PITT RECEIVES GRANT TO SUPPORT READING TEACHERS

PITTSBURGH, June 17 -- University of Pittsburgh education professors Rita M. Bean and Gregory A. Morris have received a higher education Dwight D. Eisenhower Professional Development Program grant for their proposal, "Early Reading Success (ERS) through Effective Teaching, a Collaborative Approach to Professional Development."

Developed by co-directors Bean and Morris, the state-wide effort of ongoing professional development will provide in-service training to enable reading teachers to improve reading teaching and student achievement. Administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the $350,445 award will fund the three-year project which encompasses three other universities.

Professional development for teachers includes participating in a week-long summer workshop, attending five all-day sessions during the year to extend and enhance their knowledge, meeting regularly in teams throughout the school year to discuss progress and address difficulties, and meeting in June to provide feedback about their experiences and make suggestions for program modification.

In addition to Pitt, who will oversee the project, regional sites for the program include Clarion State University, Clarion, PA; Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA; and Penn State-Capital College, Harrisburg, PA. This will insure participation from teachers in the northwest, southwest, central, and eastern parts of Pennsylvania.

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