FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
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John L. Winn
Commissioner of Education
F. PHILIP HANDY,
Chairman
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Vice Chairman
Members
DONNA G. CALLAWAY
ROBERTO MARTÍNEZ
PHOEBE RAULERSON
KATHLEEN SHANAHAN
LINDA K. TAYLOR
M E M O R A N D U M
TO:
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District School Superintendents
FROM:
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Cheri Pierson Yecke, Ph.D.
Chancellor, K-12 Public Schools
Evan Lefsky, Ph.D.
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Executive Director, Just Read, Florida!
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DATE:
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October 26, 2006
SUBJECT:
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2007-2008 Reading Adoption
In our continued effort to provide teachers and students with high quality instructional materials
aligned to the Sunshine State Standards, the Florida Department of Education is pleased to
announce our 2007-2008 Reading Adoption. Many questions and concerns have surfaced
concerning the reading adoption and the revised Sunshine State Standards. This memorandum
addresses frequently asked questions.
Question 1:
What kind of materials will be available for purchase with this adoption?
Answer:
The Commissioner is calling for K-5 Comprehensive Core Reading Programs, K-5
Comprehensive Intervention Reading Programs, 6-8 Developmental Reading Programs, 6-12
Comprehensive Intervention Reading Programs, and K-12 Supplemental Intervention Reading
Programs. A description of each of these programs can be found at
http://www.firn.edu/doe/instmat/0708adoption/spec07.pdf.
CHERI PIERSON YECKE, PH.D.
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CHANCELLOR, K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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325 W. GAINES STREET •SUITE 514• TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0426 • www.fldoe.org
Memorandum – District Superintendents
Page 2
For the 6-12 Comprehensive Intervention Reading Programs and K-12 Supplemental
Intervention Reading Programs publishers will be required to identify the specific grade levels
for which their materials are best suited. The program could be for an individual grade or across
grades (K-5, 6-8, 9-12, 4-12, 1-3, etc.). Committees will be trained to evaluate the materials
based on the grade-specific requirements and age-appropriateness of the materials.
Question 2:
To which standards will the reading programs be aligned?
Answer:
These materials will be aligned to the revised Sunshine State Standards and the Reading
Specifications. These specifications can be found at
http://www.firn.edu/doe/instmat/0708adoption/spec07.pdf
Question 3:
What instructional materials must districts purchase in this reading adoption?
Answer:
Florida Statute, 1006.37
“The superintendent shall requisition current instructional materials to
provide each student with a textbook or other materials as a major tool of instruction in core
courses of the subject areas specified in F.S. 1006.40(2). These materials must be requisitioned
within the first 2 years of the adoption cycle, except for instructional materials related to growth
of student membership or instructional materials maintenance needs.”
Florida Statute, 1006.40(2)(a)
“Each district school board must purchase current instructional
materials to provide each student with a textbook or other instructional materials as a major tool
of instruction in core courses of the appropriate subject areas of mathematics, language arts,
science, social studies, reading, and literature for kindergarten through grade 12. Such purchases
must be made within the first 2 years of the effective date of the adoption cycle.”
House Bill 7087
“For each year in which a student scores at Level 1 on FCAT Reading, the
student must be enrolled in and complete an intensive reading course the following year.
Placement of Level 2 readers in either an intensive reading course or a content area course in
which reading strategies are delivered shall be determined by diagnosis of reading needs.”
Based on the above statutes, all districts are expected to purchase:
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K-5 Comprehensive Core Reading materials
for students in grades Kindergarten
through 5
th
grade.
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K-5 Comprehensive Intervention Reading materials
on an as needed basis for students
in grades Kindergarten through 5
th
grade who are reading one or more years below grade
level.
•
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K-12 Supplemental Intervention Reading materials
on an as needed basis for students
in grades Kindergarten through 12
th
grade who require additional instruction or practice
in specific areas of reading.
Memorandum - District Superintendents
Page 3
•
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6-12 Comprehensive Intervention Reading materials
for Level 1 and Level 2 students,
grades 6-12, who are enrolled in an intensive reading intervention course as prescribed by
HB 7087.
