COMMENTS ABOUT RIAP FROM KERN COUNTY TEACHERS

"The most important results of the reading institute are the changes in student learning that come out of the reading strategies that we learn in the institute."

"Working together to develop strategies allows us to establish a solid transition for our students between high school and the university.  Professional respect and collegiality improve immeasurably with each institute."

"One of the benefits [of the Reading Institute] was bringing the school together with common language.  With a cross-curricular RIAP group, the strategies that we shared with the school were well accepted.  Talking with the administration after each RIAP meeting started a conversation on changing the curriculum to align with the Standards.  Courses were changed, and I felt that progress was made.  Scores on the state tests improved, so something was working."

"Many teachers do not know how to improve student comprehension while reading their textbooks.  I got involved, because as a new (in 1997) science teacher with a background in industry, I was appalled that our students could not read and understand the textbooks they had.  It has taken a while to learn to adapt these ideas to my classroom and to science textbooks, but they work, and my students are doing better.  I would have quit teaching if the frustration level had continued as high as it was.  I am a highly qualified earth science teacher with a Masters in geoscience; it would have been sad if I had quit because of frustration."

"The bottom line is that we, as teachers, are talking about what matters in our students' lives--reading.  RIAP has put reading into the spotlight, where it belongs.  We are just starting to see the results of this reshuffling of priorities in our test scores." -- Kim Flachmann, Writing Program Coordinator, CSUB