District literacy coaches report mid‑year gains; plan expands interventions and Orton‑Gillingham training

District literacy coaches told the Cuyahoga Falls Board of Education on April 23 that classroom benchmarking and progress monitoring show improvements for several early‑grade cohorts and outlined a multi‑year plan to strengthen reading instruction and intervention.

Amanda Heller, Tina Majes and Crystal Hartman — identified by district officials as literacy coaches — described a “beginning‑middle‑end” benchmarking system in which every student is assessed three times per year and teachers use diagnostic follow‑ups to tailor instruction. The coaches said the district has expanded data meetings from three shorter sessions to five or six, two‑hour sessions so teachers and specialists can collaborate on interventions.

Literacy coach Miss Hausman said the district’s assessment results show kindergarten students are reaching end‑of‑year benchmarks earlier than in previous years. “Our kindergarten is already at 66 percent,” Hausman said, citing the district’s benchmark system; she added, “So…