Oregon Department of Corrections Chooses HEC
June 2004
After exploring a variety of phonics-based programs for over two years, the State of Oregon State Department of Corrections recently selected the Discover Intensive Phonics for Yourself program from HEC Reading Horizons to be implemented across the state's adult corrections system.
Department of Corrections Literacy Specialist Linnell Rantapaa relates how the state commission narrowed its choice to Reading Horizons. "We wanted a phonics program that had not only a consistent and sequential presentation of skills but could be delivered equilaterally across our entire corrections system. It also had to be economical, computer based, and tailored to an adult population."
Rantapaa, who has worked for Oregon's correctional educational system since the early 1990s, discovered the Reading Horizons program a few years ago while vacationing in Minnesota. "I visited an adult community center and witnessed this program in action. I realized that this particular educational software is ideal for a corrections environment because our constituents cannot use Internet resources, but they need the individualized learning opportunities. We will use Reading Horizons, the phonics program, to supplement our direct instruction."
After being administered a reading assessment, students are assigned appropriate phonetic skill work. Rantapaa relates that going back to the roots of language, using a systematic, explicit phonics program, helps students reconstruct some basic precepts about the dynamics of language.
"Sometimes, students' scores reveal a reading level of 8th grade, which does not sound like a remedial level. What we find, though, is that deeper reading problems are often masked by the construct of assessment tools, and though participants may be test-wise, their ability to cope with more complex text lags far behind what test scores indicate. Based on our research over the last two years, I believe that the HEC Reading Horizons system will go a long way in helping us close that gap!"
