amount, or establish a range, for grants.

Status of the States

Here are some examples of programs that support early literacy:

• A Parent's Guide to the Idaho Reading Indicator - a pamphlet designed to encourage parents to read to their children. It includes exercises parents can use to help children practice reading.
  www.sde.state.id.us/IRI/parent.htm

• Nebraska Read for Joy - a series of workshops offering strategies that parents, teachers and others can use to help children become successful readers.
  www.esu3.org/ectc/train/rfj.html

• Utah Family Reading Program - a professional development program sponsored by the Utah Department of Education that trains early childhood and kindergarten teachers to work with young children and their families on early literacy development,
  www.usoe.k12.ut.us/curr/utreads/Family.htm

• Vermont BUILDING BLOCKS for Literacy -- a grant-funded program to help early care and education professionals learn more about the language skills children ages 3-5 need to learn to read.
  www.sterncenter.org/professional.htm

Policy Questions for State Leaders To Consider

• What efforts are being made in your state to provide coordination between Head Start and other preschool programs, especially with respect to offering scientifically research-based programs?
• What plan will your state put in place to ensure that preschool programs meet the criteria for this program?
• Which communities would benefit most from concentrated early literacy efforts?
• How can your state support school districts and communities in applying for these grants?
• What professional development opportunities exist for early care and education providers that promote an understanding of language and literacy development?
• How is your state measuring the quality of early care and education environments, particularly in terms of language and literacy development?