Presented by: Tanya Braden, SSTR1 Consultant KoAnn Rutter, Elmwood Local Schools 2012 PROJECT MORE CONFERENCE

= M ENTORING IN O HIO FOR R EADING E XCELLENCE  Supplemental Reading Program since 1999  1:1 STRUCTURED reading volunteer mentoring project for students with disabilities  Total of 120 minutes/week (3,840 minutes (60 hrs)/school year!)  Easily adapted to meet the needs of your students, including students at-risk for reading failure and students who are ELL  Works for individual classrooms or building- / district-wide

= M ENTORING IN O HIO FOR READING EXCELLENCE  Aligns with:  IDEIA Early Intervening Services requirement that there should be a greater emphasis on use of intervention services.  Federal three-tiered model for special education and remedial education services as a tier two and tier three-intervention strategy.  No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements to be an effective and affordable tutoring program for schools in academic need, which are required to provide Supplemental Education Services (SES).

= MENTORING IN OHIO FOR READING EXCELLENCE  Supports home-school partnerships  Also provides community service opportunities and fulfills course requirements for university students  Collaborative Partnerships:  Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD)  Ohio Department of Education / Office for Exceptional Children  State Support Teams  currently 250+ schools in Ohio

 Project MORE's Scientifically Based Reading Research is published in the 12/07 issue of Council for Exceptional Childrens Division on Developmental Disabilities "Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities Journal".  According to an independent evaluation conducted by the Center for Evaluation Services, Bowling Green State University during the school years, Project MORE is significantly increasing the reading levels of students with disabilities on both informal and standardized reading assessments.

 Over a 6-year period, the Independent Evaluation of Project MORE by BGSU’s Center for Evaluation Services (CES) consistently revealed that students with specific learning disabilities and cognitive disabilities, and students in Title 1 Reading who were served by the project, made important reading gains.  Two aspects of the reading gains made by Project MORE’s students stand out: 1) For the average MORE student, the reading gains represent month-for- month increases in achievement, an impressive result for students with disabilities, and 2) In nearly 40% of the comparisons between MORE students and similar students with reading disabilities, Project MORE students outperformed comparison students to a statistically significant degree.

 Students show significant progress in oral reading fluency using Pre & Post DIBELS test scores  Students make substantial reading fluency gains within 6 months or less  The program reduces the achievement gap between students with/without disabilities  The program provides resourceful data for intervention teams so they may utilize the information during any IAT, MFE, and IEP processes Results from Elmwood Local Schools, 2008

Project MORE's research and evaluation indicates value added benefits for children with disabilities, their families, schools and communities.

E ffective for student performance A ffordable for schools - less than $1/ mentor hour for partnering schools R eplicable for any school that has a need for reading improvement S ustainable because of low cost, ease of use, and evidence-based

Consider the DATA! Sources?? Any students in need of reading intervention?!

Requirements:  Training: includes 1 full day and ½ day follow-up  The purpose of the Initial Training is to equip principals, teachers, paraprofessionals, etc. in the use of Project MORE in order to improve the reading levels of their students with disabilities.  It is common for a school to send 3-4 staff (including principal)  Purchase reading-tutors license SUPPORTS: 2 training manuals, follow-up support, website resources, individual consultation

NEXT INITIAL TRAINING: Thursday, May 24th, 2012 Putnam County ESC, 124 Putnam Parkway, Ottawa, OH :45-9 Registration, 9-2:30 Initial Training and working lunch Please register by 2:00 Thursday, May 17 th to Debby Ambroza, Please bring your own drinks and lunch OR $7.00 to cover a lunch that you choose from a local restaurant.

Contact Amy Freeman, Project MORE Director Putnam County Educational Service Center Ext