Franciscan University DataStars

Database of Sharing, Teaching, & Applying Reading Strategies

Introduction & Intended Outcomes

Welcome to DataSTARS: Database of Sharing, Teaching, & Applying Reading Strategies!

DataSTARS is the result of work done out of a grant called: Preparing Teachers to Use a Variety of Evidence-Based Reading Strategies & Tools in the Science of Reading through Creation of a Shared Virtual Database: A Collaboration between Pre-service and In-service Educators – Applied in Virtual & F2F Environments.

  • This virtual database houses demonstrations and tutorial videos of reading strategy evidence-based practices (EBPs). These EBPs can be implemented in the classroom. The artifacts shared within the database can be used as teaching tools in the K-12 classroom to improve literacy.
  • The work through this project presented opportunities for authentic partnerships with school partners to occur in order to promote purposeful collaboration between preservice and in-service educators at the P-20 level.
  • An objective of this work is to improve access for struggling and ALL learners with high quality literacy instruction, to be shared with school partners.
  • Another objective is to provide both preservice and in-service educators the opportunity to share inquiry into common reading literacy challenges with the goal of improving literacy results for ALL learners.
  • This link will take you to a padlet that showcases Virtue Projects that were created by pre-service teachers. This Virtue Project Padlet provides both pre-service and in-service educators the opportunity to analyze a book and link it to a virtue. Some of these lessons have also incorporated a DataSTARS strategy. You can access the Virtue Project here.

Discover the different ways in which students can develop literacy through word recognition and language comprehension strategies.

Further Goals and Activities of DataSTARS:

  • Providing access to professional development in the reading strategies that are housed in the virtual database
  • Sharing information regarding Science of Reading to help inform visitors to the database how to teach reading effectively
  • Creating of and displaying demonstration and instructional videos of specific reading strategies that are shared through the database

Contact for Suggestions

This work is part of a larger, on-going effort to strengthen reading coursework in Higher Education in Ohio, thanks to funding and support from the Ohio Deans Compact, and across the nation. We would love your feedback and ideas! If you have suggestions please contact Dr. Megan Reister at [email protected]

Intended Audience

DataSTARS meets the Ohio Deans Compact’s priority for improving literacy partnerships by assisting with the preparation of both pre- and in-service teachers, and other visitors to the database, to be better able to teach all children to read, including those with disabilities and learning challenges, in a variety of ways including through working in partnership with in-service teachers.

The demonstrations of evidence-based reading strategies have been designed by pre-service teachers and implemented in classrooms and instruction for diverse learners in a variety of grade levels.

This database can be used by anyone and was designed with Ohio institutions of higher education and other schools in mind. The idea is for DataSTARS to be shared in higher education, across school districts, within communities of practice, and elsewhere to share, teach, and apply reading strategies, grounded in Science of Reading, to school-aged students of all grade levels.

The project involved collaboration between two education professors at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Dr. Megan Reister and Dr. Kathy McVey, their students in two of the core reading courses, and school partners at Jefferson County Educational Services Center (JCESC) and Steubenville City Schools.

Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy

  • Evidence-based language and literacy teaching and learning
  • Content materials and instruction at all grade levels and all aspects of their [students’] lives
  • Language & literacy is part of all aspects of education
  • Actively promote language & literacy development

For more information about how this plan articulates strategies to promote proficiency in reading, writing, and communication for all learners, please see the following organizations and information:

Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement: Ohio’s working document to meet the needs of children regarding literacy outcomes.

Ohio Deans Compact: This organization seeks to improve the capacity of teacher education, educational leadership, and related services personnel preparation programs in Ohio.

Ohio Deans Compact Improving Literacy Outcomes: Through the Ohio Deans Compact, efforts are made to support higher education-school district partnerships to improve literacy outcomes as aligned with Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement.

Mt. St. Joseph University – The Center for Reading Science: The purpose of the Center for Reading Science, out of Mt. St. Joseph University, is to support educators in implementing the Science of Reading in their classrooms and communities.

Walsh University – The Science of Reading: brief article describing how a fellow Ohio institution of higher education adopted Science of Reading within its core reading courses.

University of Cincinnati – Systems Development & Improvement Center P20 Literacy Collaborative Youtube channel that contains literacy professional development.

From our School Partners

“I would highly recommend participation because this project puts evidence-based research into practice. The strategies can be replicated with individual students, small groups, and classrooms. In sum, the data on the process and outcomes of this project exceeded my criteria in all areas. I highly commend this project and feel Dr. Reister and Dr. McVey are doing important and impactful work!”

"I love being a part of this grant. There are so many times I need additional strategies to help my students form a better foundation for reading more fluently. The strategies from Franciscan students bring fresh ideas to someone who has been out of college for more than 12 years. I hope Dr. Reister and Dr. McVey know the domino effect they have started for helping so many students and teachers. The Science of Reading and resources all of you are providing are changing the way I communicate with my students and impacting the lives of so many students."

Discover the different ways in which students can develop literacy through word recognition and language comprehension strategies.

Funding Statement

These demonstration videos, fidelity checklists, learning tasks, discussion questions, and supplemental resources on improving literacy outcomes for students were designed as part of two Ohio Deans Compact grants. This professional development on improving literacy outcomes in students that utilizes the Science of Reading project makes use of videos and fidelity checklists through a database. This database was created through two Ohio Deans Compact Grants that were designed for a partnership between a university’s education faculty, school partners’ faculty (classroom teachers), and pre-service teachers (student teachers). The purpose of this project, that was funded through two Ohio Deans Compact Grants, was to work together to deepen all participants’ knowledge and skills in implementing evidence-based reading strategies that are grounded in Science of Reading. Other purposes were to create a meaningful partnership between university faculty & school district faculty, to support all participants’ abilities to share this content with teachers in their schools or teacher candidates at the university, and to get input on strengthening our teacher preparation program including finding strong field placements for teacher candidates that utilize evidence-based reading strategies. All materials used in the database will be shared so participants (and others) can use this database to share, teach, and apply reading strategies and materials can be shared with their teachers and teacher candidates. The hope is that participants will then implement these evidence-based reading strategies that have been aligned to Science of Reading in their own practice with students of all ages and grade levels. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Ohio Deans Compact.