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Lawton Public Schools
Lawton, Oklahoma
The Lawton/Fort Sill Southwest Oklahoma community was founded on the
prairie south of the Wichita Mountains. The metropolitan population
exceeds more than 100,000. The Lawton Public School system was
organized in 1901, 6 years before Oklahoma’s statehood. Since its
organization, the district enrollment has grown from 822 students to
nearly 17,000 students—more than 40% of whom are military
dependents. The system has 3 high schools, 4 middle schools, and 26
elementary schools. All-day kindergarten is in each elementary
school, along with a half-day prekindergarten.
Reading Recovery was implemented in Lawtonin 1992 under the
direction of teacher leaders Jill Kirby and Susan Walker trained at
Texas Woman’s University. Reading Recovery services are provided in
the district’s Title I elementary sites. Reading Recovery provided
services for 201 students during the 2008-2009 school year. A total
of 2,822 students have received Reading Recovery services over the
past 16 years. Lawton Public Schools, through Cameron University and
Texas Women’s University, have trained 57 Title I teachers and 21
classroom teachers.
Results for Reading Recovery students in the Lawton Public
Schools are strong. Although the Reading Recovery first graders are
lowest in the class when they begin lessons, from 84–92% of students
reach grade-level standard after a full series of lessons.
Presently, teacher leader Susan Perry provides literacy training
with academic credit through Cameron University. Besides the
training for Reading Recovery teachers, Susan provides professional
development for Title I and non-Title I classroom teachers. This
means that children in many elementary schools have the benefit of a
highly trained literacy teacher.
Reading Recovery has remained the intervention program of choice
for struggling first-grade readers in the Lawton Public Schools.
Administrators who were surveyed agree that Reading Recovery makes a
very large impact in their building. One principal was quoted
saying, “Reading Recovery has provided our students with the
strategies necessary for them to build a successful foundation in
their educational career.” Parents equally agree that Reading
Recovery is a good intervention. One parent summed up her thoughts
by saying, “I’m a divorced and disabled parent. I do my best to
teach him by myself. This program helps. I can see a difference.”
Teachers Jamie Fraze, Jan Siler, AlLisa
Hoskins,
and Judy Nisbett discuss records while Principal
Ora Fitzgerald observes.
Kiya writes in her journal.
Jacob assembles his cut-up sentence.
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