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Project MORE:  Mentoring in Ohio for Reading Excellence

A scientifically based volunteer reading mentoring program is being implemented in Ohio. According to an independent evaluation conducted by the Center for Evaluation Services, Bowling Green State University during the 2002-2008 school years, Project MORE is significantly increasing the reading levels of students with disabilities on both informal and standardized reading assessments. Based on the independent evaluation, Project MORE has demonstrated that 1:1 structured, volunteer reading mentoring is Effective, Affordable, Replicable and Sustainable (EARS). Project MORE:  Mentoring in Ohio for Reading Excellence is a scientifically based reading research program that follows the No Child Left Behind” high expectation for all” standard. Initially, Project MORE was designed to raise the expectations and performance for children with disabilities in the area of reading, but has also proven effective for students at risk for reading failure.

According to Dr. Rich Wilson, Co-Director for the Center for Evaluation Services, Bowling Green State University “Over the past six years, evaluation results have shown that Project MORE students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) have made one-month reading gain for each month of structured intervention”.

Project MORE is a collaborative effort between the Putnam County Educational Service Center and the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities.  The project has two goals:

1. Demonstrate that students with disabilities can significantly increase their reading skills using a structured volunteer reading mentoring program, in addition to their IEP services; and
2. Ensure that greater numbers of students with disabilities pass Ohio’s grade level reading achievement tests.

“I have never seen one program that positively impacts students with disabilities as much as this reading mentoring program,” said Jan Osborn, Superintendent of Schools, Putnam County ESC.

During the 2008-2009 school year, Project MORE served 2000 students with disabilities, and students at risk for reading failure.  More than 2850 mentors served over 73,000-structured reading mentoring hours in 137 schools.  The basic cost, beyond in house personnel, for an established reading mentoring program is <$1/mentor hour. 

National Significance

Project MORE has been proven to be an Effective, Affordable, Replicable and Sustainable reading mentoring intervention for all schools that participate. Project MORE aligns with the federal IDEIA Early Intervening Services requirement that there should be a greater emphasis on use of intervention services. This project minimizes over-identification and prevents unnecessary referrals to special education.

Project MORE aligns to the federal three-tiered model for special education and remedial education services as a tier two and tier three-intervention strategy. According to No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Project MORE meets the requirements to be an effective and affordable tutoring program for schools in academic need, which are required to provide Supplemental Education Services (SES). For the first time in ten years, Ohio's successful 1:1 reading mentoring project for children with disabilities has the funds to partner with new schools outside Ohio.  Due to the effectiveness and affordability of Project MORE, federal dollars would enable struggling readers in other states the same opportunity as Ohio's students to benefit from Project MORE. Project MORE's research and evaluation indicates value added benefits for children with disabilities, their families, schools and communities.

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