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New at RRCNA: e-Learning Courses

2023-10-31T10:52:10-05:00October 25th, 2023|Latest News|

Jumpstart your learning with the new content in the e-Learning Center! Exclusively for RRCNA members, these free and low-cost online video courses can help you meet your professional development goals from the convenience of your home or school.

In the new and improved e-learning center, you can search by topics to select your session. Next, watch your chosen session and take a knowledge quiz. After you finish, you can print your certificate and earn your needed contact hours. You can keep track of your session progress in the console and pause your lesson at any time. “Our goal is to give our members the opportunity for quality, convenient learning on the go,” shares Director of Professional Learning Lori Sobota.

While other courses are in development, start your training with these selections:

From Day One: Fostering Independence to Promote Acceleration

Reading Recovery teachers must foster constructive, independent problem-solving from the first lesson. This session will explore the act of noticing and responding to shifts in processing in real-time to promote accelerated growth and learning.

Volume Reading

Often overlooked, reading volume can profoundly impact a child’s literacy development. Discover how more care must be taken with matching children to massive amounts of texts in fun, engaging ways throughout the series of lessons.

Getting Ready for Late Learning

In late learning, children consolidate strategic processing so they solve problems on the run while attending to meaning. This session will identify issues arising in mid-learning that slow children’s progress toward late learning. It will use videos and student work to present teaching procedures to address these issues.

Keep an eye out for Purposeful Planning Throughout the Reading Recovery Lesson and Demystifying Literacy Processing Theory for Leaders, coming soon!

Press Release

2023-10-18T10:14:19-05:00October 18th, 2023|Latest News|

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Reading Recovery Council of North America files lawsuit against Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine

COLUMBUS, OH — In a move to stand up against government overreach, the Reading Recovery Council of North America (RRCNA) has filed a lawsuit against the State of Ohio and Governor Mike DeWine (R-OH) for signing into law Ohio House Bill 33.

The bill, passed in July 2023 in the guise of a budget bill, also contained a host of educational mandates, most notably legislation that purports to dictate certain methods of literacy instruction allowed in Ohio schools. The Literacy Curriculum Statute (ORC 3313.6028) effectively outlaws Balanced Literacy and the “three-cueing approach” in favor of phonics-first instruction, misnamed by proponents as the Science of Reading (SOR). The Statute could impact the use of Reading Recovery, a highly successful literacy intervention that has been scientifically proven as effective by both the U.S. Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse and Evidence for the Every Student Succeeds Act.

“Educators have long debated how best to reach students, but when an educational practice has scientific evidence supporting it, a legislative enactment that prohibits the practice suggests motives entirely outside of educational best practices,” said Dr. Billy Molasso, Executive Director of RRCNA. “It is important to note that three-cueing is not a method of literacy instruction at all, but rather an acknowledgment of some of the sources of information the brain uses to solve unknown words by using phonics in addition to context and syntax. In attempting to set classroom educational policy, the legislation displays a complete misunderstanding of literacy acquisition, which is best left to practitioners and has no place hidden within a 6,000 page budget bill.”

Ohio’s “single-subject rule” specifies that while a budget bill may designate funds to support policy decisions, it does not, and cannot, set policy. The lawsuit argues that the Literacy Curriculum Statute is a policy-driven mandate disguised as a budget bill, and is therefore unconstitutional.

Additionally, the Ohio Constitution allocates the setting of curriculum policy to the State Board of Education, not the Governor. Before its passage, educators pushed back both on the contradictory language within HB 33 and the dubious value of the Science of Reading movement, which lacks peer-reviewed studies and is contested by many literacy experts worldwide. Education experts cite a range of issues with SOR programs: their one-size-fits-all structure lacks the flexibility to differentiate instruction for multilingual learners and other vulnerable populations. Some educators even argued the bill’s ambiguous language around three-cueing would prohibit even basic reading instruction in Ohio classrooms. Their pushback was largely ignored.

“The Ohio General Assembly was sold a story on the value of the science of reading movement and ignored the expertise of dedicated Ohio educators and literacy researchers. RRCNA will fight for evidence-based reading instruction as defined by educators and research, not politicians and corporate interests,” said Molasso.

  

ABOUT THE READING RECOVERY COUNCIL OF NORTH AMERICA

The Reading Recovery Council of North America (RRCNA) is a not-for-profit association of Reading Recovery professionals and education partners. More than 2.3 million struggling first graders in the United States have benefitted from the one-to-one teaching expertise of Reading Recovery professionals. The intervention, introduced to North America in 1984 by educators at The Ohio State University, has more evidence proving its effectiveness than any other beginning reading program. Learn more at www.readingrecovery.org.

