Literacy Success Using RtI Model in Camden Takes Spotlight at National Title I Conference in Washington, D.C., January 21–24

King of Prussia, Pa.—When attendees visit the American Reading Company booth at this week’s Title I Conferencein Washington, D.C. (January 21–24), they will learn about the success that Camden City Public Schoolsin New Jersey are having with Action 100, the Response to Intervention (RtI) Accountability Model that transforms school cultures to create sustainable reading achievement. Using a 12-step professional development framework, Action 100 provides the training, management, and monitoring systems to ensure intensive reading intervention and teacher learning.

This year, Camden implemented Action 100 in an unprecedented district-wide RtI initiative using Title I funds, under the requirements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Students are already demonstrating measurable gains as Tier II and III action plans have moved struggling readers to reading proficiency (see Courier Poststory). “With extensive and ongoing training from American Reading Company, our teachers are undergoing a transformation,” explains Andrea Gonzalez-Kirwin, Assistant Superintendent. “They are learning the specific skills needed to coach struggling readers to the next level. Our teachers are becoming experts in reading instruction.”

Designed using research-based best practices, Action 100 utilizes:

• Thirty days of side-by-side modeling and coaching of research-supported best practices for both teachers and principals.

• National Standards for Reading as an everyday assessment framework.

• Monitoring systems to track the rate of reading acquisition in real time, by student, classroom, school, district, and subgroup.

• School data walls with action plans for below-level readers, supported by weekly leadership team meetings to discuss progress.

• 100 Book Challenge as the structured, organized independent reading system for home and school to ensure 200 hours of supervised reading practice per year.

The National Title 1 Conference will be held January 21–24 just south of Washington, D.C., at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center. American Reading Company’s Action 100 RtI Accountability Model will be showcased at Booth #415.

About American Reading Company

American Reading Company transforms school cultures to create sustainable academic achievement through training, management, and monitoring. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in King of Prussia, PA. Today, more than a million students in 2,100 schools across 420 districts in 41 states participate in the company’s programs, which include ACTION 100, 100 BOOK CHALLENGE and RESEARCH LABS.

Editor’s Note: To interview American Reading Company or Camden administrators about Action 100, call (215) 884-6499.