Port Washington outlines multi‑year shift to structured literacy, targets lower subgroup scores

Port Washington Union Free School District officials presented a three‑year plan to move elementary reading instruction to a structured‑literacy model and said the shift is intended to raise overall proficiency and address persistent gaps for English language learners, students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students.

Dr. Borsella, the district administrator for literacy, told the Board that "literacy is more than just reading," adding that instruction must include reading, writing, speaking, listening and comprehension and cover digital literacy. Juanita Diaz, the district director of elementary curriculum, presented recent local screening data and implementation steps the district will take over the next three years.

The presentation framed the change around the "science of reading," a body of research the presenters said calls for systematic, explicit phonics and foundation skills. "Our instruction needs to be scientifically based in grades pre K to 3," Dr. Borsella said, linking the approach to New York Education Law 818, which requires districts to align early‑grade literacy practices with state guidance and submit an attestation to the State.

Why it matters: district leaders said strong, consistent Tier 1 instruction should reduce the number of students needing targeted interventions and, over time, narrow the performance gaps that show up in state assessments and universal screeners.

What the district reported: Diaz said the district's three‑year average overall New York State ELA proficiency is about 65 percent. She and Dr. Borsella highlighted subgroup results from 2022–2024: economically disadvantaged students had roughly a 36 percent participation rate and about a 34 percent proficiency rate in 2022; Hispanic students showed about 35 percent participation and 33 percent proficiency; students with disabilities had a 46 percent participation rate and about 35 percent proficiency; English learners participated at roughly 39 percent in 2022 and had a 7 percent proficiency rate that year. District leaders said participation and performance figures have been relatively stable across the three most recent administrations but that subgroup proficiency remains an area of concern.

Planned changes and timeline: the district said it is already using universal screeners three times a year and has begun implementing phonics programs such as Fundations, Bridge to Reading and Wilson‑aligned interventions. The presenters described a three‑year rollout: 2024–25 (year 1) focused on professional development and early implementation; 2025–26 (year 2) will expand consistent foundational programs in grades K–2; 2026–27 (year 3) will include curriculum pilots across schools with a districtwide selection planned for 2027–28.

Tiered supports and screening: presenters reiterated the MTSS/RTI framework. They described expectations that a high‑quality universal Tier 1 should serve about 80–85 percent of students, Tier 2 targeted supports about 10–15 percent, and intensive Tier 3 interventions about 1–5 percent. The district replaced NWEA with i‑Ready as its universal screener, saying i‑Ready provides more direct links from diagnostic results to classroom lessons and small‑group instruction.

Equity and subgroup strategies: district leaders said the ELL program will "mimic" foundational skill instruction so English learners receive the same core skills and that district ELL teachers will coordinate with classroom teachers. They also said the district will prioritize push‑in services (specialists working in the classroom) to reduce lost Tier 1 instructional time and to make interventions less disruptive to grade‑level content exposure.

Budget and implementation supports: presenters told trustees the shift will require materials, professional development, and instructional coaches at the elementary level; they said some purchases have already been made and that additional budget planning will be needed in coming years.

Board discussion and community questions: trustees and community members asked about subgroup intersections (for example, students who are both ELL and economically disadvantaged), accommodations in screeners, comparisons with other Nassau County districts, and how the middle and high schools will support students who enter secondary grades without the new foundational instruction. The district said middle and high school interventions are being strengthened and that RTI/MTSS planning and a dedicated RTI presentation are scheduled for a forthcoming meeting.

The district emphasized that the change is a multi‑year effort that depends on consistent Tier 1 instruction, better use of universal screener data, teacher professional development and sustained coaching to produce measurable gains for students across all subgroups.