Northern Kentucky Education News! 

EDGEWOOD - Ray Hebert heard an alarming statistic at an education conference last fall.

"They said if a student couldn't read at a fourth-grade level in the fourth grade, their chances of succeeding in college are zero," said Hebert, chairman of history and international studies at Thomas More College. "That was absolutely shocking to me."

That propelled him to become a One to One coach for 8-year-old Charlie Buechel. One to One is a statewide program gradually making its way through Northern Kentucky. The third-grader at Hinsdale Elementary School had lost interest in reading, but Hebert changed that.

"I've learned that with books, they don't just have to be about something - they can just be made up," Charlie said. "I can read books that I like."

One on One was in four Kenton County School District elementary schools this spring - Hinsdale, Beechgrove, Caywood and Piner - and may be in 10 more schools in other districts next year. The goal is to be in 25 schools in the next two years.

"It's about students who need extra support," said Polly Lusk Page, director of Partnership for Successful Schools, which administers the program. "It's a way for the community to get involved."

Coaches spend 35 minutes a week during or after school with the same child.

The time is structured and includes the coach reading to the student, student reading to the coach, vocabulary practice and comprehension questions.

Each coach goes through a six-hour training session before starting the program. Page said in Fayette County, where the program is also administered, 85 percent of students have made gains in reading.

Sharon Kleymeyer, assistant principal at Hinsdale, said all 12 students in the program here showed gains in their final reading assessment this year.

"Some of them were very hard to motivate, but, at least for that one time a week, they were motivated," Kleymeyer said.

Hebert built a strong rapport with Charlie and could see Charlie's attitude toward reading changing with each week.

"In our fourth week, he came running in with a book and said he'd already started it and wanted to finish it with me," Hebert said.

But more coaches are needed. There are 34 coaches from all walks of life in the four schools now.

There will need to be 300-500 more for the program to succeed in the next couple of years.

"Just think of the difference it will make in this community with these kids," Hebert said.

For more information on becoming a coach, visit www.partnershipforsuccessfulschools.org.