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Purpose/Mission Statement:
Promoting Literacy in Urban Schools, or The PLUS Project, is a research based
prevention/early intervention model for improving early literacy outcomes for EL students
who are likely to be identified in later years as having reading-related learning
disabilities. The intent is to a) prevent misidentification of students, b) promote
early identification of students who truly need special education services, and c)
reduce disproportionate representation of minority students in special education programs.
PLUS includes components crucial to success for English Learners in first grade: Basic
Reading Intervention and Ongoing Progress Monitoring for students; and Professional
Development in reading intervention and General-Special Education Collaboration for
general and special education teachers. In our previous work, we have developed and
field-tested these components through an OSEP-funded personnel preparation grant, Project
PLUS (Partnership Linking University and School). Through ongoing collaboration,
researchers and school personnel have implemented the PLUS model for EL students in urban
schools. The previous project included K-2 and special education teachers in professional
development in six schools in low income, predominantly Hispanic urban areas. Scientifically
based reading research has guided the development of the project (e.g., National Research
Council, 1998, National Reading Panel, 2000; Reading First). We have conducted extensive
evaluation to determine the utility and effectiveness of assessment tools and strategies,
instructional principles, grouping practices, and professional development materials and
results over three years of implementation have been promising (Haager & Windmueller, 2001;
2003). However, there is now a need to test the model using an experimental design.
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