Objectives

The Ohio Department of Education has charged the Center with the following six objectives:

1: Prepare Reading First Field Faculty for their role as trainers of literacy specialists in Reading First Schools.

2: Establish standards of practice among K-3 teachers that support reading growth in all young children.

3: Provide professional development in scientifically based reading research instruction for administrators and principals in Reading First districts.

4: Support technical assistance activities of Reading First Regional Consultants assigned to Reading First districts.

5: Support the implementations of State Institutes for Reading Instruction (SIRI) as a year-round professional development program for PreK-3 teachers, and to promote e-Learning as a professional learning context for classroom teachers.

6: Strengthen and enhance teacher preparation in effective K-3 reading instruction, and increase the number of pre-service teacher candidates that graduate from Ohio institutions of higher education who have a full understanding of Reading First-Ohio, scientifically based reading research, the state English language arts standards, and the Ohio assessment system.

In connection with these six objectives, research and evaluation are integral functions of the Center.