One Benton elementary school is among the ten honored on Tuesday by Arkansas Department of Education, for efforts to increase reading instruction, build community partnerships, and promote a culture of reading.
The following recipients of the 2019 Outstanding R.I.S.E. Arkansas School Award were recognized today at the ADE Summit in Hot Springs.
- Angie Grant Elementary School in the Benton School District
- Hermitage Elementary School in the Hermitage School District
- Florence Mattison Elementary School in the Conway School District
- Green Forest Elementary School in the Green Forest School District
- Lavaca Elementary School in the Lavaca School District
- Lincoln Elementary School in the Lincoln School District
- Malvern Elementary School in the Malvern School District
- Sheridan Elementary School in the Sheridan School District
- Taylor Elementary School in the Emerson-Taylor-Bradley School District
- Willowbrook Elementary School in the Bentonville School District
“I am extremely proud of these ten schools for setting the example of reading excellence and making a profound difference in the lives of their students,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson stated. “Not only have they increased and improved reading instruction for all students, they have demonstrated their commitment to their communities by building partnerships with parents and businesses. I commend these exceptional educators, students, and administrators for their hard work and dedication to reading.”
ADE accepted nominations for the award from R.I.S.E. trainers who have completed a rigorous 14-day training on the knowledge and skills of the science of reading. They then trained other educators on these proven reading instructional practices. An ADE team visited each of the nominated schools and selected 10 schools that demonstrated the following: a school-wide implementation of science of reading practices; administrative support for improved reading instruction; strengthened community partnerships; projects that promote a culture of reading; and serve as models of instructional best practices for other teachers. Each winner received a trophy and recognition and will serve on a panel discussion at the summit to share implementation strategies and lessons learned with other educators.
“When our team visited each of the recipients, they came away inspired and impressed by each school’s commitment to reading,”ADE Commissioner Johnny Key stated. “Not only are their students benefiting from the improved instruction and collaboration, their communities are as well. Together we are leading the nation in student-focused education!”
Hutchinson and ADE launched R.I.S.E. Arkansas, or the Reading Initiative for Student Excellence, in January 2017 to improve reading instruction, strengthen community collaboration, and build a culture of reading. Since the launch of the campaign, school, parent, and community partnerships have strengthened, new science of reading instruction has been implemented statewide, and 320 educators have become R.I.S.E. Academy trainers and coaches. These trainers have, in turn, trained more than 6,000 K-6 teachers on reading instructional practices.
To learn more about the initiative, visit www.risearkansas.org.