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District leaders say science of reading alignment is underway; goal to attest to state guidance by Sept. 2025
Summary
Supervisors described multi-year literacy work, new reading specialists, professional development and curriculum-mapping steps intended to align Saugerties' instruction with New York State's structured literacy guidance by Sept. 1, 2025.
Dr. (title given in transcript as) Horvath (listed as "doctor Horvath" in the transcript) presented the district's literacy work and plans to align instruction with New York State's structured-literacy guidance and the "big 6" reading components. He said the district considers literacy "a human right" and presented a four-year summary of changes already under way.
Horvath summarized key developments: adoption of a district philosophy of literacy, implementation of I-Ready and other progress-monitoring systems, hiring of specialized reading teachers, rollout of the Foundations and Wilson programs for explicit phonics instruction, professional-development workshops, curriculum maps for K—2 and grade-level pacing guides and a growing number of teachers completing microcredentials in structured literacy.
He told the board that New York State requires districts to attest by Sept. 1, 2025, that they are aligned with P-3 instructional best practices that reflect the science of reading. "We are on our way," Horvath said, and listed remaining work: strengthening K' assessment strategies, aligning local assessments with the "big 6" components (oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension), and continuing coaching and feedback for teachers.
Horvath outlined recent steps at Riccardi, including third-grade Foundations pilots with intensive coaching and training for district instructional coaches. The district has offered several internal workshops and established a writing-structure program (the Writing Revolution) and teacher-led curriculum mapping for K—2.
Board members asked how close the district is to the state attestation; Horvath said the district has made progress but "has a lot of work to do," particularly in K' assessment alignment. The district emphasized that change requires teacher support, coaching and time.
Ending: District leaders said literacy would be a top priority in the coming budget season and that they intend to keep the board updated on implementation and assessment alignment milestones.
