Fall 2004 News
Dr. Vaughn and Dr. Linan-Thompson Celebrate New Book
Dr. Sharon Vaughn and Dr. Sylvia Linan-Thompson held a book signing of their newly published book Research Based Methods of Reading Instruction, Grades K-3. The full story is available on the College of Education Web site.
Middle School Reading
The Middle School Reading Project is in discussion with Austin ISD about working with 2-4 classes of eighth grade struggling readers in mid January at Webb Middle School. The Project is continuing to refine the intervention.
Texas Reading First
Coaching Institutes were held on November 5 and 8th at the Education Service Center, Region 20 for San Antonio area Reading First Schools. Hondo, Medina Valley, South San, and Pleasanton ISD were among the districts whose elementary principals and reading coaches were in attendance for guidance on leadership, coaching, and communication.
The Texas Education Agency and its university partners are hosting a two-day institute for all newly-funded (Cycle 2) Reading First school districts, campuses, and charter schools. Participating will be district-level Reading First staff and the Campus Leadership Teams from each school (the principal, the local campus coach, a K-3 teacher, and a special education teacher). This Institute will assist district-level administrators, principals, coaches, and teachers with the "Big Ideas" of Texas Reading First. Details: December 6-7, 2004 at the Downtown Hilton in Austin.
Spotlight 3-Tier
Project activity is accelerating for the Spotlight 3-Tier team. The 2-day kick-off event is tentatively scheduled for January 24-25, 2004 in which participating schools and representatives from Education Service Centers across the state will receive an overview of the 3-Tier model and be introduced to the technology component.
Parent focus group meetings are being planned for December and January. Participating parents will have the opportunity to provide input into the 3-Tier parent booklet.
School selection will be finalized within the next month, which will be difficult because many schools have applied to be part of the project.
SERP-Math
The SERP-Mathematics team is engaged in a series of activities related to core mathematics instruction including identifying appropriate instruction for struggling students. The team is researching different mathematics basals that are used by school districts in Texas. Analyses of these basals are underway to identify inclusion of the critical features of effective instruction. Also, the team will be administering screening and diagnostics assessments to identify kindergarten and first grade students who are at risk for mathematics difficulties. The team will collaborate with kindergarten and first grade teachers to identify appropriate adaptations for core instruction to help struggling students learn TEKS objectives.
Scale-Up
Scale-Up has more than 40 teachers in schools as far north as Dallas and as far south as Luling who are implementing Responsive or Proactive reading interventions. A project newsletter has been developed and will be regularly updated and sent to schools to keep principals and teachers abreast of project news and events.
An exciting component of the project studies coaching provided to the intervention teachers. Teachers were randomly assigned to receive either a) conventional on-site coaching; b) coaching "on demand" where the teacher must contact the coach to ask questions or ask for a visit (VGC doesn't initiate anything); or c) a technology-based coaching approach built on the model of the Teacher Reading Academies but with expanded applications to enable more complete coaching applications.
Texas HEC
The team members of Texas HEC are busy visiting instructors around the state. HEC members are continuing to integrate scientifically based reading research into their courses. Currently, the project is focusing on assisting member institutions to increase collaboration with Texas Reading First schools.
HEC will be hosting an Early Childhood Literacy seminar with Dr. Randi O'Conner from the University of California-Riverside and Dr. Susan Landry from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston on November 15th in Houston and an orientation seminar for new members in Dallas on February 22nd and 23rd with Candace Anderson from ESC 20 and Dr. Jan Hasbrouck, consultant for Washington Reading First.
Center Named in Honor of Vaughn Gross
The University of Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts would like to announce and celebrate our new name. We are transitioning to the Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and Language Arts at The University of Texas at Austin.
The Center has been renamed in honor of Vaughn Gross, a longtime educator; the former principal of Hamilton Park Pacesetter Magnet School in the Richardson, Texas school district; and a former assistant superintendent of the Richardson ISD. Mrs. Gross and her husband, Tex, are dedicated to the continuing development of teachers and their students. The Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and Language Arts will continue working to enhance educators' knowledge of scientifically based reading research and effective instructional practice.
We sincerely appreciate Vaughn and Tex Gross's support of The University of Texas College of Education.