FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
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Dr. Eric J. Smith
Commissioner of Education
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Chairman
Members
DONNA G. CALLAWAY
DR. AKSHAY DESAI
ROBERTO MARTÍNEZ
PHOEBE RAULERSON
KATHLEEN SHANAHAN
LINDA K. TAYLOR
January 18, 2008
M E M O R A N D U M
TO:
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District School Superintendents
FROM:
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Evan B. Lefsky, Ph.D
Executive Director, Just Read, Florida!
SUBJECT:
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Just Read, Florida! 2008 Literacy Institute
I am pleased to inform you about an exciting professional development opportunity this summer
for reading coaches and teachers. The Just Read, Florida! 2008 Literacy Institute will be held
July 20-24, 2008, at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando and will include the following
academies:
•
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4-5 Reading Teacher Academy-
This academy is designed for teachers in grades 4-5,
providing a focus on effective reading instruction for students.
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6-8 Reading Intervention Teacher Academy-
This academy is designed for teachers
who are K-12 reading certified, reading endorsed, or who have completed CAR-PD.
These teachers should be providers of reading intervention in grades 6-8 through an
intensive reading class or a content area class at their schools. The academy will be
practical and hands-on, providing training in assessment, instructional decision-making,
and differentiation of instruction, as well as addressing other pertinent topics.
•
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9-12 Reading Intervention Teacher Academy-
This academy is designed for teachers
who are K-12 reading certified, reading endorsed, or who have completed CAR-PD.
These teachers should be providers of reading intervention in grades 9-12 through an
intensive reading class or a content area class at their schools. The academy will be
practical and hands-on, providing training in assessment, instructional decision-making,
and differentiation of instruction, as well as addressing other pertinent topics.
EVAN B. LEFSKY, PH.D.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JUST READ, FLORIDA!
325 W. GAINES STREET, ROOM 1548 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0503 • www.fldoe.org
Memorandum to District School Superintendents
Page 2
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Novice Reading/Literacy Coach Academy
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The targeted audience for this academy
includes new K-12 reading coaches and reading coaches who have never attended one of
our larger coaching conferences or the boot camp.
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Master Reading/Literacy Coach Academy-
Experienced K-12 coaches will benefit
from this academy, as it provides a deeper level of literacy coaching strategies and
techniques.
The Literacy Institute will begin at 1:00 PM on Sunday, July 20 and end at noon on Thursday,
July 24. Just Read, Florida!, in collaboration with the Florida Literacy and Reading Excellence
(FLaRE) Center, will be providing hotel lodging for four nights, all training materials and a $250
stipend for each approved participant, unless they are on contract with their district. We are
asking that the district support travel and per diem for all participants accepted to attend the
institute.
We will be unable to provide lodging for individuals living within 50 miles of the
Rosen Centre Hotel.
Attendees will not be asked to share a room.
We are asking that the K-12 Comprehensive Reading Plan contact, or their designee, ensure that
the registrations for the Literacy Institute are carried out for all those in their district. In order to
finalize all academy logistics, we are asking the favor of a reply via the return of a spreadsheet
that will be sent to the district reading contact this week. The completed district registration
spreadsheet should be sent directly to Jill Jackson at jill.jackson@fldoe.org, by February 29,
2008 for final review and approval of attendees. Only one spreadsheet per district may be
submitted, and individual schools cannot submit spreadsheets. Should this occur, we will return
the school spreadsheet to the K-12 Comprehensive Reading Plan contact.
We anticipate availability of 1,000 total slots for all of the institute academies, and we are
requesting that districts prioritize their list of coaches and teachers who wish to attend the
institute in order to meet district needs. For instance, a district may prioritize a significant
number of slots for high school reading intervention teachers, realizing that this may preclude the
participation of reading coaches, 4
th
and 5
th
grade reading teachers, and middle school reading
intervention teachers from their district. We will honor as many registrations as capacity allows.
Just Read, Florida! will review submitted spreadsheets March 1-31, 2008, and notice of attendee
acceptance will be provided by March 31, 2008 directly to attendees, with notification also
provided to the K-12 Comprehensive Reading Plan contact. Each attendee accepted will then be
asked to register for the institute via a website link during April 1-15, 2008. The names of
individuals not accepted to attend the institute, due to space limitations, will be placed on a
waiting list and will be notified if any slots become available.
We look forward to the participation of your teachers and coaches in this important professional
development initiative. If you have questions, please contact Melinda Webster, Kevin Smith, or
Laurie Lee at 850/245-0503 or at the following e-mails: melinda.webster@fldoe.org,
kevin.smith@fldoe.org or laurie.lee@fldoe.org.
EBL/mw
