Q. Who do we train?
REAP offers professional learning programs to public schools, districts, and to individual public school teachers.
Q. Where do we train?
Our programs are currently available in the metro Atlanta area.
Q. Do you train private school teachers or tutors?
REAP recognizes the need for all teachers to learn these important skills. However, we do not offer free or reduced-cost training for private school teachers or tutors.
Q. How much does it cost?
The Basic Structured Literacy Training program costs $1300 per teacher.
Q. How is the training funded?
REAP strives to fund part of the program whenever possible. That said, we do have limited resources and high demand. We require each school or district to contribute at least a portion of the funds. This encourages buy-in and helps ensure a successful program.
REAP projects are funded in a number of ways.
- REAP fundraising: grants, foundation support, and individual donations
- Funds from school or district
- Combination of the above
Q. Do you offer assistance with funding?
REAP may be able to offer funding assistance for individual training or group teacher training in schools where there is a great need and limited financial resources.
For more info see: REAP Funding Assistance
Q. Are you using Orton-Gillingham?
REAP’s Structured Literacy program is based on the Orton-Gillingham approach. Our instructors include Orton-Gillingham Fellows and Associates, as well as REAP Literacy Leaders with a deep level of knowledge and experience using Structured Literacy in the public school classroom.
Q. Will teachers be certified?
Our training program offers the knowledge and support necessary for teachers to be successful in the classroom, but we do not certify educators through the Orton-Gillingham Academy. If an educator wishes to become an Associate through the Orton-Gillingham Academy, s/he can contact an Orton-Gillingham Fellow to determine if REAP professional development hours can be applied to their requirements.
Q. What grades do you train?
Our most common participants are grades K-3 though many of our programs have included educators from Pre-K through high school.
Q. Can individual teachers take the training?
Yes! Individual teachers can apply to mixed-school 10-Day Basic sessions during the school year. Check here for details!
Q. How much time does the training program take?
The 10-Day Structured Literacy PDSL training occurs during the school day for 10 days over four–eight months. Additional in-school support happens throughout the program.
The Advanced Hands-On Summer Institute Training occurs over 9 days in late May or early June.
Q. How do we choose program applicants?
The application process is competitive. The number of qualified trainers is limited, so we can’t train all the educators that apply. We look for commitment and enthusiasm for learning. It’s important to train teachers who will inspire and mentor those within their schools. Our program participants—both during and after training—will participate in an ongoing support group that will continue to meet and share ideas, implementations, and successes.
Choosing individual teachers
This is a competitive, application-based process. We choose teachers to participate in the program based on a number of factors including: experience, grade level/position, support from administrators, commitment to using the approach, other teachers in the same building already trained, and personal responses to application questions.
Choosing schools & districts
For districts or schools interested in REAP training, the process begins with the Info for schools & districts page where you can learn about our training and contact us for more info.
Our selection process for schools and districts is based on a variety of factors.
Administrative support: Principal, instructional coach, etc. will actively support the training. S/he will facilitate the logistics of the training (scheduling, location/room, substitutes, communications, etc.), and will encourage the teachers to implement their learning daily in the classroom.
Funding: Does the school (or district) and/or REAP have sufficient funding to support the full program?
Participation: Are the teachers eagerly on board for the training, or are they participating because it’s required?
Student population: High-risk students are a priority for REAP funding and human resources.
Q. How many teachers can participate?
Each 10-Day Structured Literacy PDSL training program can accommodate up to 25 teachers. The minimum number of teachers is 18.
Q. Which schools/systems are doing this training?
We work with districts across the metro Atlanta area and we have taught programs in Atlanta Public Schools, Cobb County, Dekalb County, City Schools of Decatur, Fulton County Schools and more.
