ST. MARY'S EARNS READING AWARD

St. Mary's Cathedral Grade School has received honors for its Accelerated Reader Program.

The program is part of the larger Reading Renaissance program, which combines technology, motivation and individualized instruction to support extensive reading practice. After reading any of the more than 22,000 books used within the program, students' comprehension is confirmed using computer-generated tests.

Principal Carol Strattman received notification last week that St. Mary's was the first in Missouri to be named a Reading Renaissance Model School by the Institute for Academic Excellence.

Several steps were met to earn the designation. At least five classrooms must have achieved model classroom status, and school-wide participation from kindergarten through eighth grade is required. The school must also have less than 15 percent of the student population deemed at-risk based on test scores and reading level.

Six individual classes at St. Mary's have achieved model classroom status since October 1996. School-wide participation began last fall, and the school's at-risk population decreased from about 18 percent to 14 percent between August and February.

Strattman said the recognition was especially noteworthy because of the short time between beginning school-wide participation and applying for the designation. The program has become a priority at the school this year, she said. Teachers set aside at least 60 minutes of each school day for reading practice at every grade level. Reading is performed by the teacher, but students also practice in small groups and independently to make sure everyone works at their own level.

"We have seen the biggest change in our students -- it's incredible," she said. "Our school library used to just kind of sit there. Now we cannot keep up with getting the books back on the shelves."

Many of the students are now reading above their current grade level. In the at-risk report submitted with the school's application, all grade levels posted average reading levels that were equal to or above the grade, Strattman said. This included average kindergarten, first- and third-grade reading levels that were an entire grade level higher.

Volunteer Sherry Robinson works in the school library every Monday. She said students are borrowing books in increasing numbers, and their choices vary from classics like "A Tale of Two Cities" and "The Prince and the Pauper" to newer titles.

Robinson said she enjoys watching students recommend books to each other. She said she has been inspired to catch up on some reading herself.

Her daughter, Katie, was reading "The House of the Seven Gables." "I've been there, but I've never read it," she said. "I'm working on it now."

Strattman said motivation plays a big part in the success of the students in the program. Some area businesses contribute incentive prizes for students who are passing their comprehension tests, and two students were allowed to be principal for a day because they became honor readers, she said.

The Institute for Academic Excellence projects a noticeable increase in all areas of standardized testing, including math, for schools using the reading program, said Strattman. St. Mary's won't be able to gauge the program's effectiveness until after next fall, when the next round of standardized tests are scheduled at the school.

"We hope to see our improvements measured in an overall increase in standardized test scores," she said. "The best thing about this is that the children are enjoying reading. They love it."