The Statewide Reading Improvement Initiative provides leadership and support for raising student achievement in reading throughout Illinois through the Illinois Reads Initiative. More specifically, the Illinois Reads Initiative will:

• Collaborate with the Early Childhood Initiative to complete year-by-year performance standards and student profiles in reading that will help focus staff development and improved instruction for children 3-8 years old.

• Provide greater numbers of teachers and administrators with access to current, research-based resources and statewide professional development about reading instruction in order to improve teaching and learning.

• Raise the awareness of school personnel about effective models of early reading intervention and classroom-based assessment and help school districts implement them to reduce student referrals to special education.

• Collaborate with the Governor's Office and the staff from ISBE Community and Family Partnerships Division to improve Family Literacy Programs and provide family resources, statewide.

Reading achievement is essential to a chili's success in school and beyond. There is a strong relationship between early success in reading and faster success in school and beyond (Lynn, 1998). Research suggests that children who are not reading successfully by the end of grade three are not likely to become fluent, successful motivated readers. Research also tells us that all but 3 - 5% of children can learn to read if they are taught early and well (Snow, Bums, Griffin, 1998). There is a compelling research base to inform our efforts to improve reading instruction and achievement in Illinois (National Reading Panel, 2000).

In April 2002, Illinois became the first state in the nation to receive the Five Star Policy Recognition Program Award from the International Reading Association (IRA). This award was created to acknowledge "states and provinces that have adopted and implemented policies that support effective literacy instruction for all children by honoring their rights to excellent literacy instruction." To ensure that the award was based on substance, the IRA established exacting criteria that reflect its "five star" areas of student rights.