Skip Maine state header navigation

Agencies | Online Services | Help

Skip First Level Navigation | Skip All Navigation

Home > Questions and Answers

Maine Reading First Request for Proposals

Maine Reading First Request for Proposals
Questions and Answers

 

  1. Who is the LEA administrator that should be represented on the Leadership Team?

The LEA administrator should be someone who represents the district level administration.  It could be the superintendent, the curriculum coordinator, or the assistant superintendent.  See (C) (2) (a), page 13 of the RFP.    

  1. When will the summer professional development be scheduled?

MDOE Leadership Team Professional Development

1 day in August 2006 to be scheduled for sometime between August 14-18

Core Program Professional Development (All K-3 staff)

1 day in June 2006 to be scheduled for sometime between June 19-30

1 day in August to be scheduled for sometime between August 21-25

DIBELS Assessment Professional Development (Assessment Team Members)

2 days in August 2006 to be scheduled between August 14-18

Training sites have not yet been determined.  Sites for the core program training will depend upon the number of schools selecting each core program and their geographic proximity.

  1. What does uninterrupted time mean?  Can a special be included within the middle of that time?

No, uninterrupted time means no interruptions during this time.  An uninterrupted block of 90 minutes of reading instruction is required in Maine Reading First schools.  Another 60 minutes of writing and word study time is also required, but this time does not need to be uninterrupted.  See Requirement 2: Participation in the Maine Literacy Partnership, Year 1, page 22 of the RFP.

  1. If an LEA receives technical assistance for a submitted proposal can it be resubmitted in the same year?

Yes.  See (G)(1), page 45-46 of the RFP.

  1. Would a Maine Reading First grant school have to discontinue using the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)?

No.  A school can continue using this assessment, but it cannot be funded with Reading First funds.

The Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) does not fit the definition that the United States Department of Education has used to develop the list of approved assessment tools.  This tool has not been approved in any state for Reading First.  The only essential element of reading the DRA specifically addresses is comprehension, but the comprehension rubric used within the DRA does not meet the reliability and validity standards set by the federal government.   Schools can still use the DRA, but this assessment data is not reported for Reading First purposes.  The DRA is an appropriate tool to use to show how readers apply all of the essential elements of reading while reading connected text, and for showing growth in reading ability over time.  Further, the DRA can be utilized as part of Maine’s local systems of assessment.

  1. Does the number of classrooms indicated on the Budget Guidance refer to K-3 homeroom classrooms or special education classrooms?

The grant money is allocated for K-3 classrooms in which reading instruction occurs. This can include special education classrooms where reading instruction is occurring.

  1. What about intervention programs that pull students out of the classroom—is that interrupting the 90 minutes of uninterrupted reading time?

Under Reading First, all K-3 students should receive a minimum of 90 minutes of daily reading instruction.  Students should participate in as much of the regular 90 minutes of classroom instruction as is appropriate to their learning needs, and whenever possible, interventions should be provided in addition to the 90 minutes of classroom reading instruction.  In some specific cases, classroom reading instruction may not be the most appropriate instruction for some students, and in these cases, the reading intervention can be part of the 90 minutes of required instructional time.  See Requirement 2: Participation in the Maine Literacy Partnership, Year 1, page 22 of the RFP.  

  1. What qualifications does the Literacy Coach need?

The Literacy Coach must be a certified teacher who has demonstrated evidence of successful teaching and leadership in the K-3 grade span and who hold a Masters degree or 21 graduate credits towards a Master’s degree.  See Requirement 2: Participation in the Maine Literacy Partnership, page 23 of the RFP.

  1. Does there need to be 100% participation from the staff for the Maine Reading First course?

No, during the school’s first grant year, at least 85% the K-3 teachers, K-3 special education teachers, as well as the LEA administrator, literacy support personnel, the Literacy Coach, and any other members of the school’s Reading Leadership Team must participate in the Reading First Course.  See Participation in State Required Reading First Professional Development, page 33 of the RFP.

  1. What is the expectation for teachers who do not sign off on the grant?

Under the Maine Reading First grant, at least 85% of the teachers within a Maine Reading First school are required to sign off on the grant, but all of the teachers are expected to implement the core reading program materials in their classrooms.  LEAs must document that the required program they adopt will not be layered on top of already existing programs, but will instead be the primary program used across K-3 classrooms.  See Participation in State Required Reading First Professional Development, page 33 of the RFP, and Requirements 1 and 2, pages 21 and 22 of the RFP.

