Grants Pass SD 7 teachers report large midyear gains after new kindergarten reading curriculum rollout

Kindergarten teachers from Allendale and Redwood told the Grants Pass School Board on May 21 that a new structured‑literacy reading program has produced strong midyear improvements in early reading skills.

Megan Tousley, a kindergarten teacher at Allendale, said the district’s screening showed 52 kindergarten students at the start of the year and that half—26 students—were “well below benchmark.” Tousley said the same cohort tested in January and that “of our 26 red kids at the beginning of the year, only 3 are still red in January,” and that the midyear picture showed roughly 87% at or above benchmark.

The teachers described instructional changes under the new curriculum: explicit teaching of decodable vs. “heart” (sight) word parts, daily practice routines (arm tapping, finger tapping, flashcards), weekly decodable texts with no picture clues and a requirement that students read for meaning, and classroom activities linking reading and writing. Renee Grant, a Redwood kindergarten teacher, said the approach has increased student confidence in writing and in handling multisyllabic words.

Teachers showed brief classroom video and student work samples. Tousley and Grant described small numbers of students continuing in afternoon interventions: “We have 4 kids that are still going to intervention to our double dose in the afternoon out of all 3 of our classes,” Tousley said.

Board members asked about effects beyond kindergarten. Teachers said many first‑ and second‑grade teachers are adopting classroom strategies and that this year’s kinder cohort will enter first grade with foundational skills that will allow first grade to move quicker into new content. Presenters also said the district plans professional development and targeted support for upper elementary grades to close remaining gaps.

Teachers and board members noted limits of comparisons to statewide assessments: the presenters said the district’s screening results are not the same as the state OSAS language arts measure and therefore are not directly interchangeable with state proficiency percentages.

The board thanked the presenters and asked the administration to return with follow‑up data on first‑ and second‑grade screening results next year.