Butler County Schools, Greenville, Alabama Mike Looney, Superintendent Rita Wright, Assistant Superintendent C&I

1. Improving Reading from the District Office:Motivating, Monitoring, and Maximizing LearningThrough the Renaissance Learning Lighthouse Project Butler County Schools, Greenville, Alabama Mike Looney, Superintendent Rita Wright, Assistant Superintendent C&I

2. Butler County School District • Demographics • 7 Schools • 3,450 Students K-12 • 61% Minority • 78% F/R Lunch • Total 268 Certified Staff August 2005 August 2008 AYP still an issue 1/7 Schools in SI Special Ed Gains in Reading for Every Subgroup in Grades 3-8 • 5/7 Schools in School Improvement • District in Improvement

3. Renassiance Lighthouse Project • Invitation Only • Designed to provide extra support to districts willing to serve as ‘best practice’ sites for Renaissance Products • Expectation of exemplary implementation and support for AR • Also pilot new products, help with ‘debugging’, etc.

4. Why Accelerated Reader? • Past Experiences in other Districts • Research Base • Time Spent Reading • Guided Reading • Motivating Students • Accountability • Center Time • Reduce ‘down’ time

5. Implementation Challenges • Past AR Practices in District • ‘Using AR’ for years with no gains • No Expectation of GUIDED reading • No training in Best Practices, Power Lessons, etc. • Change to RenPlace • Time and Money • ‘Wasting’ Instructional Time • Printing TOPS Reports • Library Access EVERY day • High Schools!

6. Overcoming Challenges • Professional Development! • Clear Expectations from District • Discuss in Administrator Meetings • Review Data • Curriculum Pacing Guides / GPMEI • Required Reading (5 books per 9 weeks) • Power Lessons aligned • Provide Resources • Ink/paper • Power Lesson Books • Library Funds • Monitoring • Dashboard • Walkthroughs • Motivating • Incentives • Trips • Cookouts • AR supplies • Stipends • Recognition • Emails • Newsletter

7. Components • SEL/Star Assessments • Goal Setting • GUIDED Reading • Monitored Reading • Motivation for students AND teachers • Accountability for results

8. Implementation • Professional Development • Clear Expectations from District • Discuss in Administrator Meetings • Review Data • Curriculum Pacing Guides / GPMEI • Required Reading (5 books per 9 weeks) • Power Lessons aligned • Provide Resources • Ink/paper • Power Lesson Books • Library Funds

9. Challenges of AR • Past AR Practices in District • ‘Using AR’ for years with no gains • No Expectation of GUIDED reading • Focus on points not reading improvement • No training in Best Practices, Power Lessons, etc. • Change to RenPlace • Time and Money • ‘Wasting’ Instructional Time • Printing TOPS Reports • Library Access EVERY day • High Schools!

10. Relationship of AR to Goals • Maximizing • Student reading achievement increasing • Monitoring • Dashboard • Walkthroughs • PD • Motivating • Incentives • Trips • Cookouts • AR supplies • Stipends • Recognition • Emails • Newsletter

11. Positive Impact of AR • READING volume increase • Reading Achievement increase • ‘Friendly’ competition • Positive parental involvement • Home Connect

15. Data and Success Indicators

20. Implementation Gains

21. By the Numbers

26. Classroom Responders • Available for every school • Provided training on use in classroom • Modeling use in faculty meetings, professional development, board meetings • Increase in student engagement • Used for • Discussion • assessment

27. Questions?Contact Information Rita Wright, Assistant Superintendent Rita.wright@butlerco.k12.al.us