COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

P.O. BOX 2120

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120

SUPTS. MEMO NO. 35

February 17, 2006

INFORMATIONAL

TO:	Division Superintendents
FROM:	Patricia I. Wright Acting Superintendent of Public Instruction
SUBJECT:	Reading First Academies for Special Education Teachers

The Office of Elementary Instruction and the Office of Special Education Instructional Services at the Virginia Department of Education are pleased to announce Reading First Reading Academies for Special Education Teachers. Intermediate Teacher Reading Academies for special education teachers of grades 4 through 6, and Secondary Teacher Reading Academies for special education teachers of grades 7 through 12 will be offered in three locations. Each academy will be a five day event. Attendees must attend all five days of training. The schedule will be as follows:

1. Roanoke, VA: April 3-4 and June 28-30, 2006

2. Charlottesville, VA: March 28-29 and June 20-22, 2006

3. Fairfax, VA: April 25-26 and June 27-29, 2006

These academies will provide a focused professional development experience for special education teachers of students with reading difficulties. This professional development training may be used by teachers to satisfy the reading/English/language arts requirements of the High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE) approved by the Virginia Board of Education on February 25, 2004. The academies are based on materials produced by the Consortium on Reading Excellence (CORE). There is no cost for registration or materials. The daily schedule will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with lunch provided each day. Transportation and lodging expenses will not be reimbursed.

The academies include sessions on the critical components of a comprehensive program focusing on scientifically-based reading research with emphasis on interventions for struggling readers, word attack skills, fluency, spelling, vocabulary development, comprehension strategies, and strategies to differentiate instruction within content area text.

Priority registration will be given to teachers from schools accredited with warning and schools that did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) due to the subgroup of students with disabilities. Online registration will begin on Feb. 20, 2006. Visit www.ttaconline.org and select the events tab to register.

Questions regarding the Reading First Reading Academies for Special Education Teachers should be directed to Marie Ireland, special education specialist, Office of Special Education Instructional Services at (804) 786-9775 or by e-mail at Marie.Ireland@doe.virginia.gov or to Ginna Glover, reading/English K-5 specialist, Office of Elementary Instruction at (804) 786-1997, or by e-mail at Ginna.Glover@doe.virginia.gov.

PIW/dlj