Summary Of California Reading Task Force Report



Recommendation 1: Every school and district must organize and implement a comprehensive and balanced reading program that is research-based and combines skills development with literature and language-rich activities

• Comprehensive and balanced reading program and oral language development
  
  
• Research based
  
  
• Systematic skills instruction through literature
  
  
• Provide for individual differences
  
  
• Spelling within context of reading and writing activities
  
  
• Primary language literacy development
  
  
• Varied, flexible grouping strategies
  
  
• All students read at grade level by end of third grade
  

Recommendation 2: Schools and districts must provide every teacher with a repertoire of diagnostic tools to continuously monitor and modify instruction, to ensure every child's optimal development, and to identify students who need help in reading

• In K, 1, and 2 assessment needs to focus upon individual rather than group standardized tests
  
  
• Assessment should be both formal and informal
  
  
• Need to have a variety of assessment methods
  
  
• Assessment used need/must be appropriate for each grade
  
  
• Teachers work in grade level teams
  

Recommendation 3: Schools must have an effective, rigorous, proven intervention program as part of their comprehensive literacy plan for instruction with an emphasis on early intervention for children by mid-first grade

• Early intervention by mid-first grade
  
  
• Schools need action plan for students not meeting performance standards; one-on-one
  
  
• Students with serious difficulties should be assisted by well trained personnel. Students should read and write daily
  
  
• Instructional intervention prior to special education referrals
  

Recommendation 4: California must promptly establish clear standards in reading at each grade level and develop and implement a state-level assessment system that identifies to what extent students and schools are meeting these standards

• State standards need to be correlated to national standards; established for grades 4, 8, and 10
  
  
• Grade level standards consistent with comprehensive literacy program (reading, writing, speaking, and listening); includes special education students
  
  
• Districts develop own local, consistent with state and national
  

Recommendation 5: The state educational agencies and teacher training institutions must redesign teaching credential programs and require ongoing staff development in reading for all classroom teachers

• Identify changes needed in teaching credential programs
  
  
• Preservice/in-service programs need to reflect a team approach (school, district, county, IHE)
  
  
• Begin teaching credential requirements as part of B.A. degree
  
  
• All K-12, special education teachers and administrators-in-training candidates receive additional coursework in reading instruction and evaluating teaching of reading
  
  
• Mentor teacher and teacher training institutions must coordinate activities
  
  
• Staff development which includes follow-up in classroom application if preferable
  
  
• Use of telecommunication technology facilitates staff development
  

Recommendation 6: A high quality preschool experience should be available to all children and must be provided to every low income child

• Support and implementation of beginning reading skills in all pre-school programs
  
  
• Child development teacher should have access to, knowledge of, and ability to implement prereading program
  
  
• Families and preschool program must form a mutual support of each other for reinforcement of early reading skills
  
  
• A curriculum developed on the State level to address and strengthen collaboration between pre-school and K-12 program ensuring a smooth transition into kindergarten
  

Recommendation 7: Districts must supply a large number of high quality, appropriate print and electronic instructional materials

• Statewide and local initiatives to make appropriate reading materials available
  
  
• Every classroom should have 1500 books
  
  
• Balanced collection of reading materials; no basalization
  
  
• Technology used to support reading program, staff development, and involvement of parents
  
  
• Textbook adoption aligned with Reading Task Force report
  
  
• Support libraries; school libraries should support instruction
  

Recommendation 8: Every school and district must mobilize all its resources to make reading a priority in the elementary grades

• Establish reading as a high District priority
  
  
• Focus of primary grade instruction must be reading; include increased instructional time, increased student-teacher contact time, flexible grouping, and staffing for early intervention
  
  
• In kindergarten, 1/3 of day language arts; 1/2 of day in early primary grades
  
  
• Class size of less than 20 students
  

Recommendation 9: The entire community must work together to ensure that every child can read

• Encourage public involvement to solve the reading crisis and to promote success in public schools
  
  
• Hold public meetings - comprehensive reading program, solicit support, review State reading achievement
  
  
• Families/business and community groups, educational partnerships/Adopt-A-School Program
  
  
• Collaboration to ensure student attendance
  
  
• Volunteer programs and training
  
  
• California Public School Library Protection Fund donation check-off box on State income tax forms
  

Recommendation 10: The california legislature, the governor, the california department of education, and the california state board of education must recognize that reading is the highest priority in california schools and resources must be allocated to provide the necessary support to teach reading in every public school

• Government agencies and allocation of resources
  
  
• Direct resources to achieve reading success
  
  
• Increase funding/reallocate existing funding
  
  
• Summer school fund reallocate for reading
  
  
• Revise the English Language Arts Framework
  
  
• The California Education Code should be reviewed
  
  
• Review of administrative requirements placed on schools
  
  
• Inter-organizational collaboration to enact any legislation necessary to implement the Task Force recommendations