Reading Intervention Teacher Initiative

May 2017 CASSPP test scores reveal that 15% of Ravenswood 3rd graders read at grade level. Why are so many children not reaching this milestone? Ravenswood students face greater challenges than students in surrounding communities that make it hard for them to perform at their best in school.
 
In partnership with the Ravenswood City School District, REF is investing in reading intervention teachers. In 2016, REF introduced reading intervention teachers for third through fifth grade students. REF committed $200,000 to support two reading intervention teachers for the 2017-18 school year. The school district matched this investment with two additional teachers.

The teachers spend 50% of their time working with small groups of 3rd - 5th graders - about 50 students per year per teacher - to pinpoint problems and provide interventions for struggling readers, with the specific goal of raising their reading levels to meet grade level standards. The other 50% of their time, they coach English teachers to improve instruction the first time around to all students in a school.

​Thus far in the 2017-18 school year, results are promising. The reading levels of students who received small group instruction grew at a faster rate than students who did not participate in small group instruction. These results demonstrate a step in the right direction!

For the upcoming 2018-2019 school year, REF will support an additional three reading intervention teachers, for a total of seven in the district.

Join us on this important mission to ensure that our students are prepared for high school and beyond with a strong foundation in reading. Contact us at info@ravenswoodef.org. 
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