FLORIDA BOARD OF EDUCATION
J
IM
H
ORNE
S
ECRETARY
F. P
HILIP
H
ANDY
C
HAIRMAN
L
INDA
J. E
ADS
, Ed.D.
T. W
ILLIARD
F
AIR
C
HARLES
P
ATRICK
G
ARCIA
J
ULIA
L. J
OHNSON
W
ILLIAM
L. P
ROCTOR
, Ph.D.
C
AROLYN
K
ING
R
OBERTS
C
HARLIE
C
RIST
C
OMMISSIONER
F
LORIDA
D
EPARTMENT
OF
E
DUCATION
325 W. G
AINES
S
TREET
S
UITE
1614
T
ALLAHASSEE
, FL 32399
www.flboe.org
(850) 201-7400
M E M O R A N D U M
To:
Publishers of Florida’s Adopted K-5 Reading Programs
From:
Elizabeth Carrouth, Director,
Instructional Materials and Library Media
Kathy Mizereck, Deputy Chancellor,
Student Achievement and Articulation
Mary Laura Openshaw, Director,
Just Read, Florida!
Subject:
100 Hours of Professional Development
Date:
September 27, 2002
First and foremost, thank you for your commitment to Governor Bush in
providing our teachers with the professional development necessary for
their success in using newly adopted reading programs.
As part of this agreement with the Governor, we addressed with each of
you the need for a clear departure from the standard technical assistance
historically provided to schools when a new program is purchased. Based
on current conversations with many schools across the state and input
from reading research experts, we ask that you take this professional
development to the next level with specific plans to cover the following:
&
Effective Summer Training
Several districts and schools have reported using a variety of funding
sources this past summer to pay teacher stipends for intensive
professional development, in some cases up to a full week. This training,
we are told, included an overview of the new materials, but emphasized
the specific ways your Reading Programs address
5 + 3 + II + III
- 5
Components of Reading Instruction (Phonemic Awareness, Phonics,
Fluency, Comprehension, Vocabulary) + 3 Types of Assessment
(Screening, Diagnosis, Progress Monitoring) + Initial Instruction and
Immediate Intensive Intervention. Teachers find it most helpful when your
trainers demonstrate how each of these components is implemented in
your specific curriculum.
Page 2 of 2
K-5 Publishers
September 27, 2002
We ask that every effort be made to provide this professional development to your adopting
schools next summer, whether for the full staff and administration or simply for new teachers,
in the event this opportunity has already taken place. In addition, for those teachers who did
not attend a summer training, intensive professional development must be provided early in
the school year to ensure fidelity of implementation to the basal curriculum.
&
Extra Training for Reading Coaches
As most of you are aware, schools throughout the state are making a concerted effort to
provide much needed reading coaches. The elements of 5+3+II+III, as explicitly addressed in
your Reading Program, are vital to the success of our coaches. Our coaches need to
understand how your curriculum can be used effectively to implement each of these
components, with an emphasis on Immediate Intensive Intervention Strategies.
&
3-4 Visits throughout the School Year
It is essential that our teachers continue to have opportunities to ask questions about their
new reading programs and to receive feedback from skilled trainers about the way they are
implementing the program. It is also very helpful for them to observe model lessons from
trainers who are skilled at implementing the program. It is our hope that coaches hired by the
schools and skilled trainers from the publishers can work together to increase the fidelity with
which your programs are implemented in the classroom.
&
1 Day Training for Principals
The research is clear as to the importance of professional development for our principals. This
training did in fact occur in many of our schools and districts, and we ask that the publishers
maintain a commitment to this important element of professional development with respect to
the treatment of 5+3+II+III.
Many of our schools have responded positively to the efforts being made by our publishers.
However, many perceive a reluctance on the part of publisher staff to deliver a continuum of in-
depth training related to how the reading research is incorporated into your Reading Program.
Please contact Mary Laura Openshaw at 850.921.9969 if you would like to discuss this in
greater detail. She will be more than happy to schedule opportunities for us to collaborate on a
detailed plan of action for our schools and districts.
Thank you, and Just Read, Florida!
CC:
Assistant Superintendents for Curriculum & Instruction
Instructional Materials Administrators
District Reading Supervisors
District Professional Development Contacts
Registered Florida Representatives, Adopted K-5 Reading Publishers
