Literacy

River Road Elementary School/El Camino del Rio

Our current reading program for K-3 (Reading Mastery) presents information in English with no extensions for English Language Learners (ELL). The 4th-5th grade program (McGraw-Hill) provides some instructional directions and supplementary level books in Spanish. A vital component of ELL instruction is the ability to receive information in both languages as capacity builds in English, as well as the need for multiple opportunities to practice and apply new information.

Aside from general circulation library books and some classroom materials, the school is in need of multi-sensory materials, such as CDs in Spanish that reinforce both literacy and math skills.

This grant will be used to purchase math and reading CDs in Spanish for the computer lab.

Why is this project important?

River Road/El Camino del Rio Elementary School is a neighborhood school with approximately 326 students. We are a school-wide Title One school (grades K through 5) with an 85% of our students living in poverty and a 20% English Language Learner (ELL) population. Our current Oregon State Assessment scores reflect a significant achievement gap for our ELL students.
A critical component of any reading program that targets English Language Learners is the ability to present the information in both languages. While the current reading program used in the school provides some extensions for ELL students at the upper grades (4th-5th), there are no extensions for grades K-3. The school has a critical need to extend the curriculum providing more exposure and practice.

As mentioned previously, our ELL students are scoring significantly below their peers on statewide math and reading assessments. Within the daily classroom performances, ELL students require additional doses and practice with basic facts and daily reading in order to keep up with their classmates. Best-practice research suggests that presentations that utilize multi-sensory approaches directly correlate to increased student progress. We believe the addition of computerized learning opportunities is an essential component in closing the achievement gap.

Who and how many will be served:

The CDs will target English Language Learners in grades K-5. We currently have approximately 65 students in the category of English Language Learners and additional students who are fluent in both Spanish and English.

How will you evaluate the success of the program?

Student success will be evaluated in two ways: (1) increased fluency scores on district math and reading screeners given in the spring; and (2) evaluation reports generated by the specific curriculum (CD format).

Does this proposal build upon existing programs at your school?

The purchase of these CDs will augment the existing reading and math programs used in the building. Reading Mastery and McGraw-Hill provide a proven reading curriculum, and Everyday Math provides the same proven program for the average range of learners. The proposed program will provide additional supports for English Language Learners and struggling performers in both reading and math.

How will the funds be spent?

Reading CDs in Spanish; Math CDs in Spanish.