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August 30, 1999
By Terry Lightfoot
UC Office of the President
The Governor's Reading Professional Development Institutes have completed their first phase by providing the first 40 hours of more than 120 hours of intensive professional development in reading instruction to more than 6,000 teachers from across California.
Governor Gray Davis asked the University of California to lead the collaborative effort between the California State University system, independent colleges and universities, and the public schools to improve reading performance among students in kindergarten through third grades.
"UC's leadership in this effort exemplifies its increasing engagement with other educational sectors to enhance student preparation for college and promote academic achievement," said former UCSC chancellor Karl Pister, now senior associate to UC President Richard C. Atkinson and head of UC's overall outreach efforts.
Increasingly UC has reached deeper into lower grades to begin encouraging academic achievement and ensuring that students are developing critical skills needed to prepare for a future in higher education.
Gretchen Laue is the director of the reading development institutes and executive director of the California Reading and Literature Project, one of several UC programs designed to provide teacher professional development in various academic subjects such as writing and math. UC spends nearly $15 million annually on such programs.
"Preparation for college gets off to a much better start the earlier a child learns to read," Laue said. "Children will learner faster when taught by teachers armed with the best teaching methods. Good teachers are the key."
During the next phase, teachers will focus on reading instruction and student assessment, meet in school- and grade-level teams focused on improving student achievement, and receive additional professional development to meet specific classroom needs.