Read to Succeed Reading Plan
South Carolina Department of Education
Read to Succeed Elementary Exemplary Literacy Reflection Tool
Directions: Please provide a narrative response for Sections A-I.
LETRS Questions:
● How many eligible teachers in your school have completed Volume 1 ONLY of LETRS?: 2
● How many eligible teachers in your school have completed Volumes 1 and 2 of LETRS?: 18
● How many eligible teachers in your school are beginning Volume 1 of LETRS this year (or have not yet started or completed Volume 1)?: 4
Section A: Describe how reading assessment and instruction for all PreK-5th grade students in the school includes oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension to aid in the comprehension of texts to meet grade‑level English/Language Arts standards.
The reading curriculum used at Oakland Elementary is CKLA Amplify. CKLA is a research-based, state-approved curriculum that aligns with the Science of Reading. In grades K-3, there are two components of the curriculum, skills and knowledge which are each sixty minutes long. In grades 4-5, there is a knowledge strand with a strong focus on comprehension. The upper-grade curriculum is designed for ninety minutes daily. Grades CD-1st also incorporates Heggerty’s curriculum in the daily reading instruction. This program focuses on phonological awareness, one of the essential beginning strands in Scarborough’s Reading Rope.
The focus in grades CD through grade 1 is word recognition skills. Phonological awareness, decoding which includes letter-sound correspondences and alphabetic principle, and sight recognition are the early reading skills students must be strong in and increasingly automatic to obtain the higher-level strands of language comprehension. Grade 2 solidifies the word recognition skills to help create a skilled reader. In grades 3-5, the instruction shifts to language comprehension skills. Vocabulary, language structure, verbal reasoning, and literacy knowledge are part of the daily instruction. Language comprehension skills along with word recognition skills help the students become skilled fluent readers. The grade-level instruction is based on the rigor of the grade-level South Carolina English/Language Arts standards. CKLA Amplify exposes all students to grade-level text even to struggling readers. This exposure improves comprehension and vocabulary while supporting grade-level content.
In addition, grades kindergarten-5th also use I-Ready as the district diagnostic screener and as adaptive digital content. Students take the diagnostic three times a year to monitor grade-level knowledge and progress. Based on the results, an individualized pathway is created to support or enrich students in the areas of phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension. Teachers monitor progress and support student needs frequently.
Our reading intervention curriculum is also Science of Reading based. Depending on the student's individual needs, students are placed into one of three Science of Reading based programs and progress is monitored through Fastbridge.
All of Oakland Elementary’s reading diagnostics, progress monitoring, and formative assessments directly align with the South Carolina State English/Language Arts Standards and assess skills of oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Section B: Document how Word Recognition assessment and instruction for PreK-5th grade students are further aligned to the science of reading, structured literacy and foundational literacy skills.
The goal for our early childhood grade levels is for students to quickly and automatically interpret letters and spelling pattern sounds of written words. Once word recognition skills are established, then students can identify words and their meanings and become fluent readers. Our CD through 3rd grade curriculums along with small group instruction focus on identifying graphemes and phonemes. Once this essential reading skill is taught, practiced, and assessed the instruction changes to blending, decoding, and encoding sounds. These reading skills are directly aligned with the Science of Reading and are part of the word recognition strands on Scarborough’s Reading Rope.
Teachers teach the letter sounds systematically and explicitly, starting with the most common sounds. Students are exposed to words with sounds that were taught in isolation and then within decodable text. Students also practice repeated reading orally to build fluency.
Most classrooms have sound walls to support students with phonics, decoding, spelling, orthographic mapping, and as a visual reference.
Based on Science of Reading aligned I-Ready diagnostics, if there are gaps in the foundational language comprehension skills, further screenings will help structure small group instruction with reteaching or a pull-out method with a reading interventionist. The skills follow the scope and sequence provided by the South Carolina English/Language Arts standards with specific grade-level indicators. CKLA Amplify has a skills portion of the curriculum that focuses on structured literacy and foundational literacy skills.
