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The end of the school year is quickly approaching.   FCAT scores will be out in May and then summer vacation is just around the corner.  While a majority of our students will do very well on the FCAT, we will have some that need extra time and help to be properly equipped to face the higher grades. 

Governor Jeb Bush, Lt. Governor Toni Jennings, Deputy Commissioner John Winn, and I will be traveling the state today to tell people about the Read to Learn Initiative.  This is a plan to provide support and additional help for students who are struggling to meet grade level reading skills, and may possibly be retained.

If the student repeats a grade, it does not mean that the student has failed. It does not mean that teachers or parents are not working hard enough. It could mean simply that the child has simply not come far enough, and different approaches and more time are needed. Students who are retained are performing at a substantially lower level than is necessary for success. The purpose of retention is to give students who have substantial reading deficiencies more time and the intensive instruction they need to catch up in reading.

One group of students that will need extra time and help is our third graders who score Level 1 in reading.  As you know, third grade is a pivotal time for our students, because it is when students make the shift from learning to read to reading to learn.  Reading is a fundamental tool that a student must have in order to succeed in later grades and in life.  These students will need intensive help over the summer and next school year in order to get on track towards success. 

 Reading is our number one priority, therefore, students who are struggling with reading in the third grade are our priority.  We have brought together many different resources to provide a comprehensive plan to get these students above out of Level 1.  I am thrilled to report that many of your suggestions have been included in our plan.  A snapshot of our plan includes the following:

* Reading Summer Camps: offered by districts which will provide focused, intensive reading instruction.

* FCAT Explorer: a new, interactive web-based computer module designed specifically for struggling third grade readers.

* Community Involvement: through a partnership with the Governor’s Mentoring Initiative, our goal is to have a mentor for every third grader that scores Level 1.

This summer we will also be holding regional workshops for parents so that they can take an active role to help their child.

* Leadership Seminars: Training sessions for Superintendents, Administrators, and Teachers.

* Public Service Announcements: created to educate the public about the important changes taking place in Florida’s public schools, as well as help direct concerned parents to the Read to Learn web page, which is filled with important information about how to get involved in improving their child’s reading skills.

Another group of students that will also be part of our focus is high school seniors who have not passed the tenth grade FCAT.  Some of these students have already taken the FCAT multiple times, and have still been unsuccessful in mastering tenth grade skills assessed by the FCAT. There are options for them. These include FCAT remediation through local Adult Education programs and the GED Fast Track program, which helps students obtain their GED quickly so that they can still qualify for college enrollment in the fall. 

 For more information on the Read to Learn Initiative, please visit

www.JustReadFlorida.com, and click on the Read to Learn link.  The toll free phone number is 866-FLA-READ.   Please share this information with your students’ parents.  

Sincerely,

Commissioner Jim Horne

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