  1. If the Literacy Coach is expected to coach, does that mean the school should develop a schedule where the times of the classroom literacy blocks are staggered?

Yes.  The principal should work to develop a schedule where the literacy block for the classroom of the Literacy Coach is not at the same time as the literacy blocks for the other classroom teachers in the school.

  1. Are there suggested amounts for the various professional development opportunities for a Maine Reading First School?

Suggested amounts are listed in the Budget Guidance section of the RFP, on pages 37-38.

  1. Can a school choose their own supplemental programs?

The supplemental programs that a school selects need to meet the requirements of scientifically based reading research (SBRR).  Schools do not need to name in their grant application the specific supplemental or intervention programs they plan to use.  This will be a focus for the school to address during year 2 of the grant.  Schools should dedicate their time in year 1 of the Maine Reading First grant to become familiar with the core reading program they have adopted.  See Supplemental Materials, page 24 of the RFP.

  1. Is it the expectation that special education classrooms should use the core reading programs?

Special Education students should be engaged with the core reading program materials as much as possible, although a student’s IEP is the ultimate guide for each student.  Schools should consider what grade levels of core reading programs special education classrooms will need to purchase based on the needs of the students in these classrooms.  See (C)(2)(c), page 19 of the RFP.

  1. Is the amount of funds for a Maine Reading First school the same for the 3 years of the grant?

No.  The Budget Guidance section of the RFP, pages 37-38, shows that the school would receive approximately the same amount of funds for years 1 and 2, and the funding for year 3 would be less because the bulk of the materials would have already been purchased during the first 2 years of the grant.

  1. Are the teachers expected to stop using their existing reading/writing materials during the first year of the grant?  If so, is there any transition period allowed?

The core program selected for adoption under the Maine Reading First grant must serve as the base for instruction in grades K-3.  LEAs must document that the required program they adopt will not be layered on top of already existing programs, but instead be the primary program used across K-3 classrooms.  See Requirement 1, page 20 of the RFP.

Within this program, the expectation is that teachers will learn to utilize the anthology selections in connection with the lessons outlined in the teacher’s manual that explicitly and systematically address the five essential elements of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension).  Additionally, teachers will utilize the leveled readers to reinforce these skills in small group instruction.  During the first year, teachers may not be able to manage all of these pieces right from the start, but will be expected to continue adding more of the required components as they become more adept.  Other materials available to teachers may be utilized to supplement reading instruction, but must be in alignment with scientifically based reading research and support the sequence of instruction followed in the core program.

The Maine Reading First grant does not specifically address writing instruction materials, although many writing components are available in the core programs which can be utilized if schools choose to use them, and the Maine Literacy Partnership will focus professional development in both reading and writing instruction.

  1. Could you clarify the expected time requirement for the Literacy Coach?

Traditionally, the Literacy Coach position has involved training a classroom teacher who will teach for half of the day in his/her classroom during the literacy block and then coach in the afternoons.  Based on this set up, the Maine Reading First grant can be used to pay up to half of the Literacy Coach’s position.  Many schools have found that the Literacy Coach’s position can be more fully utilized if the individual in this position does not have full responsibility for a classroom, but is instead hosted by another teacher.  This allows the Coach, particularly in years two and three of the grant, to spend more time coaching other teachers, and during year 1, to attend to other aspects of grant implementation.  In this scenario, schools would need to commit funds to the other half of the Literacy Coach’s position.  Sometimes the person selected to serve as the Literacy Coach is a classroom teacher or literacy specialist already working in the school, while other times the person is hired from outside. 

  1. Do resource rooms count as a classroom?

Yes, if reading instruction takes place in them.

  1. Can the Literacy Coach and the Interventionist be the same person in a small school?

No.  See the job description for the Literacy Coach on pages 23-24 of the RFP and the job description for the Interventionist on page 26 of the RFP.                                                                                                               

  1. What does the assessment team look like?

The team varies with the size of the school.  It could be it made up of several members to a size as large as six or seven.  Typically the assessment team is made up of the interventionist, the Literacy Coach, reading support personnel, and/or classroom teachers.

  1. Can money be used for the purchase of library materials as well as classroom libraries?

Yes, in year 3 of the grant.  See Budget Guidance, page 39 or the RFP.

