Frequently Asked Questions about FCRR Reports
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| Q. | 1. Is FCRR still reviewing reading programs and writing FCRR Reports? |
| A. | The Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) has suspended its review of reading programs because of changing priorities in our work to support reading instruction in Florida. We will complete the program reviews that are in process. Florida School Districts now have access to the State Adopted Instructional Materials List, existing FCRR Reports, and the What Works Clearinghouse, which are all resources to help districts in the selection of reading materials. FCRR will not expand its current list of FCRR Reports as of June 30, 2008; however, we will maintain our posted FCRR Reports as a resource for educators. We appreciate your cooperation with this matter. |
| Q. | 2. If a report is published on the FCRR website, does that mean that it is on an "approved" list for use in Reading First Schools? |
| A. | No. The purpose of FCRR Reports was not to certify or approve reading programs. We have responded to school district requests to review programs and wrote short, informational reports to help schools make informed decisions. School districts may use the reports as a resource to determine if a specific program teaches content and uses instructional procedures that are consistent with findings from recent research in reading. We have done our best to determine if the instructional procedures, organization, and content of a given program are consistent with conclusions from research on reading and sound instructional practice. However, it is important for school district personnel and teachers to read the reports thoroughly and make whatever additional judgments may be appropriate regarding the suitability of the program for their students. |
| Q. | 3. What is included in FCRR Reports? |
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| Q. | 4. What was the process of the FCRR review? |
| A. | The process of the curricula review was a collaborative effort by a review team and was extensive and thorough. When a Florida school district asked us to review a program, we requested all the instructional materials that accompanied the reading program. Then a comprehensive review of both the teacher and student material was conducted. A thorough literature review was conducted and all available research pertaining to the program was gathered. This research was analyzed, succinctly summarized, and included in the final report. If more information regarding the program was needed, it was gathered and synthesized through a variety of avenues: observations of the program being implemented in classrooms; conference calls with teachers and administrators; and exploration of the program’s website. In addition, the author or publisher was invited to the FCRR to discuss the reading program. Once our report was written, we requested that the author or publisher of the reading program review the report for accuracy. We considered this feedback, revised as needed, and then posted the report to our website. |
| Q. | 5. What type of programs did the FCRR review? |
| A. | We reviewed prekindergarten curricula, K-3 core reading programs, intervention and supplemental programs, middle and high school programs, and professional development in reading. |
| Q. | 6. Who conducted the reviews at FCRR? |
| A. | Members of the curriculum review team were former classroom teachers who held either a Doctoral or Master’s Degree in Elementary or Special Education. Additionally, review team members had experience teaching struggling readers, teaching reading methods courses at the university level, coaching, and developing reading curriculum. |
| Q. | 7. What is the purpose of the FCRR Reports? |
| A. | The Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) was asked to establish a review process for analyzing reading curricula and materials available for use in Florida. We wrote brief FCRR Reports based on the findings from our reviews and posted them on our website for use by teachers, administrators, and district level personnel. The sole purpose of FCRR Reports is to be a reliable resource for teachers and administrators as they evaluate the alignment of instructional materials to Reading First guidelines and determine the degree to which programs are consistent with current scientific research in reading. Our goal is to assist school personnel in making informed decisions as they select instructional materials for reading. Additionally, these reports are designed to interpret the various levels of research regarding reading programs. The content of the FCRR Reports is informational and not to be construed as an advertisement, endorsement, or list of officially ‘approved’ products or curricula. |
| Q. | 8. Is there a way to know when a report was published? |
| A. | Yes. The date the report was published is located at the end of each report. |
| Q. | 9. How much do these programs cost? |
| A. | Costs can be found by clicking on the program’s website link which is included in every report. |
| Q. | 10. Does FCRR charge a fee to review programs? |
| A. | No. |
| Q. | 11. Is there a list of research based core reading programs that are accepted by the state? |
| A. | Yes. The Florida Department of Education completed the K-12 Reading Instructional Materials Adoption, and the following Comprehensive Core Reading Programs (CCRP) have been state adopted: Harcourt School Publishers, Storytown, Isabel Beck, Roger Farr, Dorothy Strickland, et al, 2008/First Houghton Mifflin Company, Florida Houghton Mifflin Reading, Pikulski, Cooper, Templeton, Fountas et al., 2009/1st Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Florida Treasures, Shanahan, et al, 2009/1st Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Scott Foresman, Scott Foresman Reading Street, Kame`enui, et al, 2009/1st SRA/McGraw-Hill, Imagine It! Florida Edition, Bereiter, et al., 2008/1st |
| Q. | 12. Should I only consider purchasing programs rated with three plusses for every component on your Summary Table? |
| A. | No, there are many different types of intervention and supplemental programs. Some programs focus specifically on one or two of the dimensions of reading growth, such as fluency, or phonics, or vocabulary while other programs provide instructional materials to support development in all five of the critical components of reading growth identified by the National Reading Panel.Programs that focus on all five components are not always the best choice to meet the needs of specific schools or classrooms. Sometimes the best strategy in picking a supplemental or intervention program would be to select one that focuses powerfully on a particular area, such as phonics or fluency if that is an area of weakness for many students. It is sometimes the case that programs that focus on only one or two areas actually provide more in-depth instruction and practice in that area than programs that divide their instructional materials across all five areas. At other times, the needs of a school, or a group of students may be best served with an intervention program that addresses all five components of reading. This might be the case for students in second or third grade who are lagging behind in all major areas of reading development. |
| Q. | 13. What is the most effective way to use the information on the FCRR Curriculum and Instruction website to find a reading program for our school? |
| A. | First, go to the FCRR Report Index to see an alphabetized list of all of the programs that have been reviewed by FCRR. Here you will find the Type of Program and the Grade Level Reviewed. Using your student assessment results, try to determine the type of programs you need to explore. Once you have decided which type of program will best fit the needs of your students, go to the Categorized Summary Table for a complete list of that type of program along with the reading component ratings for each program (if applicable):
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