Establishing a Reading Recovery Site

A Reading Recovery® site is defined as one or more school systems employing and supporting one or more teacher leaders to train teachers for Reading Recovery implementation (Descubriendo la Lectura (DLL) sites must employ a DLL-trained teacher leader). Establishing and implementing a Reading Recovery or DLL site requires careful study and strong commitment from the sponsoring agency (school district, university, or consortium).

Prior to initiation of a local training site for teachers, the following recommendations and requirements should be carefully examined and discussed with representatives of a university training center.

1. Study Reading Recovery/DLL carefully and arrange for awareness sessions for key personnel, including, if feasible, visits to an existing site.
2. Develop a long-range implementation plan that is consistent with Reading Recovery standards and guidelines.
   1. Develop a long-term budget that includes projections for the following: salaries for the teacher leader and teacher positions, a training facility, materials, training and tuition costs, support for teacher leader and teacher professional development requirements, travel for networking, adequate secretarial service easily accessible to the teacher leader, and site visits from the university training center.
   2. Make decisions about staffing and the utilization of Reading Recovery/DLL teachers' time for the remainder of their day.
   3. Work towards the goal of full coverage at the building level, which means sufficient staffing and teaching time to service the most at-risk children in the first-grade cohort, which might range from 15% to over 20% in most schools and a higher percentage in some schools where risk factors for failure are greater. In order to demonstrate what Reading Recovery or DLL can do, it is strongly advised to provide full coverage at each individual school entering the program rather than distribute Reading Recovery/ DLL teachers thinly to many schools.
3. Designate as site coordinator an administrator who is well-informed and willing to learn about Reading Recovery (or DLL when appropriate).
4. Obtain long-term commitment to full implementation at the system and school levels.
5. Assure commitment at the district or school level to arrange travel for children for behind-the-glass sessions.
6. Allocate funds for the position and training of one or more teacher leaders. Release these individuals for full-time teacher leader training for one academic year at a university training center recognized by North American Trainers Group (NATG). See materials from each university training center for requirements and fees.
7. Alternatively, employ a trained teacher leader registered with Reading Recovery Council of North America (RRCNA) as an active, qualified Reading Recovery or DLL teacher leader.
8. Submit a site application to the university training center with which the site will affiliate.
9. Negotiate through the regional university training center to establish graduate credit for courses (to be taught by a registered teacher leader) for teacher training.
10. Provide an appropriate training facility for training classes, including construction of room with one-way glass, a suitable sound system, and meeting and office space. (Specifications for the training facility may be obtained from the regional university training center or from RRCNA.)
11. If the site is interested in implementing DLL, approval must be obtained from the affiliated university training center, and appropriate arrangements must be made.