Key Roles | Reading Rescue

The Literacy Trust presents...Reading Rescue
A Literacy Intervention for Struggling Readers

Reading Rescue Program:
Key Roles

Commitment from key school personnel is critical for the success of Reading Rescue within a school or district. Successful implementation and longevity are dependent upon:

Commitment from the school superintendent and appropriate district-level administrators to support program implementation within schools that have elected to adopt the program.
Commitment from each school principal to attend Principal's Training and to support the program within his or her building including the assumption of responsibilities for program implementation.
Commitment from at least 80% of faculty and staff directly involved with students who will be tutored.
Commitment and support for the program from a majority of the total staff.
Commitment from an identified School Coordinator to attend all training sessions for the entire duration of the contract period and to coordinate the program within his or her building following stated guidelines.

The School Principal:

Introduces and offers ongoing support of Reading Rescue within the school and community.
Attends Reading Rescue Principal's Training.
Selects and subsequently supports a Reading Rescue Coordinator.
Allocates sufficient time each week for the Coordinator to perform essential Reading Rescue responsibilities and program requirements.
Arranges for each Reading Rescue tutor to participate in each session of tutor training.
Assures that each Reading Rescue tutor is allocated at least 30 minutes every day to provide Reading Rescue tutoring.
Establishes a Reading Rescue library of books and materials to be used during tutoring sessions, including purchase of new books and materials, if necessary.
Provides adequate space for Reading Rescue tutoring to take place.
Provides adequate time and space for regular (weekly or biweekly) peer coaching meetings of the Reading Rescue tutors with the Coordinator by resolving any conflicts that arise in the scheduling.
Encourages and acknowledges tutors' work within the school.
Assures that no competing program will interfere.
Assures full participation of tutors in the Reading Rescue Professional Development Program.

The Reading Rescue Coordinator:
Note: The Coordinator must be a certified teacher who does not have full-time classroom responsibilities.

The Coordinator becomes the resident "literacy expert" in the school, and assumes a leadership role within the building for literacy development among students and professional development among the staff. The Coordinator is trained for his or her role and supported in that role through the Reading Rescue Program.
The Coordinator's job requires approximately 10 hours a week at the beginning and ending of a school year; at other times the Coordinator will need to spend about 5 hours per week on Reading Rescue duties.
The School Coordinator, with the help of the Reading Rescue staff, becomes a master tutor and a role model for the other Reading Rescue tutors in the building.

The Coordinator:

Provides Reading Rescue tutoring for at least one student during the school day and serves as a model tutor.
Coordinates the program by:
- assisting teachers in the identification of program participants
- assuming responsibility for program record keeping
- ensuring that each tutor has the books and materials needed for tutoring sessions (purchasing, organizing, etc.)
- coordinating coverage of teachers' classrooms by paraprofessionals or other staff members when teachers tutor.
- conducting regular observations of tutoring sessions with feedback to the tutor
- consulting with tutors to determine if a child meets graduation requirements
Provides ongoing professional development in regularly scheduled weekly or biweekly meetings with the school's Reading Rescue tutors.
In peer coaching meetings with tutors, the Coordinator reinforces and extends information presented during formal in-service sessions with Reading Rescue trainers and reviews sections of the Reading Rescue Tutor's Handbook. The Coordinator enlists the help of a different tutor at each meeting to record the topics that are discussed and questions tutors have that the Coordinator can't answer. The Coordinator then contacts Reading Rescue staff via the Internet or by phone for consultation on questions tutors raise. The Coordinator keeps the notes of each meeting and four times a year sends Reading Rescue staff a list of meeting dates and times along with a summary of topics/questions generated and discussed during meetings with tutors.
Makes videotapes of his or her own tutoring for group analysis during peer coaching meetings and, as comfort level with the program increases, arranges for other tutors to be taped.
- An important component of ongoing professional development for Rescue tutors is the opportunity to view and to analyze videotapes of Rescue lessons. During formal in-service sessions, Reading Rescue trainers show videotapes of themselves tutoring and lead the group in a critical analysis of the taped lessons. Within each Reading Rescue school, it is the Coordinator's responsibility to lead the way by taping him-or herself tutoring and showing a taped lesson or lessons for analysis during meetings with Rescue tutors. By the second and third year of program implementation, the Coordinator arranges for other Rescue tutors to tape their lessons and share within the group. The analysis of Rescue lessons - not for the purpose of criticizing the tutor but to deepen understanding of the teaching and learning processes involved - is a critical and required, component of Reading Rescue.
Maintains program quality within the school and assures the integrity of the instructional model by:
Observes and provides follow-up feedback to each Reading Rescue tutor at least twice per year
Reviews tutors' Daily Tutoring Records of tutoring sessions
Examines the written products (the student's Writing Book, the Letters and Words I Know book) produced by the tutor and student during Rescue lessons.
Reports regularly to the principal and the staff on the success of the program; responds to questions about the program from interested parties outside the school; maintains contact with the Reading Rescue staff.
Tracks Rescue students as they move through the grades to determine how well they are able to maintain the gains achieved in the Rescue program.
Serves as the school's liaison between Reading Rescue staff and the tutors in his or her building.
Attends a week-long summer institute after the first and second years of program implementation to further prepare for the role of School Coordinator.
- The Coordinator may elect to attend a third summer institute after the third year of program implementation. If, however, the Coordinator chooses not to attend, he or she recommends another Reading Rescue trained teacher to represent the school, preferably someone capable of assisting the Coordinator in his or her role.

The Reading Rescue Tutors:

Participate fully in tutor training and attend weekly or biweekly peer coaching meetings for the purpose of ongoing professional development.
Complete student assessments in a timely manner and maintain accurate and complete assessment data.
Conduct daily tutoring sessions of at least 30 minutes in duration, documented on a Daily Tutoring Record.
Adhere to instructional practices as recommended by the Reading Rescue Program
Participate in videotaping/observations of tutoring sessions by the School. Coordinator, by other Rescue tutors-in-training, and by Reading Rescue personnel.