Key factors:
Once I stepped into the position of curriculum coordinator for Peoria Public Faculties District 150 in 2021, I entered a panorama nonetheless reeling from the disruption of COVID-19. Lecturers have been exhausted. College students had suffered interrupted studying. And the educational frameworks in place–significantly in literacy–have been due for critical reexamination.
Initially, the directive was to return to our earlier Balanced Literacy framework. However as I dove into analysis, attended conferences, and listened to thought leaders within the discipline, it grew to become clear: The science was pointing in a unique path. The proof base for Structured Literacy was too compelling to disregard.
What adopted wasn’t an in a single day change. It was a cautious, multi-year shift in philosophy, apply, and assist. We didn’t have the price range for a full curriculum adoption, so we targeted on constructing a sensible, research-aligned framework utilizing focused assets and strategic skilled studying.
A patchwork quilt with function
In Peoria, the place many college students have been performing one or two grade ranges under benchmarks, we would have liked a literacy framework that might each restore studying gaps and speed up grade-level achievement. That meant honoring the complexity of literacy instruction by balancing foundational abilities, writing, vocabulary, and fluency.
Our present mannequin contains express handwriting instruction, structured phonics and phonemic consciousness, and focused phrase examine, paired with guided small-group instruction knowledgeable by scholar knowledge. We in-built an hour every day for foundational work, and one other for what we name “guided particular person apply,” the place college students obtain assist aligned to their wants–not simply grade-level expectations.
We have been additionally sincere about staffing realities. We now not had interventionists or educational coaches in each constructing. The burden of differentiation had shifted to classroom academics, a lot of whom have been navigating outdated practices. Transitioning from “guided studying” to true data-informed small teams required greater than new instruments. It required a brand new mindset.
Supporting educators with out overwhelming them
Change administration in literacy instruction is, at its core, about supporting academics. We’ve been intentional in how we offer skilled improvement. Our work with the Lexia LETRS skilled studying course has been particularly transformative. Recognizing the depth of the total cohort mannequin, we supplemented it with a extra versatile, self-guided model that academics may full throughout PLC time. As we speak, each 1st and a couple ofnd grade trainer in Peoria has accomplished Quantity 1 of the skilled studying course, and our subsequent cohort is ready to start with kindergarten and third-grade educators.
That blended method–respecting academics’ time whereas nonetheless delivering deep studying–helps us transfer ahead collectively. Our educators perceive the “why” behind the change and are starting to really feel empowered by the “how.”
Expertise as a accomplice, not an answer
Expertise performs a significant position in our framework, however by no means in isolation. We initially applied a digital literacy program for college kids in grades 5-8 who have been under benchmark, however the rollout revealed key challenges. College students have been resistant. Lecturers lacked the coaching to attach software program knowledge to instruction. And the end result felt extra punitive than supportive.
Quite than abandon know-how, we shifted our mannequin. We now present Lexia Core5 Studying to each scholar in grades 2-4, making a constant, equitable implementation that helps differentiated instruction whereas relieving academics of the burden of sourcing supplies themselves. This system is straightforward to make use of, gives actionable studies, and gives a robust start line for focused instruction.
Nonetheless, we’ve been clear: Software program alone received’t transfer the needle. Lecturers should be a part of the equation. We proceed to coach educators on blended studying practices, serving to them use know-how as a springboard, not a substitute, for efficient instruction.
From compliance to dedication
One among our subsequent main shifts is transferring from compliance to intentional apply. In a big district with roughly 13,000 college students throughout 29 buildings, it’s straightforward to give attention to utilization metrics. Are college students assembly their minutes? Are academics checking containers?
However the true measure is studying. Are college students making progress? Are academics utilizing the information to tell instruction?
We’re investing in skilled improvement that reinforces this mindset and are exploring methods to deliver extra teaching and modeling into lecture rooms to assist operationalize what academics are studying.
Recommendation for fellow district leaders
If there’s one takeaway from our journey, it’s this: Don’t rush. Take the time to align every bit of your literacy framework with evidence-based practices. That features the whole lot from phonics and handwriting to the best way letters are launched and small teams are fashioned.
Lean on the analysis, but in addition hearken to your academics. Usability and educator buy-in matter simply as a lot as alignment. And bear in mind, literacy is an extended recreation. State assessments, early screeners, and benchmark knowledge are simply items of the puzzle. The true influence takes time.
What retains me going is the suggestions from our academics. They’re seeing college students mix and section phrases with confidence. They’re noticing fewer behavioral points throughout literacy blocks. They’re asking deeper questions on methods to assist readers. That’s the type of progress that really issues.
We’re not completed. However we’re headed in the correct path–and we’re doing it collectively.
