COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

P.O. BOX 2120

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120

SUPTS. MEMO NO. 242

November 9, 2006

INFORMATIONAL

TO:	Division Superintendents
FROM:	Billy K. Cannaday, Jr. Superintendent of Public Instruction
SUBJECT:	Creating Strategic Readers

The Virginia Department of Education is pleased to announce two regional, one-day professional development opportunities, Creating Strategic Readers, conducted by Valerie Ellery. Valerie Ellery is a curriculum specialist, elementary classroom teacher, and author. Participants at this event will learn and practice research-proven strategies and techniques for developing competency in the five essential components of reading instruction, as identified by the National Reading Panel.

This professional development opportunity is designed for teachers of kindergarten through grade five in elementary schools that are not fully accredited in English or schools that did not meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in reading for the 20062007 school year. Reading First schools are also invited to send participants.

The dates and locations are as follows:

December 7 The Hotel Roanoke, Roanoke

December 8 Sheraton Park South Hotel, Richmond

The presentations will be held from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. with lunch provided. One hundred spaces will be available at each one-day workshop. School divisions may send a team of classroom teachers from elementary schools that are not fully accredited in English or that did not meet AYP in reading for the 2006-2007 school year.

The Virginia Department of Education will provide funding for this opportunity, including lodging costs for teams that must travel more than 75 miles, at the allowable state reimbursable rate.

Hotel reservations for the December 7 session in Roanoke should be made by November 15 at the Hotel Roanoke at (540)985-5900 or the Comfort Inn Airport Hotel at (540)527-2020. Hotel reservations for the December 8 session in Richmond should be made by November 16 at the Sheraton Park South Hotel at (804)323-1144.

Meeting registration will be conducted on a first-come, first-serve basis and can be completed online at www.cpe.vt.edu/reg/csr/ through November 30 for the December 7 Roanoke session; and December 1 for the December 8 Richmond session.

For additional information, please contact Ginna Glover, specialist for reading and English, via e-mail at Ginna.Glover@doe.virginia.gov or telephone at (804) 786-1977.

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