Manhasset High School reading teacher Sally Doulton was named an Educator of Excellence from the New York State English Council earlier this month for her work with the district’s Scholastic Read 180 and System 44 programs, which help struggling readers and non-native English speakers improve their phonics and comprehension skills.
Doulton, who was nominated by district English Coordinator Patrick O’Reilly in March, will be honored at the 63rd New York State English Council conference in Albany this October.
“I’m glad they saw the value in the work that I do because I do implement the best practices that I think are true and challenge my students to be better readers and writers and I’m glad they were able to see that,” Doulton said.
Doulton, who moderates the System 44 blog on the Scholastic Web site and has appeared on the NBC news program “Education Nation” with Brian Williams, has said the conference’s theme of teaching the common core to the uncommon learner aligns perfectly with the work she does.
The Read 180 program focuses on improving a reader’s comprehension skills, analyzing a text’s central idea or theme and making inferences of an author’s purpose for writing, while students in System 44 are taught phonics skills using a combination of computer software and group work.
Students are considered eligible for the programs, Doulton has said, based on requests from parents and teachers of if they’ve had a history of struggling to read up to grade level.
A Manhasset teacher for 28 years, Doulton offers recommended students a reading assessment, which tests their reading rate and comprehension, and if they score two to three years below grade level, they are considered for her reading programs.
“The programs themselves are scientifically researched and tested programs for reading fluency,” O’Reilly told the Manhasset Times last month. “Because Sally has mastered them so well, she’s really been able to bring a very high level of excellence to a group of students who have those particular needs.”
Doulton has also been nominated for a Scholastic Outstanding Educator Award for her work with the company’s READ 180 program in each of the last three years.
“I think part of my success is that I email parents almost daily and do what most teachers don’t do and text parents and students books and assignments and answer any questions they may have,” Doulton said. “I believe in constant contact to get them reading, because kids don’t read anymore, and I tell the parents that if their children see you reading, they’re going to read. If you’re on the couch with a good book or magazine, they read. If you’re at the beach and bring a book, they’ll read.”
In that time, Doulton said other districts from New York City and Long Island have reached out to Manhasset about implementing READ 180 and System 44 programs in their schools, and credits the district’s executive director of special education, Allison Rushforth, for bringing the programs to Manhasset and helping however possible.
“I wouldn’t be where I am without her,” Doulton said.
Doulton said the programs have also grown within the Manhasset district as well, expanding to the elementary schools and even a class section at Manhasset High School for READ 180 students.
“She’s really built the program to help our neediest readers and to also help some of our second language learners to achieve tremendous success in mastering phonics and then reading ability in those two programs,” O’Reilly said.
