About
the National Reading Panel (NRP)
NRP
Meetings Archive
| Regional Meetings
July 9, 1998
Jackson, MS
Meeting Minutes
Introduction
The National Reading Panel met in Jackson
on Thursday, July 9, 1998 in the William B. Murrah High
School Auditorium.
The Jackson meeting was chaired by
Panelist Gloria Correro. Those Panelists also in attendance
were Donald Langenberg, Gwenette Ferguson, Norma Garza,
Michael Kamil, and Timothy Shanahan.
The meeting was called to order at
10:04 a.m. by George Gaines, liaison officer for the
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Langenberg,
chair of the National Reading Panel, offered welcoming
remarks and introduced the members of the Panel.
Dr. Correro also offered welcoming
remarks and explained the purpose of the National Reading
Panel. She also explained that the presentations that
individuals make are limited to 20 minutes, with 10
additional minutes for questions from the Panel. Following
the scheduled presentation, the floor would be opened
for public comment, which would be limited to five minutes
per person.
Jayne Sargent, Jackson Public Schools
The Panel first heard from Jayne Sargent,
Superintendent of Jackson Public Schools.
Dr. Sargent welcomed the Panel to Jackson
and explained that the Panel would hear about specific
reading efforts in Jackson schools later in the day.
She summarized the Panel’s efforts as offering
a national view of reading instruction that will eventually
strengthen instructional techniques.
James Davis, Office of U.S. Senator
Thad Cochran
The Panel next heard from James Davis,
executive assistant to U.S. Senator Thad Cochran of
Mississippi. Davis read a letter from Senator Cochran
to the Panel.
Senator Cochran wrote that through
the combined efforts of concerned citizens, the Panel
could offer a practical direction to help "eradicate
the problems directly attributable to a lack of reading
skills."
William Winter, Former Governor of
Mississippi
The Panel next heard from William Winter,
the former governor of Mississippi.
Winter spoke about the importance of
early childhood education. He said it was important
to have children read early, and stressed the value
of kindergarten. Ultimately, reading education has to
start at a very early age in the home. He said that
many children, especially those from poor families,
come to school unprepared to learn. He also noted that
there is a close relationship between early childhood
education, and elementary education, and secondary education,
and college and university education. This relationship
led to a cooperative education effort in Mississippi
from pre-kindergarten through post-graduate education.
David Denton, Southern Regional Education
Board
The Panel next heard from David Denton,
Director of Health and Human Services Program of the
Southern Regional Education Board (SREB).
Denton said that reading has been a
top priority of SREB for several years. He said that
as the Panel seeks to identify valid research in reading,
they need to recognize that knowledge is not static,
and that there will be new research that will inevitably
alter the understanding of today's research findings.
Denton said that NICHD research has "provided invaluable
knowledge about how good readers read, and why many
children do not become good readers." He stressed
that phonemic awareness is a critically important skill
that all good readers must master and that a majority
of children will master this skill regardless of the
type of reading instruction they receive.
He said that a flexible, multi-faceted
approach to reading is the only right way to teach reading,
based on what is known today. Teachers also need to
have a full range of instructional tools at their disposal.
Dana Thames, University of Southern
Mississippi
The Panel next heard from Dana Thames,
Director of the Center for Literacy and Assessment at
the University of Southern Mississippi.
Thames focused on the issue of educating
those in higher education institutions who are responsible
for pre-professional teacher education. She said that
teacher-training institutions in Mississippi provide
pre-professional teachers and faculty of colleges of
education training in the various reading methodologies,
focusing efforts on "learning to read" and
"reading to learn" skills. She noted that
some of the major factors forming the attitudes of new
teachers are a lack of appreciation for their work,
lack of cooperation on the part of families, inadequate
guidance from those who serve as student teacher mentors,
and local and state accountability requirements and
school accreditation.
Susan Rucker, Mississippi Department
of Education
The Panel next heard from Susan Rucker,
Director of the Office of Instructional Development
for the Mississippi Department of Education.
