READING

Student Achievement in Reading (STAR)
STAR is a reading reform initiative of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education. It includes professional development, tools, and resources to promote effective reading instruction and the development of education systems that support such reading instruction.

STAR is not a reading curriculum. It is a comprehensive Tool Kit and training package built upon evidence-based reading instructional strategies. STAR will help adult education teachers and administrators improve reading outcomes among intermediate-level learners (TABE grade level equivalency 4.0-8.9).

Additional information about the national STAR initiative can be found at www.startoolkit.org.

In the northern region of Illinois, STAR training is delivered through a six-day workshop series offered by the Adult Learning Resource Center. The first time a program becomes involved in STAR, we require that a program team, comprised by an administrator and one or more teachers, attends the training. Implementing evidence-based reading instruction may necessitate changes at a program and/or classroom level that teachers alone are unable to carry out. The ALRC also provides site-based technical assistance as needed to help STAR participants carry out evidence-based reading instruction in their programs and classrooms.

STAR training includes the following six workshops:

Day 1: Overview and Diagnostic Reading Assessment
Day 2: Reading Assessment (cont.) and Introduction to Fluency)
Day 3: Fluency Instruction and Alphabetics Instruction
Day 4: Alphabetics Instruction (cont.) and Vocabulary Instruction
Day 5: Comprehension Instruction
Day 6: Comprehension (cont.) and Classroom Management

Fall 2009 STAR Training Series dates are Sept 25, Oct 2, Oct 16, Oct 30, Nov 6 and Nov 20.

For more information on STAR in the northern Illinois region or to request registration forms, contact:

Laura Bercovitz Lbercovitz@cntrmail.org or
Laurie Martin Lmartin@cntrmail.org
224-366-8500