  1. Are there job descriptions for the Literacy Coach and Interventionist?

Yes, in the RFP.  See page 23 for the Literacy Coach and pages 26-27 for the Interventionist.

  1. How are the Literacy Coach and Interventionist funded after the 3 year grant period?

The district will need to build the capacity to support these positions.

  1. Do you have to identify the Literacy Coach and Interventionist when you write the grant?

No.

  1. Are Special Educators working in grades 4-12 required to attend the Reading First course?

No, but there needs to be a plan to involve them in professional development related to the initiative.  See Implementation of Professional Development Plan, page 28 of the RFP.

  1. If you have over 13 classrooms can you fund two Literacy Coaches?

Yes.

  1. If our teachers have already taken the Reading First course do we need to take it again?

No, so long as they meet the guidelines for successful completion of the course as determined by the Maine Department of Education.  See the course outline at:  
http://www.maine.gov/education/rf/homepage.htm

  1. Our school is already involved with the Maine Literacy Partnership and we currently hold regular intervention meetings using running record data, etc. from the students.  Would we need to have something more specific and rigorous in place for Maine Reading First?

Yes.  The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) will allow you do this.  See Implementation of Reading Assessment Plan, page 14 of the RFP.

  1. When the  Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) from the DIBELS is administered in the winter, is that considered a screening measure even though it occurs in the winter rather than the fall?

Yes.  A DIBELS task is considered a screening measure whenever it is the first time it is administered with students.

  1. On the Maine Reading First Assessment Grid, under phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension, Spring Terra Nova Scores for grades 1-3 are listed.  What does this mean?  Does the Terra Nova have to be administered again in the fall?

No. The Terra Nova is administered in the spring as an outcome measure.  A school will want to revisit the Terra Nova results from the spring in the fall to provide additional information on the DIBELS screening measures for these essential elements.

  1. Do you have a version of the assessment grid which identifies the amount of time it takes to administer the DIBELS tasks at each grade level?

DIBELS tasks are brief yet highly predictive assessments built on the theory of automaticity.  Each task typically takes 1 minute to administer for each student.

  1. If I have a Kindergarten student who is reading fluently, do I have to administer all of these tasks listed for the Kindergarten grade level or can I use some of the tasks at the next grade level?

Yes, you do have to administer the tasks as indicated for each grade level.  DIBELS is not designed for students to participate in above-grade-level tasks.  Other assessment measures will be used to inform instruction for these students.

  1. What about students who do not speak or read English?  How is the DIBELS administered to them?

There are versions of the DIBELS in Spanish.  If this is not the student’s primary language, do the best you can in administration.  The information about these students will appear in the disaggregated data required under NCLB.  Other assessment measures will be used to inform instruction for these students.

  1. How long do the diagnostic assessments take to administer (ERDA or Fox in a Box)?

It depends on how much of the tool is administered.  Individual sections of these diagnostic assessments may be administered based on the specific needs of the student rather than administering the entire tool.

  1. Which assessments are classroom teachers trained to administer?

Classroom teachers will be trained in the DIBELS over time.  They can be trained in the ERDA, but this assessment will typically be administered by the Interventionist.

  1. Can you describe the role of the interventionist?

Pages 26-27 of the RFP provide guidance on the role and responsibilities of the Interventionist.                                                                     

  1. Which sections of the Terra Nova are administered?

The general reading (comprehension), plus test for vocabulary, and the plus test for word analysis sections are administered.  Therefore, the 3 essential elements which are targeted by the Terra Nova are comprehension, vocabulary, and phonics.                                                                                                                        

  1. Can you define the membership of the assessment team?

It depends on the size of the school and the number of students— The Interventionist, the Literacy Coach, Title I teachers or ed techs, other support staff, select classroom teachers, and the principal are typical members.  This decision will be made by each school.  The team typically includes 2-6 members depending on the size of the school.

  1. Do you have to administer the paper-pencil DIBELS version before using the Palm Pilot technology? 

This is a decision made at the school level.  The Department of Education can offer guidance with this.

  1. Do you have data on how effective the 2 core reading programs have been?

Reading First in Maine is in the second year of implementation.  Baseline data was collected last spring and comparison data will be collected this spring.

