Recipients of Grants Express Enthusiasm for Reading First

New Orleans

New Orleans in July may not seem an ideal venue for getting 6,000 educators excited about professional development. But teachers, administrators, and literacy coaches from around the country danced to a roving jazz band and joined in Mardi Gras-style revelry at the opening of the second annual national Reading First conference here late last month. The participants, all representing schools sharing in the $1 billion in annual grants from the federal initiative, applauded the program for pumping what recipients say are sorely needed resources into instructional materials, teacher training, and support services for struggling elementary schools.

The conference included 46 sessions on topics related to implementing research-based reading instruction, using assessment data to inform teaching, and meeting the stringent requirements of the law. The sessions were led primarily by officials and staff members of the three regional Reading First Technical Assistance Centers at Florida State University, the University of Oregon, and the University of Texas at Austin, but included practitioners from several states.

The 3½-year-old Reading First program now serves more than 4,700...