If all schools consistently implement high-quality materials, systems, and pedagogy, then every student will have the foundational and critical literacy skills needed for success.
Why focus on Literacy?
We know that students who have a foundation of critical literacy skills are more successful as adults. Being able to read, write and understand information and different perspectives creates lifelong learners and expands options throughout life.
To improve student literacy, we’ll adopt and implement high-quality, standards-based literacy instructional materials that are representative of multiple cultures and identities. Staff from the PSD Curriculum Department and Teaching and Learning Department, along with an assistant superintendent of schools, make up the team working on Literacy projects.
Year one: 2023-24 accomplishments
PSD students in kindergarten through third grade showed more growth on DIBELS early literacy tests, with 74.7% scoring at or above grade level expectations this spring (up from 66.8% in spring 2021).
During the first year of the Strategic Plan, PSD supported Literacy by:
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Implementing new elementary-level literacy curricula
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Removing materials that don’t use current best practices for literacy
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Offering multiple professional learning and coaching opportunities for staff
Year two: What we're excited about in 2024-25
Goals - 85% or more of students achieving grade-level achievement benchmarks in both literacy and math by the end of the 2024-25 school year; students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and historically underserved identities making more than a year’s worth of growth in literacy and math in a year’s time.
Plans - Work includes:
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Provide support for curriculum adoptions, including professional development, as PSD implements new curricula for middle school science, eighth grade social studies, and high school language arts, world history, and statistics and probability
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Evaluate the next series of curriculum adoptions
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Review student access to rigorous grade-level instruction and programming
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Develop an instructional coaching support system
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Research and implement accessibility features and supports for all learners
Measuring success
Long-term success of these projects will be data based, looking at the impact on student success with reading achievement, graduation rates and postsecondary outcomes.