Some of the first graders at Buckeye Elementary School couldn't identify letters of the alphabet a month ago . . Teachers say they are thankful for the additional help. It is really great to have them. America Reads also became a focal point for other programs within the Department of Education. A report on best practices, So That Every Child Can Read , was published in April 1999.
Reading Is Fundamental.
The Office of Posting-Secondary Education used its Teacher Quality Initiative, which provides financial support for professional development activities, to improve teachers' skills in reading instruction. At a September 1999 Summit on Teacher Quality, Education Secretary Richard Riley challenged colleges of education and state certification boards to emphasize higher standards for elementary school teachers. Other federal agencies were also enlisted in the America Reads Challenge. In his 1997 State of the Union address, President Clinton called on the Corporation for National Service to use its national service programs to coordinate and staff tutoring projects. Three thousand AmeriCorps members now serve as coordinators for a force that is tailoring its adult literacy grant program to improve reading skills among the parents of young children.