November 21, 2003

Sound of success rings loudly at Los Alamitos Elementary

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

“Every Child a Reader” is a mantra that the staff of Los Alamitos Elementary School takes very seriously. After eight years, it is beginning to pay off in a big way and has resulted in statewide recognition. Last week, the California School Board Association handed out The Golden Bell Award to the school for its reading intervention program.

“We’re really excited to receive recognition,” says Dr. Lisa Gonzales, Los Alamitos’ principal. “It’s a tribute to the teachers who have worked so hard to make sure their students are reading at grade level.”

The award was judged on three parts: the success of the program (innovative and exemplary structure), sustainability, and applicability to other curricular programs that allows other districts to efficiently and inexpensively replicate it.

“Every Child a Reader” is the primary focus of the innovative program that uses a triangular approach of intervention for students reading below grade level. The program consists of a first and second grade reading lab, third grade Reading Alley, and the successful Cross-Age Tutors program that pairs fifth grade students with first graders in need of extra help. “We have found that our triangular approach to reading interventions helps our students achieve our schoolwide goal that all children will read at grade level by the end of third grade,” adds Gonzales.

Although every teacher at Los Alamitos is trained in early literacy strategies, Gonzales credits three teachers for their efforts in starting the successful intervention program. They include Jan Whitlach, Bea Macina Gretchen Cochrane. Since its inception, more than 200 staff and community members have been trained to provide one-on-one assistance to more than 200 children.

So how well is the program working? In 2002, SAT/9 results place Los Alamitos well above district, county, and state norms. In 2002, 88 percent of their second through fifth grade students scored above the 50th percentile in reading. They showed a 32 percent gain in benchmarked reading levels over the past five years, paired with gains as high as 25 percentage points on SAT/9 reading between 1998 and 2002. The numbers only serve to affirm the success of their lab, alley, and tutor programs.

According to Gonzales, community donations, grants and assistance from the SMART Foundation, NOYCE Foundation, Almaden Valley Women’s Club, Target Foundation, Community Foundation Silicon Valley, Citibank Foundation, and Almaden Rotary Club Endowment has enabled them to further fund and expand their reading intervention services, which now includes their Accelerated Reader program. “As a San Jose Unified School District Early Literacy flagship school, we are proud of our reading intervention accomplishments,” adds Gonzales.