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6-8 Developmental Reading materials
for students enrolled in
M/J Reading and/or M/J
Advanced Reading classes.
Question 4:
What funding will be available for this reading adoption?
Answer:
The funding available will be the categorical allocation for instructional materials, Reading
FEFP funds, and Title I funds (where appropriate). However, funding is certainly not limited to
these sources.
Question 5:
We’re a
Reading First
district, and we purchased a Comprehensive Core Reading Program
(CCRP) during the 2005-2006 school year. Are we required to purchase a new CCRP again?
Answer:
Yes. Florida has a six year cycle of adopted and contracted materials. If a district purchased
currently contracted materials, then by the next adoption year for reading, 2014-2015, those
materials will be at least twelve years old. In addition, any materials purchased prior to the 2007-
2008 Reading Adoption will not be correlated to the revised Sunshine State Standards.
Therefore, the requirement to purchase a new CCRP stands for all
Reading First
and non-
Reading First
elementary schools.
Question 6:
If our district purchases a K-5 Comprehensive Core Reading Program, will we be expected to
purchase K-5 language arts textbooks in 2008-2009?
Answer:
No. The K-5 Comprehensive Core Reading Programs will be aligned to all K-5 reading and
language arts standards.
Question 7:
In the K-12 Supplemental Intervention Reading Program call, what is the purpose of a
supplemental program at grades K-5?
Answer:
K-5 Supplemental Intervention Reading Programs are intended for flexible use as part
of differentiated instruction or in more intensive interventions to meet student learning needs in
specific areas (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, or comprehension). They are
used to provide targeted instruction for smaller groups of struggling readers. These materials can
be used to provide additional instruction, additional practice, or both.
Question 8:
At the secondary level, what is the difference between a Comprehensive Intervention Reading
Program and a Supplemental Intervention Reading Program?
Memorandum - District Superintendents
Page 4
Answer:
At the secondary level, the Comprehensive Intervention Reading Program must provide
instruction in multiple components of reading and must contain enough content for a year of
daily instruction either in a single or extended block of time. A supplemental program is used as
needed for targeted instruction in one or more components of reading. The Comprehensive
Intervention Reading Program may be used as a stand alone program and does not require the
use of additional supplemental programs.
Question 9:
Why is Florida having an adoption of supplementary materials?
Answer:
The goal of Just Read, Florida! is that every child will read on or above grade level by 2012. It
is the intent of the Department of Education to provide teachers and students with the reading
materials needed to accomplish this goal.
Question 10:
In the Professional Development section for each submission call within the specifications, it is
noted that, “The professional development must emphasize the fidelity of implementation.”
What does this mean?
Answer:
Florida HB 7087 requires each district school board to approve a comprehensive staff
development plan verifying that instructional materials training was provided and that district
instructional materials are being implemented as designed. Also, within each district
comprehensive reading plan required by s. 1011.62(8), F. S., districts must list all programmatic
interventions. In order for the plan to meet approval, these interventions must be implemented
with fidelity to time and group size. Therefore, it will be important for publishers to address the
specific conditions, in terms of time and group size, which should be met for students to be
successful within their programmatic intervention.
Please be certain of our appreciation of your continued commitment to increasing student
achievement. If you have any questions regarding the reading adoption process, please contact
Charlie Carraway, Director, Office of Instructional Materials, (850) 245-0425 or via e-mail at
charlie.carraway@fldoe.org. Questions regarding elementary reading may be directed to Cari
Miller, Director, Elementary Reading,
Just Read, Florida!,
(850) 245-0503 or via e-mail at
cari.miller@fldoe.org and questions regarding secondary reading may be directed to Kevin
Smith, Secondary Reading Specialist,
Just Read, Florida!,
(850) 245-0503, or via e-mail at
kevin.smith@fldoe.org.
CY/EL/cc
CC:
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Assistant Superintendents for Instruction
Reading Coaches
Reading and Language Arts Supervisors
District Reading Coordinators
Instructional Materials Administrators
