In schools that implement the courses, e-Read Ohio has established optimal conditions for achieving these goals:
- Job-embedded – Teachers follow the courses as part of their normal job. While they may make time for them in any way that suits their regular teaching duties, they must take the classes while teaching. For example, they may take them during the summer if they are teaching summer school.
- Supported – Teachers receive the support of a School Literacy Consultant (SLC) who improves teacher practice by meeting with them, conducting their e-learning, and going into the classroom to observe them and model the techniques shown in the courses. The job of the SLC is not to supplant teachers as the literacy expert in the classroom, but to help them be literacy experts in the classroom.
- Sustained – True professional development in any field is ongoing, so e-Read Ohio works best when teachers work with it over time, rather than episodically. The modules help to validate and reinforce teachers’ best practices, and the advantage of repeating courses as a refresher is part of the program.
