Camden City Public Schools to Host Special Observation Day on February 26 for Out-of-State District Leaders to Learn How Action 100 is Transforming School Cultures for Sustainable Reading Achievement

CAMDEN, N.J., Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Camden City Public Schools will host a special observation day on Friday, February 26, 2010, to showcase their success with Action 100, a Response to Intervention (RtI) Accountably Model implemented in partnership with American Reading Company using federal stimulus funds.  More than 30 district leaders from New Jersey and other states are expected to attend the event, hosted by Principal Evelyn Ruiz at Harry C. Sharp Elementary School.  Parents and students will also be on hand to share their personal stories about reading gains.  This will be the second such event in Camden, the first of which was hosted in December by Principal Danette Sapowsky at U.S. Wiggins Elementary School.

View a short video about Action 100 on YouTube.

"Since the beginning of the school year, over ninety percent of our students have already logged at least 125 hours of independent reading practice.  Our goal for the year is 200 hours and we are right on track," says Principal Ruiz.  "But this program is not just about measuring independent reading practice," she maintains. "It's about extensive training for teachers to develop expert coaching skills and to learn how to use data to monitor the progress for every student."

Early success stories in Camden have captured the attention of officials at the U.S. Department of Education as well as district leaders from other states.  "It's a testament to Camden's district leadership that others are taking notice," says Jane Hileman, Founder and CEO of American Reading Company.  "When students are behind in reading, sometimes by two or more grade levels, it does take time to catch them up.  But Camden is well on its way to achieving their goal, and the district leadership is heading the charge by holding every stakeholder accountable."

For more information or to attend the event, contact Jessica Lester at 215.884.6499.

About American Reading Company

American Reading Company transforms school cultures to create sustainable reading achievement through training, management, and monitoring. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Today, more than a million students in 2,100 schools across 420 districts in 41 states participate in the company's programs, which include Action 100, 100 Book Challenge, Research Labs, and Summer School Express. For more information, please visit www.americanreading.com.

SOURCE American Reading Company