Texas's Higgs, Carter, King Charter School Makes Parent Training Mandatory in Launching American Reading Company's Action 100 Reading Initiative

SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- When Principal Claudette Yarbrough decided to implement ACTION 100 at Higgs, Carter, King Charter School, she pledged to make the entire school community accountable for results.  In partnership with American Reading Company, administrators and teachers will undergo 30 days of professional development training to master research-based teaching methods aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and the new Common Core Standards.  Already, more than 300 parents have attended mandatory parent workshops.

"At our ACTION 100 kickoff event, staff brought in community leaders to establish expectations," says Yarbrough.  "San Antonio Police Chief McManus gave a rousing speech to students about how reading can take them to college, and he had all the students shouting, 'I will go to college' and 'I love to read!'  Camille Vega from Peter Piper Pizza announced a 'lock-in' with all-you-can-eat pizza for students who earn 80 'steps' by October 22.  We are getting everyone involved to make sure every child is reading on or above grade level by the end of the year."

Research shows that most students who are behind in reading are behind because they haven't read enough.  ACTION 100 changes this, as students will be expected to read 800 "steps" or 200 hours per school year using the 100 Book Challenge reading incentive system.  Every day, students will read in class for 30 minutes while their teacher monitors progress and provides differentiated instruction based on the child's needs.  Students will also take books home to read an additional 30 minutes each night. Parents agree to supervise and to sign daily logs that document reading practice.

The mandatory parent workshops focus on techniques to establish successful reading lifestyles at home.  Parent Bertha Moreno shared her observations about a video in which the parent did not routinely correct the child.  She felt this was helpful because when students can read freely without someone stopping them at every mistake, they can enjoy reading.  Moreno will use the strategy at home with her twin sons.

According to Jane Hileman, Founder and CEO of American Reading Company, "ACTION 100 provides schools with real-time data tracking systems to know how every student is performing relative to goals.  With the collective school community commitment and emphasis on teacher effectiveness, we expect to see significant student reading gains."

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

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