Brownstown  Middle School

     Ideally, middle school students would read because they like to. Realistically, this is not happening. Too many demands and distractions exist, even for those students who enjoy reading. After automating our library in 1999, circulation statistics revealed that eighth graders checked out fewer than four books per year. Brownstown Central Middle School (BCMS) realized reading must become a priority. After researching programs, we chose to use grant funds to implement Accelerated Reader (AR). Our eighth graders were required to earn a specified number of points to count as 10 percent of their language arts score. Overnight, circulation increased. All eighth grade teachers encouraged students to bring AR books to class. Suddenly, students were reading and discussing books on their own. As an added bonus, content teachers commented on improved classroom behavior since students now had something to do after finishing tests and quizzes. Realizing that we were not implementing AR as the highly competitive, prize -earning program that exists in many elementary schools, the language arts teachers from the sixth, seventh, and contained special education classrooms adopted the same system.

     Promoting reading has become an entire school effort regardless of the content area. Many teachers have developed specialized curricular projects incorporating a reading component and utilizing AR as an element of their lessons. Our principal continuously emphasizes the importance of reading as she conferences with parents. Additional activities such as the Young Hoosier Book Award Program and a summer reading program also enhance the reading experience. With family support, about one-fourth of our students take advantage of our summer hours by voluntarily checking out books and taking AR quizzes in order to bank up to one-half of their required AR points for the next year. These efforts have resulted in two important acknowledgements. First, our superintendent and school board have increased our library book budget to allow expanded collection development that will assure continued growth and success for our program. Also, the Association of Indiana Media Educators (AIME) honored BCMS as a Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Library Media Program in 2007.

     Even with our successes, we are continually looking for ways to enhance our program. Acknowledging the burden of maintaining AR, our technology department is physically and financially supportive of our commitment to reading by assisting us in planning an upgrade in the fall to the Accelerated Reader Enterprise program, giving our students access to all AR quizzes and reading records online.

     At BCMS we accept AR as an accountability measure but strive to emphasize that the real value comes from reading, discussing, and analyzing books—not the number of points earned. Of course, not everyone reads as much as we would like, but we do have a greater number of students reading more books each year. Last year our eighth graders averaged 33.5 checkouts per student. More than 75 percent of BCMS students earned their required AR points. Over 35 percent of our students achieved a higher school target by individually earning 100 or more points.                    

     Reading is essential.  Encouraging reading is not the sole responsibility of the language arts teachers but rather must be promoted by the entire school community.