Board approves staffing allocation for Early Reading Intervention in 2011-2012

Rainbow District School Board has approved the staffing allocation for Early Reading Intervention in 2011-2012. The program will be available at A. B. Ellis Public School, Lansdowne Public School, Little Current Public School, Northeastern Elementary School, Princess Anne Public School/Wembley Public School, Queen Elizabeth Public School and Copper Cliff Public School.

All elementary schools currently receive Early Reading Intervention. Effective this fall, there will be a total of 3.75 full-time equivalent Early Reading Intervention teachers, including an ERI itinerant teacher. The allocation, based on school size and demographics, represents a decrease of 11.75 full-time equivalent positions. This will result in a savings of $940,000 annually.

“Early Reading Intervention is not funded by the Province as part of our grants. We have been covering the cost through reserves,” said Rainbow District School Board Chair Tyler Campbell. “If the Province were to provide funds for Early Reading Intervention, we would certainly continue the program at current levels.” 

Early Reading Intervention provides intensive support to Grade 1 students who need additional help in reading and writing. It consists of daily 30-minute one-on-one instructional sessions for 16 to 20 weeks. The program began as a pilot in select schools in 1995. It was expanded to all schools in 2003.

More than 200 teachers have been trained to deliver Early Reading Intervention in Rainbow Schools and will continue to use these literacy strategies in the regular classroom. Ontario Focused Intervention Partnership (OFIP) tutoring funds provided by the Ministry of Education will also continue to be used to support students with reading and writing before and after school.

“In addition, a number of new initiatives have been implemented to support our youngest learners,” said Director of Education Norm Blaseg. “This includes smaller class sizes in the primary grades as well as full day, every day Junior Kindergarten in all Rainbow Schools and the introduction of Early Learning for four and five-year-olds.” In Early Learning classrooms, teachers work in partnership with Early Childhood Educators.  

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Media Contact:

Nicole Charette, Senior Advisor,

Corporate Communications and Strategic Planning,

Rainbow District School Board, 674-3171, ext. 7217.