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Literacy cadre, instructional coaches credited with big iRead gains at Liberty Elementary
Summary
District instructional coaches and the Indiana Literacy Cadre work at Liberty Elementary contributed to a projected iRead pass rate increase from 56% to above 94% over two years, administrators said. The program model will expand to other schools and continue next year.
School City of Mishawaka administrators and instructional coaches presented June 11 evidence the district's literacy coaching and participation in the Indiana Literacy Cadre are producing large gains at Liberty Elementary.
Amanda Stevens, Liberty's literacy cadre instructional coach, said classroom-level coaching cycles and the use of programs such as Amira (an AI reading tutor) and UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Initiative) have driven measurable improvement. "...we've really built a solid foundation with the programs, Amira, the AI reading tutor, and the program UFLI," Stevens said, describing implementation with fidelity.
The presentation said Liberty's iRead third-grade pass rate rose from 56% two years ago to a projected rate above 94% for 2025, with second-grade students testing at a 74% pass rate this year. Stevens showed results from five-week coaching cycles in which small groups of students moved from "emerging" to "meeting" proficiency levels after targeted instruction.
District leaders said the instructional coaching model includes eight instructional coaches across the corporation and that Liberty and LaSalle participated in the Indiana Literacy Cadre this year. The district indicated it will continue the cadre at two schools and broaden successful practices to other buildings next year, add an exceptional learners coach, and specify coaching assignments at middle and high school levels.
The item was informational; no formal board action beyond acknowledgment was required.
