This year has been a banner year for growing and changing when it comes to Accelerated Reader and LCSS. Prior to this year, media specialists, teachers, and students were point driven. Students earned recognition on their ability to earn points alone. Thanks to a wonderful staff development session through Accelerated Reader, LCSS learned the importance of quality reading practice. LCSS also learned that Accelerated Reader can be used as a tool to encourage and celebrate readers of all abilities. Individualized goals, instead of points alone, have helped to motivate and enable all students to succeed. The staff development also taught the media specialists in Liberty County that the classroom teacher is an important part of the successful implementation of AR.
After the professional learning session with Accelerated Reader trainers, LCSS media specialists knew that they had a lot of work ahead. The first task at hand was to retrain the school staff and students on their core AR practices and beliefs. To do this, the participating media specialists gathered to create presentations, handouts, and training materials to share with teachers, students, and parents.
Each media specialist, and in some cases instructional coaches, met with school staff to present the new ideas and practices. Teachers were taught the importance of individualized goals. Teachers learned how to set goals using student STAR Reading results. Teachers learned how to conduct status of the class, and the importance of an average of 85% on practice quizzes was stressed. Helping students select books on an appropriate level became more significant. Celebrating student success for reac
hing goals became a focus, not just recognition of points earned.At Taylors Creek and several other schools, students can see their zone of proximal development on their shelf marker.
Some teachers adopted the new ways of using AR more readily than others. In some schools the transition has been more gradual. There are some teachers that do not want to set the goals. In those cases the media specialist set goals for the students each nine weeks. Convincing teachers to buy in is still a goal to pursue this coming school year. In several of the schools teachers have embraced and taken ownership of student goals, quality reading practice, and status of the class.
In the hallways of Taylors Creek each teacher has a big ice cream cone on the wall near their door. Students earn a scoop with their name for each 100% they earned on a reading practice quiz.
Participants in the professional learning course were asked to document the transition in their schools to show how implementation was impacting teachers and students.
Mrs. Lynn Walker, a literature teacher at Midway Middle School, contributed this quote.
"Since beginning the process of individual goal setting in the AR program, I have seen more students strive to meet the goal set for them with their input. When the same goal was set for all students in the school, many students were finding it difficult to attain. The first quarter of individual goal setting seemed to be successful for those students who were already reading a lot. Many of my students' goals have been modified for the second quarter in order to allow them to be successful. If these minimal goals are achieved during this quarter than a solid increase will be set for the next quarter. As students are allowed to be successful with small steps, I can see them wanting to continue to read more. I think that the individual goal setting is the best way to reward students since not all students will attain the same level. This process seems to be working well."
The journey has been one full of enlightenment and hard work. When comparing the performance of students from last school year to this year it appears the work has paid off.
Elaine Walker, the media specialist at Joseph Martin Elementary, filmed this teacher testimonial about the new changes to Accelerated Reader.