Rucker discussed the Mississippi Reading
Initiative. The Mississippi Reading Initiative has four
goals: the first one deals with early childhood; the
second is that every third grader reads at grade level;
the third goal is to increase reading levels for middle
school and high school students; and the fourth goal
to raise student reading levels to the national average
within the next decade.
She said there were several things
that Mississippi had to do to deal with its problems,
including collaboration, working with institutions of
higher learning, and working with the business community.
She also stressed the need for research-based
findings and for a focus on professional development.
Steve Bingham, Southeastern Regional
Vision for Education (SERVE)
The Panel next heard from Steve Bingham
of SERVE, a consortium of educators in the southeast
United States – North and South Carolina, Georgia,
Florida, Alabama, Mississippi.
He detailed several strategies that
SERVE is using in its reading initiative. These strategies
include: identification of commonalties; alignment of
curriculum, instruction, and assessment; use of fluid
grouping, and regrouping of students in small classes;
sustained professional development; parental and community
involvement in literacy activities; intensive early
intervention for at-risk students; supportive and collegial
professional relationships; and strong leadership.
He also identified the needs of the
classroom. These needs include: reading program purpose,
goals, and expected student outcomes need to be agreed
upon; the reading program needs to be consistent across
a school, not just a classroom; texts and other materials
need to fit the program goals; instruction needs to
be individualized, with some students needing more support
than others; students need to read frequently; students'
progress needs to be assessed and documented in an ongoing
fashion; teachers need more knowledge of reading research;
teachers need continuous feedback on how to apply new
instructional approaches; reading needs to be considered
a cross-disciplinary skill; and strategies need to be
modeled.
Recess
Following a lunch break from 11:53
a.m. to 1:03 p.m., Dr. Correro re-opened the meeting.
Mike Walters, Mississippi Association
of School Superintendents
The Panel next heard from Mike Walters,
Director of the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents.
He detailed Mississippi education efforts
over the last several decades, noting that it was recently
determined that the real problem was that the state
did not have the right reading program. He said the
state fell into the trap of thinking that new book series
would make students read at higher levels. He said the
state has now established strict methods of accountability,
bought the best programs available, tested every person
that would stand still for it, and sent the teachers
back to school. But the state still has too many children
who don't read at acceptable levels.
To remedy this, Walters said that future
changes must be fundamental and systemic. Additional
testing, technology, curriculum alterations will not
result in the "quantum leaps" in achievement
the state must seek. To remedy the situation, teachers
must be seen not as the problem, but as the solution,
and early childhood education must be stressed.
Grey Ferris, Mississippi Senate Education
Committee
The Panel next heard from Senator Grey
Ferris, Chairman of the Mississippi Senate Education
Committee.
He said that the state has established
reading education as its number one priority, noting
how intimidating the challenge is with such a strong
correlation between low socioeconomic data and the ability
of a child to read. Ferris said he was encouraged by
the fact that there seems to be a consensus among research
that indicates if you do certain things, if you take
certain steps, you are going to very positively impact
the ability of a child to read.
Mississippi has adopted a series of
accreditation standards and has required each school
district to develop a reading plan to address the deficiencies
of their students. Ferris said the state has emphasized
early childhood education and professional development
efforts.
Tina Scholtes, Starkville Public Schools
The Panel next heard from Tina Scholtes,
a teacher for the Starkville Public Schools and the
1998 Mississippi Teacher of the Year.
Scholtes said the most important aspect
in teaching reading to young children is to teach to
the individual child. Children should be taught at their
instructional level whenever possible. She detailed
the success Starkville schools have had through their
inclusion program and the use of the "Success For
All" program, noting that test scores have risen
significantly for her students.
Martha Roberts, Jackson Public Schools
(JPS)
The Panel next heard from Martha Roberts,
Executive Director of Curriculum and Instructional Services
for Jackson Public School District.
Roberts detailed the systemic plan
JPS has developed for reading education. The plan stressed
the adoption of reading readiness strategies, parental
involvement, collaboration, and providing expanded learning
time for students in need. She said that caregivers
of pre-school children and parents have a very important
role in preparing students for school, that teachers
and administrators in these agencies must be well-trained
and knowledgeable of what children need, and methodology
and resources must support the very important task of
preparing children for school.
