More Resources NCLB Summer Reading Achievers

Thousands of Pittsburgh Public School students will benefit from a summer reading program under the No Child Left Behind Act, U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige announced today. Joining Secretary Paige for the announcement at Spring Hill Elementary School in Pittsburgh were Schools Superintendent John W. Thompson, Spring Hill Elementary School Principal Thomas Nichols, Pittsburgh Steelers owners Dan Rooney and Art Rooney II, former Pittsburgh Steelers player Dwayne Woodruff and Pittsburgh philanthropist and public schools supporter Elsie Hillman.

"Reading is the one skill upon which all others are based," Secretary Paige said. "We know from research that students often lose some of their reading skills during the summer break, so it's important to encourage children to keep up those skills.

"A book is a gateway to adventure. When you open it, you are transported to another world and you travel through time and encounter memorable people, places, and events. A book is your way to grow intellectually, to overcome shyness or loneliness, to find your purpose in life, and to prepare yourself for an exciting future. You have to keep reading to make sure that all your hard work in the school year is not lost over the summer," Paige said, as he handed out books to the students.

The No Child Left Behind Summer Reading Achievers Program encourages students in grades K-8 to read actively during the summer months and avoid the loss of reading skills that often occurs during summer vacation. Atlanta Public Schools piloted the program last year, with nearly 18,000 students participating and reading over 150,000 books.

"First Book has a long-standing partnership with the leaders at the U.S. Department of Education as well as private sector leaders like The Walt Disney Company," First Book President Kyle Zimmer said.

"Through these relationships and others, including Scholastic Inc. Children's Book Group, Random House Children's Publishing, HarperCollins Children's Books and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, First Book has the ability to provide new books to children participating in summer reading programs. We look forward to celebrating the success of our Summer Reading Achievers as they create summer memories centered around new books and improve their reading skills."

"Teaching young children to read is a primary mission of our educational system. We are committed to provide a quality literacy program that educates all students, one child at a time," Superintendent Thompson said.

This year's program will be at the following sites: Springfield, Mass.; Portsmouth, N.H.; Pittsburgh; Camden, N.J.; Atlanta; Gainesville, Fla.; Kansas City, Kan.; Minneapolis; Albuquerque, N.M; San Diego and the state of South Dakota. The sites were selected based on the presence of supportive community and business groups and active school district leaders who are working to reduce the achievement gap.

To participate in the program, students must read 10 age-appropriate books during the summer months. Students will be required to describe briefly the books they have read by completing a simple form. Prizes and certificates will be awarded to successful students and special recognition will be given to schools with the highest percentages of participating students.

School districts will work with the department to conduct outreach and promote the program. They also will work with businesses and community organizations to attract support for the program. In addition, the department will conduct local workshops and provide materials and certificates.

Contributing sponsors for the 2004 program include First Book, Target Stores, Scholastic, Inc., USA Football, National PTA, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Communities in Schools, Inc. Other partners will be announced at a later date. Partner organizations will provide other incentives and forms of recognition.

One of President Bush's first actions after taking office was to promote children's reading achievement because studies show that when children fail to learn to read early in school, every aspect of school success is affected. By providing early diagnosis and help for reading difficulties, Reading First-supported programs help improve student motivation and academic achievement.

Reading First is designed around an extensive knowledge base of the essential skills children must have to learn to read. The program reflects the findings of a congressionally mandated, extensive review of scientifically based research on how students learn to read, which was completed by the National Reading Panel in 2000.

Reading First was passed into law by a bipartisan majority of Congress under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and centers on the following priorities: raising the caliber and quality of classroom instruction; basing instruction on scientifically proven methods; providing professional training for educators in reading instruction; and supplying substantial resources to support the unprecedented initiative.

President Bush's FY 2005 budget includes $1.3 billion in reading funding, including $1.1 billion for Reading First, $132 million for Early Reading First and $100 million for the Striving Readers program to meet the president's goal of ensuring that all children can read on grade level by the third grade.

More information about the No Child Left Behind Act is available at www.nochildleftbehind.gov.

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