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Press release from Gov. Bush's office, FYI:

Governor's Office > Media Center & Lib. > News Rel. Search

Governor Bush Visits to Highlights the Importance of Reading During Visit to Bonita Springs Elementary School

~~Governor reads with third-graders at Spring Creek Elementary~~

For Immediate Release
Thursday, January 24, 2002

Contact:
Elizabeth Hirst
(850) 488-5394

BONITA SPRINGS -- Governor Jeb Bush today visited with students, faculty and administrators at Spring Creek Elementary School in Bonita Springs as part of his push to improve reading proficiency among Florida’s students. During his State of the State address this week, Governor Bush asked legislators to commit to long-term fundamental reading initiatives that will achieve the goal of helping all children read at grade level by fourth grade.

“Almost half our fourth grade students can’t read at a fourth grade level, and all the research shows that if children aren’t reading at grade level by fourth grade, the chances to learn going forward are diminished,” said Governor Bush. “But once students are at grade level in the early years, we need to make sure reading is not ignored after that. Just as working out regularly keeps the body in shape, so does reading instruction past fourth grade help the mind and overall learning.”

During his visit, the Governor participated in a reading lesson with third-graders and discussed his reading initiative during a student-run news program interview. Governor Bush commended the school’s principal Dr. Sheryl Clarke and the emphasis on reading programs at Spring Creek. Between 2000 and 2001, the number of students who scored proficient or higher on their reading achievement scores at Spring Creek Elementary increased by over 50 percent.

“I know that last spring the principal issued a challenge to her students to read a combined 1,224,600 pages or minutes over a four month period, said Governor Bush. “I am especially pleased to hear that every classroom at Spring Creek Elementary exceeded this goal, which has resulted in greatly improved reading levels.”

As part of the Governor’s statewide reading initiative, the Department of Education is evaluating the effectiveness of current reading programs to identify the programs that are most effective at improving reading. Combined with federal funds made available through the Reading First initiative, the Governor is recommending that next year we spend more than $50 million in state and federal funds to enhance reading in kindergarten through 8th grade. This money will go toward professional development for teachers and innovative programs for students that are aimed at meeting our reading goals.

Earlier this month, the Governor also announced the Florida school districts receiving a total of $3 million in research-based reading grants. Of that, the Lee County school district is receiving $73,677 in grant funding. The grants will allow districts to begin implementing comprehensive and coordinated reading programs to help every student become a successful, independent reader. The research-based reading programs will provide daily instruction with five essential components: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary development. As part of the reading initiative the Governor also pursued an unprecedented agreement with five major instructional materials publishers who have agreed to provide up to 100 hours of free training to Florida’s teachers on the building blocks of reading.