Jo Prather, Mississippi Reading Association
The last speaker was Jo Prather, the
past President of the Mississippi Reading Association
and Curriculum Director for Madison County Schools.
Prather stressed the importance of
professional development, noting that it should be supported
by adequate research and resources. She said the Mississippi
Reading Association works with the state legislature
to identify ways to support teachers and reading education
in Mississippi. She detailed the work the Mississippi
Reading Association had done with the state’s schools,
reaching out to local districts and schools to identify
the best ways to improve test scores.
She said that the MRA and the International
Reading Association want to be sure that children are
fluent and that they integrate reading and writing skills.
Recess
Following a break from 2:26 p.m. to
2:42 p.m., Dr. Correro invited those present to provide
public comments.
Carolyn Staley
The first public commenter was Carolyn
Staley, Deputy Director of the National Institute for
Literacy. She said it was important to look at adult
literacy efforts as well as those of children. She also
noted the need to make effective teacher preparation
for reading available.
Sandra Britt
The Panel next heard from Sandra Britt,
past President of the Learning Disabilities Association
of America. She said that LDA is concerned about the
number of individuals with learning disabilities who
have not learned to read, and are currently not learning
to read in school. She said that selecting the appropriate
program for each student is not a simple matter, and
requires a careful assessment of where the student is
in the developmental process.
Jane Haya Brantley
The Panel next heard from Jane Haya
Brantley, representing Rigby Professional Development,
a non-product-specific division of Rigby Education.
She said that much has been learned about the reading
process, and there is sufficient knowledge about how
to improve students' reading. The problem, she said,
is that teachers are not being given the information
they need to make the proper decisions in their classrooms.
Shirley Tipton
The Panel next heard from Shirley Tipton,
representing the Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities.
She said that an adherence to one type of instruction,
whether it be whole language, phonics, or other methods,
excludes whole groups of children and adults who simply
can't grasp the concepts of that one method.
Alexis Dean
The Panel next heard from Alexis Dean,
representing the Mississippi Library Commission. She
provided written information on some of the grant projects
in which libraries throughout Mississippi have been
involved.
Kay Clay
The Panel next heard from Kay Clay,
Deputy Superintendent for the Forest County School District
in Forest County, Mississippi and a representative of
Reading Is Fundamental. She detailed the RIF program
and stressed the need to make reading "fun"
for new readers.
C.E. Craft
The Panel next heard from C.E. Craft,
representing McComb School District. He read a letter
from Dr. Pat Cooper, Superintendent of the McComb School
District. The letter noted that McComb schools are focusing
on a school health program that will provide every child
the opportunity to learn by ensuring that the student
is physically, mentally and emotionally healthy.
Carmelita Williams
The Panel next heard from Carmelita
Williams, Professor in the School of Education at Norfolk
State University, director of the Reading Partners Clinic,
and newly elected Vice President of the International
Reading Association. She said universities play a key
role in producing the kind of teachers that make a difference
in the classroom. She then detailed the work of the
Reading Partners Clinic, noting that its focus is to
make reading fun and enjoyable for new readers.
Barbara Benford
The Panel next heard from Barbara Benford,
a retired teacher from Humphries County School District.
She detailed many of the changes she has seen in the
schools because of school consolidation, especially
the long transportation times for students.
Mary Scherff
The Panel next heard from Mary Scherff
of the Louisiana State Board of Education. She detailed
some of the work the State of Louisiana has done over
the last 13 years to help the learning disabled, including
adopting legislation to require identification and treatment
of students who are dyslexic. She said that teachers’
time should not be wasted with inadequate and inappropriate
staff development.
Mary Ann Graczyk
The Panel next heard from Mary Ann
Graczyk, President of the Mississippi American Federation
of Teachers, Paraprofessionals, and School-Related Personnel,
AFL-CIO. She said there must be school and school district
systemic conditions of support in place. Further, she
said, teachers must be allowed necessary planning time.
