Your students' safety is our primary concern. We have safeguards, including screening software, criminal background checks, verification processes and full-time moderation of student forums. But you have the most important role in ensuring safety in your classroom because you review the adult pen pal letters before they are released to your students.

Why do you need to collect the student names?

Student names are collected so that teachers can easily manage student participation in the program. Teachers upload their student names to manage the program, and are the only ones who can view those names. Adult pen pals only learn students' first names, and teachers review all pen pal letters before they are released to the students.

What is the process to select adult pen pals?

In2Books pen pals are a diverse group of caring adults. They may be parents of children at the school or volunteers from local community organizations, corporations, government agencies, universities, and professional organizations. They are adults of all ages, working or retired, having occupations ranging from lawyers to web designers to stay-at-home parents and retirees. Despite their diversity, In2Books' adult pen pals all share a commitment to helping school-age children reach their personal and academic potentials.

In the past, corporations such as AOL, Bank of America, IBM, Fannie Mae, Sun Trust, KPMG, Verizon and others have provided employees to serve as In2Books pen pals. All pen pal applicants are required to submit to a background check before receiving approval to be an In2Books pen pal.

What is the process to sign-up my school or classroom(s)?

Simply go to http://www.in2books.com/Teacher08/ and fill out the online application to sign up your classroom.

How are books selected?

The In2Books book selection committee of national children's literature experts works to select high-quality age appropriate books that both appeal to a wide range of readers and support their classroom studies. Many of our recommended books have won major awards and appear on booklists such as those compiled by the American Library Association and the National Science Teachers Association. We select books with a paperback edition to minimize associated costs.

Do you have any materials available that I can use to present this program to others at my school?

Yes. In2Books offers a number of different materials that can provide great details on the program, including:

• Brochure:
  In2Books School Brochure
• Research:
  The positive results of using In2Books in classrooms have been documented in a number of studies:
  • Evaluation Report SAT-9 Reading Test Achievement Levels District of Columbia Public Schools (In2Books Classrooms Compared to Other DCPS Classrooms 2003-2004 School Year) by Goldman, Dr. Susan R.
  • SAT-9 Reading Achievement Levels in In2Books and Non-In2Books Classrooms in the District of Columbia Public Schools (2003-3004 school year) by Teale, WH
  • Raising Urban Students Literacy Achievement by Engaging in Authentic, Challenging Work by Teale, WH and Gambrell, L
  • Evaluation of the In2Books Program (2001) by Westat.
  
  In the 2003-2004 school year, the In2Books program was externally evaluated by Dr. Susan Goldman. Children in classrooms participating in the In2Books program scored significantly higher on reading achievement tests than did non-participating students. Read Dr. Goldman's report or read the summary of Dr. Goldman's report.
• Video:
  • In2Books Teacher Video: http://www.in2books.com/videos/video.html
  • In2Books Program Video: http://www.in2books.com/videos/video2.html

What are the Program Guidelines?

In2Books Program Description:

The In2Books program fosters reading, writing and critical-thinking skills across the curriculum. Students and carefully-screened adult pen pals read books together (chosen by the students from a list compiled by children's literature experts), and write online letters about the books. The complete In2Books program involves six book cycles: "Getting to Know You," fiction, science, social studies, biography, and traditional tales. Each cycle takes approximately one month to complete.

Timeliness

Performing all aspects of the program in a timely manner enables completion of multiple cycles of In2Books, sustains student enthusiasm and motivation, maintains pen pal interest and commitment, and maximizes the program's impact on student skills.

Specifically:

• Student letters should be returned within 5 days of receiving adult pen pal letters.
• In2Books should be notified promptly if a student departs from the class (to avoid having a pen pal write to an already-departed student.)
• Book orders should be approved early in the preceding cycle to minimize the lag time between cycles.

Student Ownership

Students' literacy skills and interest in learning increases when they choose their own books and write at least one draft of each letter.

Rich Online Resources

Student Place and Teacher Place are resource-rich websites for members of the In2Books community. If students have ongoing access to Student Place, they can work on their letters independently and reinforce your classroom instruction.

Teacher Approvals

Teachers review and approve all book choices and letters before they are seen by the intended recipients. Teachers can write a note to the pen pals noting any personally identifying and/or inappropriate language.

Dedicated pen pals are an integral and necessary component of student success. Timeliness in responding to pen pals' letters and evidence of student effort encourages deep commitment and effort by the adult pen pals.

Parental Consent

Parental consent is necessary for student participation in the program.

Communications

• Ongoing communication with In2Books is essential for successful program implementation.
• Accurate contact information, including email addresses, shipping addresses, and class rosters helps the program run smoothly.
• Help and support is just an email away at support@in2books.com.

Authorization and Release

I hereby irrevocably grant In2Books, its successors and anyone acting with In2Books (hereafter In2Books) authorization to quote from, reproduce, distribute, display and otherwise use in any manner, any materials or other information created by me or in my classroom (including, but not limited to, lesson plans, letters, and artwork, for illustrative, promotional or other purposes) without any payment to me. I further authorize In2books to take, or authorize the taking of, photographs or videos of me and In2Books, and to publish, display, distribute, modify and otherwise use those photographs and videos for purposes relating to In2Books, without any payment to me.