New York, NY (March 9, 2004) -- Scholastic Red, the breakthrough professional development program designed to improve reading instruction, has received a grant from the Arizona State Board of Education to provide reading professional development services to K-3 educators throughout the state. Scholastic Red will have the state's largest group of participants, with more than 1,160 teachers enrolled in two Red courses Putting Reading First in Your Classroom and Building Fluency.
 
Arizona teachers and reading coaches enrolled in Scholastic Red began training in January, and are receiving the essential resources and techniques for teaching the five key components of early reading including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension, to ensure that all students have the reading skills necessary for success in school. Scholastic Red courses combine the unique capabilities of online learning for individualized and self-paced instruction with the collaboration and support necessary to foster effective reading instruction. Participating educators have access to leading reading researchers, motivating and interactive training, opportunities to practice strategies in a safe, collaborative environment and resources and management tools for implementing reading strategies in K-3 classrooms. The courses are aligned to No Child Left Behind and to state standards.
 
“We are honored that Arizona has selected us to provide targeted training in reading for K-3 educators throughout the state. It is Scholastic's longstanding mission to provide educators with high quality programs and materials that help all children develop a life-long love of books and reading. Scholastic Red offers the important on-going professional development component that ensures that all educators have the latest resources and training from leaders in the field,” said John Lent, Vice President Professional Development Scholastic Education. “Studies have proven that teacher quality and training have an enormous impact on student achievement, and Scholastic Red has demonstrated success in helping teachers in every grade level and subject area learn strategies to improve their reading instruction and raise student achievement.”
 
The focus on professional development is a centerpiece of the state's AZ READS initiative aimed at improving reading achievement, including the mission of having every child read proficiently by third grade as well as providing this targeted professional development.
 
Scholastic Red faculty and national advisors include leading researchers and renowned specialists in the field of professional development and reading such as: Dr. Louisa Cook Moats, former director, District of Columbia Public Schools/National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development Early Intervention Project; Dr. Ted Hasselbring, William T. Bryan Professor and Endowed Chair in Special Education Technology at University of Kentucky; Phyllis Hunter, national reading consultant; and Laura Robb, professional development coach, author and educational consultant.
 
Teachers have the flexibility to access Scholastic Red courses from home or from school, whenever and wherever it is most convenient for them. Scholastic Red's courses offer individual teachers the following resources:

• Interactive simulations and video modeling of research-based practices and lessons by master teachers in real classrooms.
• Hundreds of classroom-tested lesson plans, graphic organizers, management tools and student reproducibles that help teachers immediately put research to work in their classrooms.
• Opportunities to practice new strategies in a safe, virtual environment, and collaboration and feedback within a supportive community of literacy coaches and colleagues.
• Online support of teachers through Red online mentors who answer questions, help teachers implement new strategies and lend guidance.
• Ideas and activities for working with English Language Development/English Language Learners, special education students and gifted and talented students.

 
All of Scholastic Red courses are aligned to national and state standards, and are correlated to all major reading programs.
 
Arizona teachers can achieve three graduate credits per course through accredited university partners of Scholastic Red. Participating educators will achieve between 45 and 60 hours of professional development credit to be used toward the renewal of their Arizona teacher's certificate.
 
Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, and school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries, and television networks; and the Company's Internet Site, www.scholastic.com.

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