  1. What kinds of studies were done to support the effectiveness of the 2 core reading programs?  What scientifically based research was used to develop these 2 programs?

This information is available upon request from the publishers of the programs.

  1. What core reading programs have the current Maine Reading First schools selected?

All of the schools within the first cohort selected Houghton Mifflin.  Some of the schools within the second cohort selected Houghton Mifflin and other schools selected Scott Foresman.

  1. How do the assessments within Maine Reading First fit with the other assessments required by the Local Assessment System without overwhelming teachers?

Maine Reading First staff can work with the individual schools to lay out all of the assessments currently being used and then assist them in eliminating some that are repetitive or unnecessary.

  1.  Will schools still be held accountable for all of the assessments within the other content areas?

That is not a question regarding the Maine Reading First Program and this RFP.

  1. Can the Maine Reading First course be offered during year 2 of the grant?

No.  The Maine Reading First course is held during year 1 of the grant.  The content of this course provides the foundation of how things fit together that will be needed for implementing the core reading program.  The graduate-level course offered through the Maine Literacy Partnership is held during year 2 of the grant.  See State Required Professional Development Activities for Reading First Schools, pages 29-31 of the RFP.

  1. If teachers have already taken the MRF course, can the 85% requirement be transferred for year 1 of the grant?

Yes, if they meet the requirements referenced in the Answer to Question 27 in this document.

  1. If a school applies for a Maine Reading First grant and does not receive funding, can the school still request to have the Maine Reading First course offered?

Yes. The Maine Reading First course is available to any school administrative unit in the State.                                                                                 

  1. How is the graduate-level course handled if a school is big enough to hire 2 Literacy Coaches?

This is a local school decision.  Both Coaches can choose to teach sections of the course.

  1. Do the 3 years of teaching experience for a Literacy Coach need to be in the classroom? 

The experience can be in a regular or a special education classroom.

  1. Does every K-3 classroom teacher need to take the Maine Reading First (MRF) course and the Maine Literacy Partnership (MLP) course?

It is a requirement of the grant for at least 85% of the classroom teachers to take the MRF course.  See the Answer to Question 9 in this document, and page 33 of the RFP.  It is expected, under MLP, that by year 3 all classroom teachers participate in the course and accompanying coaching.  See Requirement 2: Participation in the Maine Literacy Partnership, pages 21-24 of the RFP.

  1. If a school has more than 12 classrooms, can they hire a full-time Interventionist?

This school can either hire a full-time Interventionist or 2 half-time Interventionists.

  1. Can the $500 stipend be expanded to cover the summer work in which teachers will engage?

Yes.  The total stipend amount is $500 and covers all of the work in which teachers will engage over the course of the year (after school and summer).  See Participation in State Required Reading First Professional Development, pages 33-34 of the RFP.

  1. Under supplemental materials, can content area materials be purchased to meet the needs of students who cannot access difficult textbooks?

Yes.  Informational texts to supports lower-level readers can be purchased with funds for supplemental materials. See Supplemental Materials, Page 24 of the RFP.

  1. Do educational technicians count within the at least 85% participation requirement for the Maine Reading First professional development?

No.

  1. Are special educators included in the 85% participation requirement for the Maine Reading First professional development?

Yes.  The “at least 85%” requirement refers to any professional staff.

  1. In the budget guidance, 3.5% is indicated for administrative and evaluation purposes.  What is meant by evaluation purposes?

An example of the use of funds for evaluation purposes would be to pay a person for clerical work related to the grant.  This could be entering the DIBELS data on the DIBELS website.

  1. Can the Interventionist be a ½ time teacher and ½ time Interventionist?

Yes, if the need of struggling readers within the school could be sufficiently met.  Several Maine Reading First schools combine the Interventionist position with Reading Recovery, a Literacy Specialist, or a Title I teacher.

  1. Are identified special education students required to participate in the core reading program and the DIBELS assessment?

Yes; however the student’s IEP must be the ultimate guide for the student.  See the Answer to Question 14 in this document.  Teachers should analyze the core reading program to determine which portions are most appropriate for the student.  Consider having the student participate in the oral language and vocabulary components of the core reading program even if the phonics instruction and instruction with the leveled readers are beyond the student’s ability level.  Students must participate in the grade-level DIBELS tasks for the benchmark periods, but out-of-grade-level tasks can be administered to students during the progress monitoring times.