Chatham County Schools align K-8 literacy programs with science of reading standards

Chatham County Schools is taking significant steps to enhance literacy education for students in grades K through 5. During the recent Board of Education meeting, officials discussed the ongoing implementation of a comprehensive literacy instructional plan, which aims to align educational materials across all grades and improve student outcomes.

The district has been actively participating in the Science of Reading professional development program for the past two years, which is part of a broader initiative mandated by the state. This initiative requires all districts to develop a Literacy Instructional Standards (LIS) plan and a literacy intervention plan. The goal is to ensure that students achieve a literacy proficiency rate of 85% or higher on state assessments by the end of third grade.

Carla Murray, the Executive Director of Elementary Education, highlighted the collaborative efforts of the academic services team and literacy leaders from various schools in reviewing and selecting appropriate curricular materials. This year, the focus has been on enhancing the literacy curriculum for kindergarten and first grade to ensure consistency with the already established programs for grades 2 through 5.

Murray explained that the team utilized a rubric designed to evaluate the alignment of the English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum, which was informed by feedback from stakeholders and previous evaluations. The selected curriculum, known as EL, has already been approved for implementation in grades 2 through 5 and is now being adapted for the younger grades to create a seamless learning experience.

The discussions at the meeting underscored the district's commitment to fostering literacy development among its students, which is crucial for their academic success and future opportunities. As the district moves forward with these plans, the alignment of literacy materials across all grades is expected to have a positive impact on student learning and achievement in Chatham County Schools.