“This program makes me want to read again,” says a sophomore HillRAP student at West Carteret High School in Morehead City, NC. HillRAP, now being implemented in Carteret County public schools, has given him the skills that he has needed to feel good about his ability to read for learning as well as for enjoyment. 

 

The 08-09 school year marks the first of a four-year partnership with Friends of the Front Street Village, Carteret County Schools, University of North Carolina-Wilmington, and The Hill Center. Friends of Front Street Village has provided a grant to train forty teachers in HillRAP (Hill Reading Achievement Program) in the Carteret County Public Schools over the next four years. In August 2008 nineteen teachers were trained in HillRAP methodology. Of the nineteen teachers in the project, twelve come from Bogue Sound, Harkers Island, Morehead at Camp Glenn, Newport, Smyrna, and White Oak elementary schools, four from Beaufort, Broad Creek, and Newport middle schools, and three from Croatan, East Carteret, and West Carteret high schools.

 

Amy Taylor from Newport Elementary says the methodology training has helped her acquire a more structured, sequential method of instruction. She feels the strategies she has learned have made a difference with her students. “I also wanted to tell you that I taught my students how to use the small colored discs when deleting phonemes from various locations in a word during phonological awareness. Dewayne loves it! It really worked for several of my students!”

 

Linda Marino who has been implementing HillRAP as a classroom teacher and tutor says, “As a result of Hill Center training, I am feeling confident and successful with tutoring and classroom instruction. In addition, the word lists and graphs enable my students to monitor their progress. They are able to correlate the effort that they put forth with personal progress. The resultant pride generates enthusiasm towards subsequent word lists. This feeds my zeal, which causes me to be engaged with my students.”

 

Courtney Horne, a HillRAP teacher at West Carteret, has been impressed by the way HillRAP allows her to assess her student’s needs and individualize their instruction within a group setting. Courtney has also been pleased with the mentor component of this program. While working on certification in HillRAP methodology, Hill Center mentors observe in the classrooms and provide feedback and consultation. “I can't tell you how appreciative I am to be involved in this program, for the first time in a while, I feel like I'm making a difference. It's so nice to be able to say that again!” 

 

Dr. Tamara Walser from UNC-W is heading up the evaluation component of the HillRAP project. Data will be analyzed to determine academic growth of the students in the program. In addition to the HillRAP training, the grant has awarded 360 scholarships to teachers in Carteret County to take on-line courses offered by The Hill Center.