Apply Today: RRCNA Award Season

2023-10-18T15:41:23-05:00October 17th, 2023|Latest News|

It’s that time of year again! As LitCon approaches and the school year amps up, award applications are open at the Reading Recovery Council of North America.

Whether you’re hoping to attend LitCon 2024, have a creative project for your site that could use some funding, or want to shout out an administrator who is leaving a legacy of literacy through Reading Recovery, award opportunities await. Apply by Friday, October 20!

LitCon Professional Development Awards help offset the costs of attending LitCon. If you’re ready to recharge your battery and learn from literacy experts nationwide, apply for an award to attend LitCon today. While some awards cover the cost of attending LitCon, others will also include some travel expenses.

“I would like to thank you of your generous PD award support. This is my first time attending LitCon in person and it is an absolutely amazing experience! I am very excited to be learning from all these literacy experts gathered in one special place — and I’m looking forward to sharing this learning opportunity with my team back in Nova Scotia!”
– 2023 PD Award Winner

The Geri Stone Memorial Fund Awards provide financial awards to help continue the work of Geri Stone and RRCNA’s vision to “ensure that children who struggle in learning to read and write gain the skills for a literate and productive future.” While these funds can be applied to attend LitCon, creative use is also encouraged! Do you need supplies for a literacy project? Is there something your district needs, but isn’t in the budget this year? Apply for a financial Geri Stone Memorial Fund Award.

Calling all literacy leaders! Teacher Leaders and Trainers, you’re invited to nominate a leader at your site for the Excellence in Literacy Leadership Award, which honors an individual for their partnership and commitment to building a continuum of success for Reading Recovery.

Applications should take less than sixty minutes to fill out. Some require a letter of recommendation. Please ensure your RRCNA membership is up to date before applying. We can’t wait to see your application soon!


Reading Recovery works. Every gift makes a difference in bringing one of North America’s most successful international reading and writing interventions to struggling readers. You can give the gift of literacy by donating to the Foundation for Struggling Readers today. Last year, the Foundation for Struggling Readers funded professional development awards for four educators to attend LitCon.


Happy National Principals Month

2023-10-18T15:40:55-05:00October 10th, 2023|Latest News|

The Reading Recovery Council of North America is celebrating our literacy leaders in National Principals Month. The entire school community must be invested to provide one of the most effective early literacy interventions and help struggling readers.

If you have a standout principal or administrator, you can take several small steps to thank them for their guidance, leadership, and vision.

Encourage the literacy leader in your life to register for Foundations for Student-Centered Coaching at LitCon ’24. Learn more here.

Student-Centered Coaching is an evidence-based instructional coaching model that shifts the focus from ‘fixing’ teachers to collaborating with them to meet their goals for student learning. This session is well-suited for instructional coaches, administrators, and district leaders.

Our learning intentions will include defining what Student-Centered Coaching is and isn’t,  learning practices for building principal and coach partnerships, understanding the role of student evidence as an essential component of coaching, and planning how you will measure the impact of coaching on student and teacher learning.

Nominate your principal for the Excellence in Literacy Leadership Award.  Now accepting nominations through October 20, 2023, this award honors an individual for their partnership and commitment to building a continuum of success for Reading Recovery. Nominations are accepted from teacher leaders and trainers.

Most importantly, thank the leaders in your circle for all they do!  Read this blog for inspiration. Whether it’s a handwritten thank you note, an email, or a quick drop-in to say thank you, let your supportive principal or administrator know that with Reading Recovery, they’re leaving a legacy of literacy.

Spotlight Speaker: Diane Sweeney

2023-10-05T10:17:56-05:00October 5th, 2023|Latest News|

Calling all literacy leaders! Join us for Foundations for Student-Centered Coaching on Saturday, January 27. Register separately for this full-day preconference workshop specially designed for instructional leaders. Lunch is included.

Student-Centered Coaching is an evidence-based instructional coaching model that shifts the focus from ‘fixing’ teachers to collaborating with them to meet their goals for student learning. This session is well suited for instructional coaches, administrators, and district leaders and pairs with The Essential Guide for Student-Centered Coaching (Sweeney and Harris, 2020) and Student-Centered Coaching: The Moves (Sweeney and Harris, 2017).

Our learning intentions will include:  

  • Define what Student-Centered Coaching is and isn’t  
  • Learn practices for building principal and coach partnerships 
  • Understand the role of student evidence as an essential component of coaching 
  • Plan how you will measure the impact of coaching on student and teacher learning 

Check out the full session lineup here and save your seat today!