HONOLULU, HI – Hawaiian schools were recognized for outstanding achievement in reading at the 2007 Literacy Leadership Conference, held in Honolulu today. The event, which was sponsored by leading educational software company Achieve3000, focused on the outstanding success of 18 Hawaiian schools. By integrating technology into literacy instruction, local students and educators achieved significantly higher than average scores in reading on the Hawaii state HSA exams.
The event was held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa. Attendees heard remarks from Clayton Fujie, Deputy Superintendent of Education for Hawaii, and keynote speeches by Dr. Michael Kamil, professor of education at Stanford University and contributor to the national Reading Next report, as well as by Otis Fulton, senior vice president of MetaMetrics, publishers of the Lexile Framework for Reading.
National research shows that there are more than eight million struggling readers across the United States in grades 4-12, and 70 percent of fifth and ninth graders in 2006 were not able to read at their grade level. Dr. Kamil’s comments noted that efforts in the early elementary grades are working, but adolescent literacy is of deep concern across the country. The latter is a sentiment reflected in the Reading Next Report, of which he is a contributing author.
A highlight of the event was the discussion of educational best practices which enabled the schools to achieve overall reading gains on the 2007 HSA of more than 18 percent, as compared with a 13 percent state overall average -- a significant increase. Schools achieving accelerated literacy shared a common vision in the use of technology to differentiate instruction and provide cross-curricular literacy education.
In commenting on the results, Achieve3000 chief executive officer and founder, Saki Dodelson, said “We are so pleased to share in the success of these outstanding educators. Hawaii schools are leaders in a movement sweeping the country, using technology to accelerate literacy across the curriculum.”
During the event, teachers engaged in hands-on lab sessions using Achieve3000’s proprietary software engine, which provides differentiated instruction by delivering the same content at each individual student’s reading level. A variety of leadership seminars and professional development activities were also attended by nearly 100 teachers and administrators from school districts across the state.
Excellence in Reading awards were presented to Lisa Agcaoili, a junior at Campbell High School, Brooke Young, a senior at Kailua High School and Manual Latrell Navalta, a fourth-grader at Kainaulu Elementary School. Phyllis Durante from Hale Kula Elementary School and Tammy Jones from Campbell High School were honored with the Excellence in Differentiated Teaching award, and Ann Mahi and Beverly Robinson were recognized with the Excellence in Leadership and Excellence in Curriculum Planning awards, respectively.
About Achieve3000
Achieve3000, founded in New Jersey in 2000, is the leader in online differentiated instruction. Its products deliver online differentiated literacy solutions proven to increase reading comprehension, vocabulary and writing proficiency for students in grades 2 through 12 and also for adult learners. Through its proprietary software engine, the company provides tailored assignments to each student in the class based on his or her reading level. The company's products are delivered in a non-fiction, current event format and are based on decades of scientific research. They include KidBiz3000 (a reading and writing program for grades 2 through 5), TeenBiz3000 (a reading and writing program for grades 6 through 12) and Spark3000 (a reading and writing program for adult learners). Achieve3000 is located in Lakewood, N.J. For more information, visit http://www.achieve3000.com or call 800-838-8771.
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