Three-year Pilot In 10 High-Needs Schools Will Serve 1,000 Students from Kindergarten Through Second Grade
Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein today announced the launch of the New York City Core Knowledge Early Literacy Project, a three-year pilot program in reading instruction for approximately 1,000 students in 10 high-needs New York City schools. Beginning with kindergarten in fall 2008 and continuing through 1st and 2nd grade, the same cohort of students will be taught how to read using a methodology that systematically builds student content knowledge along with phonics and vocabulary instruction. This content-based approach to literacy instruction promises to help students build the knowledge and skills necessary for success in later grades. Participating schools will be measured against a control group of similar schools to test the effectiveness of the Core Knowledge Reading program and its impact on students over time.
Schools selected to be part of the pilot program include:
- P.S. 026 The Carteret School, Staten Island
- P.S. 333 Goldie Maple Academy, Queens
- P.S. 050 Clara Barton, Bronx
- P.S. 102 Joseph O. Loretan, Bronx
- P.S. 096, Queens
- P.S. 308 Clara Cardwell, Brooklyn
- P.S. 030 Wilton, Bronx
- P.S. 104 The Bays Water, Queens
- P.S. 223 Lyndon B. Johnson, Queens
- P.S. 214 Michael Friedsam, Brooklyn
The New York City Core Knowledge Early Literacy Project will use a reading curriculum developed by Dr. E.D. Hirsch, Jr.’s Core Knowledge Foundation that combines systematic phonics-based instruction with extensive read alouds of non-fiction and fiction content, from Greek myths to world history.
“The Core Knowledge Reading Program is a promising new approach for helping high-needs students to improve their literacy skills and build a foundation for future success in all subjects,” Chancellor Klein said. “Increasing content knowledge and improving comprehension can be the key to preparing our early readers for the challenges of later grades.”
“We need to see the reading comprehension problem for what it primarily is — a knowledge problem. Students need broad, subject-rich knowledge — history, geography, science, literature, and the arts in order to understand what they are reading," said E.D. Hirsch, Jr., the founder of the Core Knowledge Foundation. "There is no way around the need for children to gain broad general knowledge in order to gain broad general proficiency in reading."
“Our teachers are always open to exploring innovative approaches to help young students build a strong foundation for their later years in school,” said United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. “The UFT developed its own curriculum two years ago because we know this kind of focus on content actually makes it come alive for students as opposed to having test prep guide educators’ work, and that’s what this is all about. While many early literacy programs focus heavily on phonics, this one also includes a strong emphasis on non-fiction content. This approach gives students the prior knowledge needed to develop the strong higher-order thinking and comprehension skills required for the challenges of the upper grades as they progress in school.”
“The Core Knowledge Reading Program is a motivating new initiative that has the potential to better prepare students for the later grades by combining core literacy and broad subject matter,” said Council of School Supervisors and Administrators (CSA) President Ernest A. Logan. “School leaders have always embraced different ways of learning, especially when it provides students with the content knowledge and intellectual capacity needed to be successful in school and in life.”
The Core Knowledge Early Literacy Project will cost approximately $2.4 million and will be funded entirely by private donors through The Fund for Public Schools. Donors include The Wachovia Foundation, Centerbridge Foundation, Sarah Jessica Parker, Joseph Drown Foundation, and the Verizon Foundation. The cost includes teacher training, materials, and evaluation throughout the duration of the program.
With this announcement, New York City joins seven other schools around the country currently piloting the Core Knowledge Reading Program.
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Contact: David Cantor / Maibe González Fuentes (DOE) (212) 374-5141
Robert Pondiscio (Core Knowledge Foundation) 718-514-0764