She also said that poverty cannot be used as an excuse
for lack of achievement.
Steve Miller
The Panel next heard from Steve Miller,
a Rutgers University researcher representing the Scientific
Learning Corporation. He stressed the importance of
recognizing that problems with syntax and semantics
are the number one risk factors in children who are
preschool age. He said that direct instruction in language
and phonologic awareness training are key in structuring
reading programs.
Mary Hardy
The Panel next heard from Mary Hardy,
representing the Mississippi PTA. She asked the Panel
to help promote the importance of reading to parents
and the community by making it visible.
Janice Cate
The Panel next heard from Janice Cate,
a teacher of English as a Second Language at Spann Elementary
School in Jackson. She said that the schools need teachers
who love reading. Schools need to supply more quality
children's books for the school libraries and need to
establish classroom libraries. She said that teachers
also need the time to observe other teachers and to
plan their lessons.
Rita Martinson
The Panel next heard from Rita Martinson,
a Mississippi State Representative and a member of the
Mississippi House Education Committee. She said it was
important for the Panel to get its findings not just
to teachers and administrators, but to parents as well.
Kathy Grace
The Panel next heard from Kathy Grace,
former Early Childhood Coordinator for the Mississippi
Department of Education. She said it was important that
the Panel offer a report that is different from those
that have come from previous groups. The report should
look at brain research and should see reading as a societal
issue, instead of just an educational issue.
Dawn Tyler
The Panel next heard from Dawn Tyler,
an eighth grade reading teacher in Noxubee County. Tyler
spoke about the problem of eighth grade students not
reading at grade level. She said the Panel needs to
recognize that reading education continues beyond the
third grade.
Nadine Coleman
The Panel next heard from Nadine Coleman,
director of the Petal School District parenting center.
She discussed the work of the parenting center, noting
that it offers a number of early intervention programs
for young readers. She said the Panel not only needs
to identify methods, but also needs to promote funding
for the implementation of those methods.
Kim Patterson
The last speaker of the day was Kim
Patterson, representing the Mississippi Writing Thinking
Institute, one of about 160 national writing project
sites in the nation. She discussed the importance of
helping classroom teachers discover for themselves,
through research, those strategies that work best with
students.
Conclusion
Dr. Correro then offered closing remarks,
thanking those who had attended and who had made the
meeting possible. She assured the audience that their
written and verbal statements would be shared with the
Panelists who were not able to attend.
The National Reading Panel regional
meeting in Jackson concluded at 4:18 p.m.
Registered Attendees of Jackson Regional
Meeting
Name - Affiliation
Ophelia R. Kelley - Jackson State University
Carmelita K. Williams - Norfolk State University
Reuben Dilura - Mississippi State University
Flavol Rester - Jefferson Davis County Schools
Bertrand Antoine - Greenwood Public Schools
Dianne Walker - Gulfport School District
Ronnie Barne - Gulfport School District
Charlotte Reeves - Attala County School District
Floyd Morgan - Attala County School District
Barbara Benford - Humphreys Co. School District
Mary Ann L. Graczyk - Mississippi AFT
Georgia Murphy - Jackson Public Schools
Carole Dye - Jackson Public Schools
William Washburn - Blue Mountain College
Peggy Eurra - University of Miss. School of Education
William H. Graven - Miss. State University School of
Education
Linda Anglin - Mississippi Professional Educators
Byron Ramsey - MSU
Wanda Hutchinson - MSU
Debra Prince - MSU
Walter B. Garseulin - MSU
Tanza Brown - Rankin County Schools
