Florida Department of Education

State Board of Education

T. WILLARD FAIR, Chairman
Members
DR. AKSHAY DESAI
Mark Kaplan
Roberto Martínez
JOHN R. PADGET
Kathleen Shanahan
Susan Story

Dr. Eric J. Smith
Commissioner of Education

	

M E M O R A N D U M

TO:		District K-12 Reading Contacts

FROM:	Stuart Greenberg, Executive Director
Just Read, Florida! and Office of Early Learning

DATE:	August 11, 2010

SUBJECT:	Reading Endorsement Offerings

As you are aware, due to budget shortfalls, the Department is no longer able to provide funding to support free online versions of the North East Florida Education Consortium (NEFEC) courses and the Florida Online Reading Professional Development (FOR-PD) course.

Just Read, Florida! has been in contact with our partners and districts across the state regarding potential solutions for providing Competencies 1-5 in the most cost efficient manner.  Based on these discussions Just Read, Florida! will provide the following options for districts:
•	For Competencies, 1, 3, and 4/5:
o	FLaRE face-to-face modules that can be delivered by Reading Endorsed/Certified district facilitators (currently available)
•	Compact Discs containing the content of the FLaRE face-to-face modules were sent to the main district reading contact the week of Aug. 9, 2010.
o	Online courses (FOLAC, ADAPT, and FADI) through North East Florida Education Consortium (NEFEC) for a participant fee of $300 per course.

Memorandum to District K-12 Reading Contacts
August 11, 2010
Page 2

•	For Competency 2:
o	Face-to-face module developed based on FOR-PD content that can be delivered by Reading Endorsed/Certified district facilitators.
o	FOR-PD as an online course for a fee of $300 through NEFEC.
o	Provide FOR-PD to interested districts as an online course that can be housed on the district servers and managed and facilitated by the district.
•	The FOR-PD course has been offered in BlackBoard Enterprise Version 8. Districts wishing to host the course will need to import the course content into BlackBoard, Moodle, or possibly other Learning Management Systems.  Most of the course consists of html web pages along with discussion board postings. 

Please remember that there are several other versions of face-to-face and online Competency 1-5 offerings that have been developed by districts, colleges, universities, and companies which may be provided for educators across the state.  EPI programs at Florida colleges may also offer Competencies 1, 2, and 3 for teachers in local school districts.  Attached you will find some existing alternative options for Competencies 1-5, and the new options provided by Just Read, Florida! including fee and contact information.  Each of these options will be available for fall 2010 (Attachment 1).  Please note that the options provided are not an all inclusive list.  

Districts may add any offerings requested to Chart A in the professional development sections of the District K-12 Reading Plan by contacting Kevin Smith at Kevin.Smith@fldoe.org. 

The Just Read, Florida! Office has planned technical assistance conference calls regarding the logistics of these Reading Endorsement Competency options.  Attached, please find a schedule of the technical assistance conference calls including the dates, times, and phone numbers.  District reading contacts, professional development contacts, and instructional technology specialists will benefit from these calls (Attachment 2).  

To support your efforts in funding individuals participating in the online and face-to-face Reading Endorsement Competencies, please note that the following federal and state funding sources may be options for your district:
•	Title II, Part A
•	Reading Allocation of the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) 

Please send any questions you have about proceeding with these options to Kevin Smith at Kevin.Smith@fldoe.org. 

Thank you for your dedication and support for literacy in your district!

SG/ks

CC:	Reading Endorsement Contacts

Attachments