Reading

Read & Succeed is Jefferson’s plan to help students read more and read more effectively. Some ways that Read & Succeed works to do this include:

• Activities, events, and workshops for students to practice reading strategies and to build a culture of reading at Jefferson. 
• Professional development for faculty and staff to support students’ reading and use consistent strategies that will help students read more effectively.
• Training for Learning Commons tutors to help them support students’ reading.
• Marking Reading Spaces on each campus so students know where to find places they can settle in and read.
   

Read & Succeed was created to help improve students’ reading proficiency, habits, and mindset. Reading is an important skill and habit that helps students succeed in college and careers. It's an area where students have said they could use some support and where College data show that they could, too. That's where Read & Succeed comes in!

Some key data that led to the development of Read & Succeed include:

According to the 2017 ETS Proficiency Profile, 31% of Jefferson test takers were proficient at Reading Level 1 and 9% were proficient at Reading Level 2. 

The 2017 Community College Survey of Student Engagement showed that 61% of Jefferson students report coming to class without completing readings and assignments at least sometimes. The same survey noted that 33% of Jefferson respondents had not read any books for personal enjoyment in the past year.

Students in focus groups conducted in First Year Experience courses at Jefferson frequently discussed not seeing the value in completing readings for class or in reading for pleasure. Focus group participants also mentioned not feeling confident handling complex texts or having access to a quiet place to read.
 

The main goal for Read & Succeed is to improve Jefferson students’ reading proficiency. The plan focuses on ways to help students become more confident, stronger readers by developing habits and using strategies that support effective reading. In order to support these deeper goals, Read & Succeed works across the College to develop a mindset that reading is important for success in college and careers.

For more information about Read & Succeed, please contact the Director, April Pennington, at Jf-Read_Succeed@kctcs.edu.