This executive summary examines the reading outcomes of students enrolled in Reading Recovery in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. In addition, a comparison is made between students receiving Reading Recovery services and those who do not.

BACKGROUND
Reading Recovery is an intense, short-term intervention model of instruction for students experiencing difficulty in reading. This intervention provides 12-20 week, daily one-to-one series of lessons for first-grade students. Students receive daily 30-minute lessons, taught by specially trained teachers, as a supplement to classroom literacy instruction.

Reading Recovery began in Kentucky in 1988-1989 in one school district. In 2008-2009, Reading Recovery was in 272 schools. In 2001, Kentucky became a certified training site for Teacher Leaders as it met rigorous standards to become a University Training Center (UTC) for Reading Recovery in North America. The United States Department of Education What Works Clearinghouse Institute of Education Sciences research now has documented proof that after 12 to 20 weeks, Reading Recovery works.

The Reading Recovery Center is located at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Judy Embry, Trainer/Director of the University Training Center, directs the training and monitoring of Teacher Leaders throughout the Commonwealth. The basis for rigorous teacher training results from the scientifically-based reading research of the What Works Clearinghouse (released March 2007), indicating that Reading Recovery meets the challenge of closing the gap early, before a cycle of failure begins.

Kentucky’s Reading Recovery for the academic year 2008-2009 has provided intervention services to 3,161 first-grade students in 84 school districts. Three hundred seventy-five Reading Recovery Teachers have assisted in this process (Table 1).

Table 1: Level of Implementation

Reading Recovery is designed to serve the lowest literacy achievers in the first grade. The goal of Reading Recovery is to assist the lowest literacy learners to become independent readers and writers. Students are discontinued when they can complete classroom literacy activities without tutorial assistance and can function independently within the average reading range of their classes.

METHODOLOGY
Data for this study was collected on a random-sample population of first-grade students in a school not receiving Reading Recovery services. This information serves as comparison data and provides an “average” base. If a random-sample student is taken into Reading Recovery during the school year, the student’s data is removed from the random sample. The performances of Reading Recovery students are compared with the academic achievement in reading of the random sample.

When a student exits Reading Recovery, a status category is assigned. The five categories are: 1) Discontinued, 2) Recommended after a full program of 20 weeks, 3) Incomplete program at year’s end, 4) Moved while being served, and 5) None of the above.

Table 2 (below) provides numbers and percentages of students in each category served at the University of Kentucky site.

Table 2: End of Program Status

*Discontinued children who are successful independent readers

 

Of the students receiving Recovery Reading instruction in 2008-2009, 1,937 (77%) became successful readers and writers, enabling them to participate in literacy instruction with the average first-grade students in their classrooms. Of the remaining students who received a fall program, 589 (23%) benefited from this intervention but were unable to reach a level of proficiency needed to successfully discontinue Recovery Reading after 20 weeks.

Four hundred ninety-seven (14%) students received incomplete programs while 172 (5%) either moved to other schools or left the program for other reasons, such as placement in special education, returning to kindergarten, etc.

RANDOM SAMPLE POPULATION OF NON-READING RECOVERY STUDENTS

In 2006-2007, data was collected by the National Data Evaluation Center for the national random sample population for the United States. This information was used to set the average reading band for each of the Kentucky sites. It is important to remember that the Reading Recovery students were the lowest-performing students in the first grade as they began the school year. Figure 2 represents the gain these students made in reading over the course of the school year as compared to the gain of the random sample population.

This study tracks the progress of Reading Recovery students after exiting the program. Reading Recovery students are expected to continue to improve their reading achievement with supportive classroom instruction. Students complete the Observation Survey at the point of discontinuing and at the year’s end. Figure 2 charts this continued growth. The findings indicate that students who were performing in the bottom 20% in reading are now experiencing success.

CONCLUSIONS

The goal of Reading Recovery is to have the lowest 20-25% of the first-grade population reading and writing independently with the average of their peers within a 12-20 week period of time. This site report has addressed the success of the intervention during the 2006-2007 school year. Of the 3,506 students, 76% with full or partial program were discontinued because they achieved reading levels comparable to the average level of their peers. Many students who did not discontinue showed significant gains in all areas of the Observation Survey.

Reading Recovery students participated in programs that were approximately 14 weeks long, averaging 3.6 sessions per week. A continuing challenge is to effectively teach students five sessions per week within a 12 - 20 framework of daily lessons.

TESTIMONIALS

Administrators, parents and teachers endorse the outcomes of Reading Recovery as an effective early intervention model of instruction as evidenced by their supportive comments. Here are a few examples:

Administrators

“Reading Recovery has taught my child to read. Until he got into the program, he would cry each night he had to read. Now he loves it.”

Parent, Knox County Schools

 

“I honestly feel my child would have definitely ‘fallen between the cracks’ without this program. I can’t say enough wonderful things about this program. This program not only helped with reading but all subjects where reading is a major role.”

Parent, Letcher County Schools

 

“This has been a very good program for my child and me. My child no longer hates to read, because she now understands what she is reading. I will never be able to thank Reading Recovery enough for bringing my child closer to reading.”

Parent, Hazard Schools

 

Teachers

“Reading Recovery is a great program. I can really tell a difference in the children who have Reading Recovery and those who do not. The strategies are so powerful. I wish there was a way that all children could learn these strategies.”

Teacher, Knox County Schools

 

“Reading Recovery is a lifesaver for a classroom teacher! When some of my students are already readers and other students don’t know any letter sounds - it really helps to have a Reading Recovery teacher to pull the struggling readers for one-on-one instruction!”

Teacher, Franklin County Schools

 

“Reading Recovery training has helped me see myself as a learner as well as the children I teach. I have learned so much my brain hurt at times! I wouldn’t trade it for anything! I now see reading as a process. It’s about being active, strategic, and independent.”

Teacher, Fayette County Schools

 

“During my training year I have gained more knowledge than in all the in-services, college classes, and seminars I have attended. I’m excited about my profession. I’ve not been this excited in a long time.”

Teacher, Madison County Schools

 

“This program can save drowning readers and change their futures. It is a Godsend for first graders and first-grade teachers. Primary teachers carry a heavy burden of responsibility for getting children off to a good start and impacting their lives forever. Reading Recovery is an amazing resource to positively impact these lives.”

Teacher, Russell Primary School