Media specialists, instructional coaches, reading teachers, and curriculum specialists gathered at the Liberty County Board of Education August 20th for a seminar called, "Getting the Most Out of Accelerated Reader." Instructors, Deb Allen and Ellen Gadberry, delivered the seminar.
The elementary and middle schools in Liberty County have been using points as a tracking system for rewarding students for their efforts. The seminar drove home the "point" that points equal the amount of practice, but they should not be the driving force for setting across the board goals. The goals for each student should be based on their individual performance. The importance of pre-assessing students using STAR Reading was stressed. Attendees also had a chance to learn about the new RTI features available in STAR Reading. Now students in need of intervention can be spotted early. Teachers can also use STAR Reading to document interventions and student response.
It will be a new process for many of the schools to begin using the STAR test results to set individual reading goals with students. This is a needed change in our schools. The percentage of elementary and middle school students in Liberty County participating the Accelerated Reader is very high. It is time to increase the percentage of students succeeding with Accelerated Reader in Liberty County by using individual goals. Media specialists are armed with the information they need to help their teachers and students succeed!
