Bringing Project MORE to Your Neighborhood – Establishing the Urgency and Buy-In

1. Bringing Project MORE to Your Neighborhood – Establishing the Urgency and Buy-In Heather Stewart, Region 4 State Support Team

2. Heather Stewart • Teacher • Reading Specialist • Literacy Specialist • SST Consultant • Momma

3. Special Education Conference 2010 Attended Break-Out Sessions: • SST/OEC updates • Response to Intervention • Least Restrictive Environment • Differentiating Instruction Looked for Something Special: • What is this Project MORE?

4. Overview • MORE: Mentoring in Ohio for Reading Excellence • A supplementary, 1:1 reading mentoring project designed for students with disabilities and volunteers • Adheres to the National Reading Panel’s criteria and the Five Big Ideas • It has EARS – Effective, Affordable, Replicable, & Sustainable • Researched with statistically significant reading results

5. Top Ten Reasons for Choosing Project MORE • Children with disabilities learn to read • Project MORE is scientifically based reading research • Encourages high expectations for all students • Provides 1:1 volunteer instruction at individual student’s reading level in grades K-4 • Offers 30 minute sessions four times per week for 128 sessions during school hours • Significantly improves reading levels of diverse elementary learners • Reinforces home/school connection • Requires minimal local school funds • Strengthens community awareness and relations • Works for individual classroom or building-wide

6. What I heard… • One-to-one Intervention • Research-Based Reading Instruction • Appropriate Materials • Helping struggling readers • Data that showed increased performance for SWD And…Cheap, cheap, CHEAP! So… I went up and talked to that high-energy lady 

7. Getting Started • Special Education Director’s Meeting • Curriculum Director’s Meeting • Email Correspondence • Personal Visits • Initial Training Planned

8. Sense of Urgency & Buy In • Set purpose for meeting • Establish school improvement goals • Discuss what is currently working and not working • Identifying Mentor resources available • Showcase Materials

9. Email Example Good Afternoon, SST 4 is sponsoring the Initial Project MORE training. Attached is the flyer for the event. Project MORE, Mentoring in Ohio for Reading Excellence, is a scientifically based reading research volunteer reading mentoring project for students with disabilities. The 60$ fee for the Project gets you training by Project MORE, access to Tutoring A-Z, one full set of originals of all of the materials that supports up to 16 students. The project requires that schools serve a minimum of 8 children with disabilities using Reading-tutors. Other children who are struggling readers, including Title 1 students, may be included once eight children with disabilities are served. Visit Project MORE for more information. http://ohioprojectmore.org/ Please contact me any time if you would like more information about the project or would like to have a Resource Folder that has more information, lesson examples, and student books/activities. Many Thanks, Heather

10. Materials for Visits • Project MORE tri-fold • Project MORE info documents • Requirements • Article(s) • Student Folder Example Be Prepared!

11. SST Support • Host Initial Training and Follow-Up • Preparing Materials • Reviewing student testing data • Mentor Training • Parent Meetings • Staff Meetings • Trouble-shooting

12. Examples

13. What Have I Learned? • Communication is very important • Build and capitalize on relationships • Make connections to OIP, School Improvement, Race to the Top • Get help with Materials  • Start with students in mind

14. Why We Do This Work

15. Questions?

16. Thank you! Please contact me any time: Heather Stewart 440-350-2563 ext. 753 hstewart@lakeesc.org