CKLA embedded assessments, formal and informal assessments within lessons, I-Ready diagnostics, progress monitoring of isolated skills based on need, and Fastbridge assessments in kindergarten and 1st grade are all valuable sources of data that align with the Science of Reading, specifically the foundational literacy skills.
Section C: Document how the school uses universal screener data and diagnostic assessment data to determine targeted pathways of intervention (word recognition or language comprehension) for students in PreK-5th grade who have failed to demonstrate grade‑level reading proficiency.
All students in grades kindergarten through 5th grade take the I-Ready reading diagnostic assessments three times a year. Kindergarten and first grade also are administered the Early Reading Fastbridge three times a year. CD administers the myIgids reading assessments also during the same testing windows. These universal screeners produce data to help determine gaps, needs, and pathways for intervention. Core phonics screeners are used to determine the specific breakdown in word recognition or language comprehension skills. The data from these multiple data points assist with the decision about types of instruction, small group groupings, and curriculum.
I-Ready and Fastbridge diagnostics create reports that give percentiles, grade level equivalents, and/or risk levels to assist teachers in making individualized instructional decisions about student reading pathways. Once students are in intervention for these early reading skills. Progress monitoring through Fastbridge is used. The literacy team looks at these points monthly during trend checks to determine any necessary changes to help support each child’s goal to reach grade-level reading proficiency.
Section D: Describe the system in place to help parents in your school understand how they can support the student as a reader and writer at home.
Oakland Elementary is always striving for consistent ongoing communication with parents. After each testing window, family reports are sent home with a breakdown of the different reading strands that were assessed and the next steps. Data conferences are scheduled with each family to discuss the student’s academic successes. Also, this is a time when families and teachers can discuss ways reading and writing can be supported at home. The use of social media, websites, and parent/teacher communication apps helps with two-way communication to discuss the reading and writing needs of students and way to promote literacy at home. Throughout the school year in third grade, there are multiple parent-teacher conferences for students not demonstrating grade-level reading.
Section E: Document how the school provides for the monitoring of reading achievement and growth at the classroom and school level with decisions about PreK-5th grade intervention based on all available data to ensure grade-level proficiency in reading.
Reading growth is measured in several ways at Oakland Elementary. Three times a year a district approved assessments are administered. My IGIDS for CD, I-Ready Reading, and Fastbridge Early Reading for kindergarten and 1st and I-Ready Reading for grades 2-5. Before the I-Ready diagnostics, teachers have individual data chats with their students. During these chats goals are established and ways to accomplish the goals. In PLCs and grade-level planning days, the literacy coach and teachers analyze the data and make decisions to ensure grade-level proficiency in readying. Oakland Elementary will also be using the district checkpoints quarterly to ensure students in grades 3-5 are prepared for the SC Ready Reading assessment.
Besides the district assessments, teachers are constantly monitoring growth in reading through an assortment of formal and informal assessments. CKLA has numerous embedded checkpoints and assessments. In PLCs, teachers and coaches will look at the assessments to ensure it is the same rigor of the grade level ELA/ Language Arts indicator. Teachers also collect data in small groups to determine students’ needs.
Once a month the literacy team meets to review the monthly progress monitoring of all students in reading intervention. They bring their findings and suggestions to MTSS and there the team makes decisions based on growth or changing needs.
Section F: Describe how the school provides teacher training based in the science of reading, structured literacy, and foundational literacy skills to support all students in PreK-5th grade.
During the past two school years, over twenty k-3 teachers, interventionists, coaches, kindergarten assistants, resource teachers and administration at Oakland Elementary participated in a LETRS cohort. There was an online class with embedded assessment components that were individually completed, and eight full days of training done by a LETRS representative. In PLCS, the coaches lead professional developments that improve literacy in the classrooms and support the Science of Reading. Outside professionals are scheduled several times a year to give professional development based on the grade or grade level needs that pertain to literacy. Oakland is also part of a multi-year Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant. The grant provides teachers support and education about different cultures and socioeconomic groups and how it could impact instructional practices, especially literacy.
