As we shared last month during the launch of the Elementary Reading Initiative (ERI), our elementary teachers and district leaders have been carefully reviewing information about how students are progressing in reading. The most recent data was collected in October, and teams spent a full day on November 18 working together to understand what the results mean for our schools. The goal of the workshop was to look closely at where we are now and to clarify where we want to go as a district in supporting young readers.
“This project focuses on helping all of our elementary students grow as readers. We want every child to have a strong foundation that will help them do well in school and in life. The information we studied this week will guide us as we plan next steps,” said Jennifer Bowles, Director of Early Education.
To support this work, we partnered with Instruction Partners, a national education nonprofit. Along with their guidance, and with meaningful input from board members Krista Lee McWilliams, Lisa Lynn Maxwell, and Andra Stradling, our teams took time to reflect on what the data tells us about student and instructional needs and strengths.
Through these conversations, the groups began setting clear goals for the coming months. These goals include strengthening how reading standards are used in classrooms, defining what high-quality reading instruction should look like, and outlining a plan to improve teaching practices, instructional materials, and professional learning for staff. We hope that this work will make reading instruction more consistent, more effective, and more supportive for every student.
We look forward to keeping families updated as we continue this important effort to help all children grow into confident and capable readers.
Related article: FMS Launches Elementary Reading Initiative