Published on June 19, 2006
Surely it is impossible to overstate the importance of reading. It is the one indispensable academic tool, the key that can unlock any academic door.
Given that, it is deeply gratifying to see the acclaimed Alabama Reading Initiative recognized in a new study that will be distributed to school districts across the country. Put simply, ARI is something Alabama does right.
The study, conducted by the American Institutes for Research and funded by the Carnegie Corp., takes particular note of ARI's impact in the higher grades, The Associated Press reports. Most other reading programs focus on kindergarten-third grade students, but ARI does that and much more.
"We know we are one of the very few middle and high school literacy efforts and we hope this will help put the emphasis on middle schools and high schools nationally," Katherine Mitchell, who directs ARI, told AP.
Andrews Henriquez, a Carnegie spokesman, told AP the organization funded the study because "we thought it was probably the best example of a state that has really thought through literacy as an issue in grades K-12 as opposed to just K-3 like many states have done." He said it shows states and school systems "what you need to do if you're going to start looking at this in your state."
That's high praise, and it's well deserved. ARI, which began as a pilot program in 16 schools in 1998, in now in place in all of Alabama's elementary schools and in 135 middle and high schools.
One reason it works so well is that it requires a real commitment. All faculty members are required to participate, not just English teachers. Reading is important in every academic area, so this broad-based buy-in by faculty is critical.
Historically, Alabama hasn't had much that warranted the status of national role model. ARI is a sterling exception and a true point of pride for our state.