Section G: Analysis of Data
Strengths
● Rigorous high-quality ELA core curriculum (CKLA) in all schools
● There is a consistent daily use of a phonological awareness curriculum in CD-2
● Coaches and administration routinely use a walkthrough tool (School Mint Grow) to monitor reading/writing instruction, plan for professional development and inform next steps
Possibilities for Growth
● There is a need for training and support for effective in-class tier-two interventions to target individual and small-group instructional needs
● More routine monitoring of reading and writing engagement and use of data to conference with students
Section H: Previous School Year SMART Goals and Progress Toward Those Goals
● Please provide your school’s goals from last school year and the progress your school has made towards these goals. Utilize quantitative and qualitative data to determine progress toward the goal (s). As a reminder, all schools serving third grade were required to use Goal #1 (below).
Goals
Goal #1 (Third Grade Goal):
Reduce the percentage of third graders scoring Does Not Meet in the spring of 2023 as determined by SC READY from 28.2 % to 23.2% in the spring of 2024.
Progress
On the 2024 SC Ready Reading assessment, 22.8% of third graders scored Does Not Meet. This is 5.4% decrease from 2023.
Goal #2: The percentage of students in grades 3-5 scoring meets or exceeds on SC Ready ELA will increase from 57.6% (2023) to 68.6% (2024) in the spring of 2024.
Progress
The percentage of students in grades 3-5 scored meets or exceeds on the 2024 SC Ready ELA was 63.2% This was an increase of 5.6% scoring meets or exceed from 2023. In the 2024-2025 school year, we will continue to work towards this goal by focusing on the grade level indicators of the South Carolina English/Language Arts standards. We will analyze various data points to drive instruction for our students. We will use CKLA Amplify curriculum with fidelity in addition to implementing strategies that are Science of Reading based.
Goal #3: The percentage of students in grades 2-5 will meet or exceed their annual growth goal on I-Ready Reading from 58.1% to 70% in the spring of 2024.
The percentage of students in grades 2-5 that met or exceeded their annual growth goal on I-Ready Reading was 71.3% in the Spring of 2024. This was an increase of 3.2%
Section I: Current SMART Goals and Action Steps Based on Analysis of Data
● All schools serving students in third grade MUST respond to the third-grade reading proficiency goal. Schools that do not serve third grade students may choose a different goal. Schools may continue to use the same SMART goals from previous years or choose new goals. Goals should be academically measurable. The Reflection Tool may be helpful in determining action steps to reach an academic goal. Schools are strongly encouraged to incorporate goals from the strategic plan.
Goals
Goal #1 (Third Grade Goal): Reduce the percentage of third graders scoring Does Not Meet in the Spring of 2024 as determined by SC READY from 22.8 % to 18.2 % in the spring of 2025.
Progress
With the focus of early intervention, the reading intervention team has been working with students either individually or in small groups to assist with closing the gaps in the word recognition of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. Grades kindergarten through second are following the grade level indicators of the foundational literacy state standards. With this focus we are decreasing the amount of students coming to third grade not on grade level.
Goal #2: The percentage of students in grades 3-5 scoring meets or exceeds on SC Ready ELA will increase from 63.2% (2024) to 68.6% (2024) in the Spring of 2025.
Progress
The goal is from 2023. We did not meet the goal but did increase 5.6% of students that scored meets or exceeds on the 2024 SC Ready ELA. The literacy coach will provide teachers with professional development along with support to interpret district checkpoints and diagnostic scores. Teachers will use the data to drive their instruction and to create strategic small groups that will be based on needs and/or enrichment opportunities. The MTSS team will analyze the diagnostic data after each testing window and will support needs at the classroom level and the individual student levels.
Goal #3: The percentage of students in grade 1 scoring low risk on Early Reading Fastbridge will increase from 49% to 59% in the Spring of 2025.
Progress
The first-grade teachers are using CKLA skills curriculum and focusing on the first-grade foundational reading skills indicators of the English/ Language Arts South Carolina standards. The team analyzes data using Fastbridge, I-Ready pathway data, reading intervention progress monitoring along formal and informal CKLA assessments to determine needs and next steps. The first-grade teachers are teaching letter sounds and spelling patterns systematically while using their Science of Reading knowledge obtained from LETRS to create automatic word recognition for all students.