Camden City Public Schools Announce Historic and Unprecedented District-Wide Reading Initiative Using Federal Stimulus Funding
Kick Off Event For “100 Book Challenge” On September 14, 2009 to Include Mayor Faison, Superintendent Young, Parents, Local Community Leaders, And U.S. Department Of Education Representatives
Camden, N.J.—Camden City Public Schools announced today that all 20 Elementary and Family Schools will participate in 100 Book Challenge, an intensive intervention program proven to dramatically increase student achievement in reading. The initiative will be implemented in approximately 500 classrooms for grades K–8 with over 8,000 participating students.
“This is an historic and unprecedented district-wide implementation in Camden,” says Dr. B. Lefra Young, Superintendent of Schools. “It is our number one priority to ensure that every single student is reading on or above grade level. With a collective effort from Principals, teachers, parents, students, district staff, union leaders, and community members, we are already on our way toward achieving this goal.”
According to Jane Hileman, Founder and CEO of American Reading Company and creator of 100 Book Challenge, “Camden’s commitment to systemic change is evident through the accountability requirements Superintendent Young is placing on every stakeholder.”
Research shows that most students who are behind in reading are behind because they haven’t read enough. In Camden, 60 percent of elementary school students and 75% of middle school students are currently behind. American Reading Company’s “Action 100” intervention model will change this through five key components:
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20 Principals, 100 leadership personnel and nearly 500 teachers will undergo 23 full days of professional development training throughout the school year to master research-based teaching methods that are aligned to the New Jersey state standards for standardized tests.
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Every day students will choose books at their “just right” reading level from their new state-of-the-art classroom libraries. The new libraries are comprised of 15,000 of the very best titles in print from over 250 publishers. Students will read in class for 30 minutes daily while their teacher monitors progress and provides differentiated instruction based on the needs of each child.
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Every day students will also bring “just right” books home from their classroom libraries and read for 30 minutes each night. Parents will sign contracts to be Home Coaches, agreeing to supervise reading at home and sign daily logs that document reading practice.
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The amount of reading practice, or “steps”, for every student will be tracked daily at the school and district levels with data management software and reporting tools. All students will be required to read 800 steps (or 200 hours) annually with the support of trained intervention coaches. When students reach specific targets for time spent reading they will receive milestone awards and public recognition.
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The entire local community, including churches and local businesses, will be enlisted to monitor progress, serve as reading coaches, celebrate milestones, and promote student achievement in reading on a daily basis.
According to Camden Mayor Faison, “The stimulus program is injecting much needed funding into our school district that will create the very type of long term benefits that are stipulated by President Obama. When children are good readers, they are good students, citizens, employees, and they become good employers and leaders. Our entire city is committed to this program.”
“I am delighted to attend the kick-off event for the 100 Book Challenge Literacy Partnership in Camden and look forward to sharing news about this exciting program with US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan,” says Michael Roundtree, U.S. Department of Education Regional Public Affairs Specialist.
Mayor Faison, Superintendent Young, Mr. Roundtree and Ms. Hileman will all attend the Kick-Off Event for 100 Book Challenge Literacy Partnership on September 14, 2009 at 10:00 AM at the Raphael Cordero Molina Elementary School, 601 Vine Street in Camden. Church bells across Camden will ring at 10AM to signal the beginning of this historic reading initiative.
For more information, please contact Bart Leff, Public Information Officer for the Camden City Public School District at 856.966.2649 or Francine Rosenthal, Director Strategic Business Development at American Reading Company at 866.810.2665.
About American Reading Company
American Reading Company transforms school cultures to create sustainable reading achievement through training, management, and monitoring systems. The company was founded in 1998 and is now based in King of Prussia, Pa. Today, more than a million students in 1,800 schools across 420 districts in 40 states participate in the company’s programs. Extensive research results show that 100 Book Challenge has boosted the standardized reading test scores of students and dramatically closed the achievement gap in participating schools. Action 100 is the company’s most comprehensive intervention program to turn around the nation’s lowest-performing schools under the requirements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. For more information, please visit www.americanreading.com.