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1994-2004 — THE SECOND DECADE IN NORTH AMERICA

Reading Recovery educators begin the second decade in North America with optimism and growing recognition that their training for teachers and teacher leaders creates remarkable results for students. Both research and evaluation evidence have confirmed Reading Recovery’s effectiveness.

As Descubriendo la Lectura continues development for bilingual and Spanish-speaking students in the United States, Canadian educators see the need to develop Reading Recovery in French. Marie Clay grants the province of Nova Scotia and the Canadian Institute of Reading Recovery the right to translate Reading Recovery publications into French.

In both the U.S. and Canada, teacher leader and trainer training continue during this decade. In Canada, a Western Canadian Institute of Reading Recovery located in Manitoba and an Atlantic Canadian Institute of Reading Recovery in Nova Scotia are created and training begins. In the United States, new Reading Recovery university training centers are added at Emporia State University, San Diego State University, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Kentucky, and University of South Dakota. In Iowa, a consortium of universities including University of Iowa, Iowa State University, University of Northern Iowa, and Drake University support Reading Recovery training. Of these centers, five remain active in 2014.

Reading Recovery Council of North America (RRCNA). In 1994, a Board of Directors is elected and committees are formed to support and enhance Reading Recovery in the U.S. and Canada. With the hiring of RRCNA’s first executive director and staff, more services, publications, and professional development opportunities are possible. Advocacy becomes an important activity as federal education funding for reading is increasingly politicized. RRCNA’s role in providing consistent information and coordination is critical in helping advocates reach out to elected officials and other policymakers.

Reading Recovery’s rapid growth continues through 2001, and by the end of the second decade more than 1.4 million U.S. first graders have had Reading Recovery lessons. Millions more children have been taught by Reading Recovery-trained teachers working in classrooms and small-group settings. The assessment of each Reading Recovery child’s reading and writing achievement continues to be reported and analyzed annually by the National Data Evaluation Center located at The Ohio State University. No other reading program has comparable data.

 


This 30th Anniversary History Timeline includes photos and excerpts from previous RRCNA publications.