FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
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Jeanine Blomberg
Commissioner of Education
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Chairman
Members
DONNA G. CALLAWAY
DR. AKSHAY DESAI
ROBERTO MARTÍNEZ
PHOEBE RAULERSON
KATHLEEN SHANAHAN
LINDA K. TAYLOR
August 17, 2007
M E M O R A N D U M
TO:
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District School Superintendents
K-12
Principals
FROM:
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Evan B. Lefsky, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Just Read, Florida!
SUBJECT:
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Professional Development from Florida Literacy and Reading Excellence
(FLaRE) Center Area Coordinators
As we begin another exciting school year, I am pleased to inform you about the continuation of a
professional development initiative sponsored by Just Read, Florida! During the 2006-2007
school year, each area coordinator from the Florida Literacy and Reading Excellence Center
(FLaRE) at the University of Central Florida was assigned approximately 10-12 middle and high
schools and provided site-based support in an effort to create an individualized literacy
professional development plan for the faculty. This systemic plan was crafted in partnership
with the principal, reading/literacy coach, and reading leadership team at each school. The
schools targeted for support included all middle and high schools graded “D” or “F”, as well as
any middle or high school with less than 40 percent of their students proficient in reading on the
Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).
To support district initiatives in 2007-2008, we would like to offer schools a multi-level service
plan where select schools will have a choice in the amount of support they would like to receive
from FLaRE. The multi-level service plan consists of four levels of support. FLaRE’s Level I
Service Plan provides schools with maximum support from a FLaRE Area Coordinator. This
service plan includes coordinator support at monthly Literacy/Reading Leadership Team
meetings and two full-days per month of professional development for their reading/literacy
EVAN B. LEFSKY, PH.D.
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JUST READ, FLORIDA!
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325 W. GAINES STREET, ROOM 1548 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0503 • www.fldoe.org
Memorandum to District School Superintendents
August 17, 2007
Page 2
coach. The Level 2 Service Plan provides schools with moderate support by request and the
Level 3 Service Plan provides schools with minimal support by request. For the 2007-08 school
year, all “D” and “F” schools (other than those elementary schools served by
Reading First
) and
those schools served by FLaRE during the previous year will be eligible for the Level 1-3
Service Plans. The Level 4 Service Plan is for all other schools that do not qualify to be served
under the Level 1-3 Service Plans. A copy of the service plan for each level, including a menu
of available services, is attached to this memorandum.
A tentative list of FLaRE Area Coordinators with the schools they will serve in each district is
attached. Those schools in your district that are not targeted for site-based support will be
offered the opportunity to participate in any professional development that occurs at neighboring
site-based support schools under the Level 4 Service Plan. In order to ensure the success of this
support initiative, initial contact will be made with the K-12 Reading Contact in your district.
After the initial contact has been made, FLaRE Area Coordinators will meet with the principal
from each school targeted for site-based support to select the preferred service plan. Prior to the
start of services, each FLaRE Area Coordinator will confer with the principal and reading coach
at each school to ensure that all expectations are clear and to answer all questions regarding the
support offered.
Should you have feedback or questions regarding the services offered by FLaRE, please do not
hesitate to contact Enrique Puig, FLaRE Director, at (407)823-4247 or epuig@mail.ucf.edu.
I look forward to visiting your district during the school year.
EBL
Attachments
