LOCAL SCHOOLS SELECTED FOR 'READ TO BE READY' PROGRAM

Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Perryville school districts are among 45 selected to receive new state grants to help improve reading instruction in young students.

The three districts received a total of $224,000 during the first round of the Read to Be Ready early literacy grant program. Cape Girardeau School District received $140,000 to fund the program in Blanchard, Clippard, Franklin and Jefferson schools.

Jackson received $44,800 to implement programs at South, Orchard and Primary Annex, and Perryville Elementary School was awarded a $40,000 grant.

The districts will use the funding to implement professional development and peer training strategies to improve the number of students reading at their grade level in kindergarten through third grades.

In all, 98 public elementary schools received funding during the first round of allocations for the program, which was developed in 1999. More than $6.7 million was approved by the General Assembly for special reading grants during the coming school year.

A 1999 Missouri law requires schools to hold back students in third through eighth grades whose reading skills are more than one grade level behind. School officials said the Read to Be Ready program will assist them in identifying and helping at-risk students and improving the reading skills of all students.

"We want them all reading above grade level, no questions asked," said Dr. Sam Duncan, director of government programs in Jackson School District.

Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Perryville districts all will use the funding to train teachers in the balanced literacy approach. Instructors from Southeast Missouri State University will assist the districts in training lead teachers to use a variety of methods to teach reading skills. The lead teachers will take what they learn back to their buildings and serve as peer coaches and train co-workers..