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Past Extra Credits All issues

• Students are required to submit reading logs detailing the number of books read and what they have learned by the end of August 2003.
• Principals will certify that 70 percent of their students completed the program.
• Data from Atlanta Public Schools reading assessments will help to determine if the campaign helped mitigate the loss of K-8 reading skills that occurs over the summer and improve scores district-wide.

Atlanta Launches President's Summer Reading Program
Associated Press, May 15, 2003

Hundreds of elementary students in Atlanta received free books Wednesday as they kicked off President Bush's summer reading program.

Students at Waters Elementary and Smith Elementary were the first schools to participate in the president's program. During the next two weeks, all of Atlanta's 81 elementary and middle schools will be given books, and students' reading will be monitored over the summer.

U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige tapped Atlanta public schools as the launch site of the president's reading program, "No Child Left Behind Summer Reading Achievers," in March.

If successful, the program would expand to schools nationwide next year.

"The Summer Reading Achievers program will encourage our students to devote a part of their time away from school to continue developing their reading skills," said Atlanta Superintendent Beverly L. Hall. "This is the type of reinforcement that our students need to help them come back to school in the fall, ready to continue raising their achievement levels in not only reading but in all of their studies."

Students must read at least 10 books and complete short reports during the summer in order to receive a certificate of completion.