William McHenry
Barbara McCrory
Johana Frey - Hollandale School District
Carla S. Gray
William Hunter
Steve Miller - Scientific Learning, Rutgers University
O. Edie Jack - Mississippi Valley State University
Mary Scherff - LA State Board of Education
Jane Hodgen - Mississippi University of Women
Jether M. Clay
Jert Beuf - Fargo City Schools
Lisa Shelley - Governors Office of Literacy
Rebecca Leurger - Yope City Schools
Shirley Cartfidje - MS PTA, Yazoo City
Paul Jacobs - Mississippi State University
Vivian Taylor - JSU
Jerry Kitchings - Cleveland School District
Rev. Arnold Panctate - Vista
Capucine Tang Robinson - Mississippi Early Childhood
Association
Pater Moore - East Central Community College
Kirin Patterson - Mississippi Writing/Thinking Institute
Kay Clay - National Reading is Fundamental
Linda Irby - Mississippi Department of Education
Lisa Hull - Lauderdale County Schools
Elaine Richardson - Lauderdale County Schools
Esther Egley
Damitrine Rabbin
Shirley Lipton - Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities
Lisa Attkisson - Vine Street Elementary
Ida Ballard - Great Source Education Group
Nadine Coleman
Sandra Britt
James A. Walters - Jones County Schools
Lavonda Neece - Meridian Public Schools
Evelyn B. Homan - New Albany Public Schools
Mary Hardy - Mississippi PTA
Eugene F. Martin - Mississippi State University
Linda Jones - Mississippi State University
Nancy Vechoek-Miller - Mississippi State University
Leanne A. Wing - Lincoln County Schools
Julie Christopher - St. Richard Elementary
Stacy Kaiser - St. Richard Elementary
Alison Doty - Mississippi Department of Education
Tammy G. Fairstrom - Lawrence County School District
Carl Martray - USM College of Education & Psychology
Janice Cate - Jackson Public Schools
Rep. Rita Martenson
Edith Robinson - Desoto County Schools
Mattie Gray - Winona Public Schools
Josephine M. Posey
Dawn F. Tyler
E.E. Costa - Delta State University
Tony Hailey - Delta State University
Sue Jones - Madison County School Department
Cheryl Thomas - Meridian Public Schools
Janet Honda - Starkville School District
Dianne Kriz - Laurel School District
Andrea Zale - Campus Link
Laura B. Jones
Katherine L. Luca - Rankin County School District
Pamela Hunt - Boyd Elementary
Deloise Jones - Jackson Public Schools
Hope Ladipo - Jackson Public Schools
Carolyn Reeves-Kazelskis - University of Southern Mississippi
Jan Bustin - Jones County School District
Rebecca A. Sykes
Laverne Allen - Jackson State University
Jo McCutcheon - Dhew School District
Tommy Henderson - Clinton Public School District
Cassandra Washington - Mississippi ETV
Pamela Berbeucht - Mississippi ETV
K. Biti Acoore
Suzanne French - Rankin County School District
James A. Davis
Cindy H. Jones
Sandi George - Starkville School District
Tammy Butler - Starkville Schools
Lisa Anderson - Starkville Schools
Claudette Richard - Holmes County Schools
Linda Sullenberger - JPS Boyd (Reading Recovery)
Sue Smith - Lamar County Schools
D. Johnson - Lamar County Schools
Tom Taylor
Peggy L. Crowell - Jackson Public Schools
Brenda Konnell
Sammy Felton - Greenville Public School District
Henriette L. Allen - Masa
Annee Loary - MVSL
Nancy Senter - State Department
Jimmy Boswell Scott Foresmann Addison West
Pat Rigsby - Scott Foresmann Addison West
C.E. Craft
Cathy Grace
Marilyn Lowe
Carlolyn Staley - National Institute for Literacy
Martha Roberts - Jackson Public School District
Jo Prather - Madison County Schools
Jayne Sargent - Jackson Public Schools
Susan Rucker - Mississippi State Department of Education
Mike Walters - Miss. Assoc. of School Superintendents
William Winter
Dana Shames - USM
James Davis - Senator Cochran
David Denten - Southern Regional Education Board
Tina Scholtes - Starkville School System
Steve Bingham - SERVE
Tony Plohetski - Clarion Ledger
Laronda McMillan - Jackson Advocate
Brad Willis - WLOX
R.V. Solis - Associated Press
Chris Rogers - WAPT-16
Jerry Brooks - JTV-12
M. Thompson - WLBT
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