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Board approves elementary literacy textbook adoption and authorizes summer reading remediation staffing
Summary
The board approved new elementary literacy materials from HMH and 95% (phonics/decodables) and authorized summer remediation staffing after iRead results; administrators said summer remediation cannot begin until school is out and that they will report staffing retroactively if necessary.
The Northwest Allen County Schools board on Monday approved a two-part elementary literacy adoption and authorized staff hires for required summer reading remediation tied to the state iRead assessment.
Dr. Toler described a yearlong adoption process that included approximately 25 teachers, multiple vendor demonstrations and two parent information sessions. The board approved HMH for core K–5 literacy materials and 95 Percent Group for phonics and decodable texts used to teach foundational skills, including phonemic awareness and early decoding.
Dr. Toler said the district’s teacher teams and parent reviewers recommended both vendors because HMH provides comprehensive literacy and comprehension materials while 95 Percent supplies explicit phonics materials and decodables for early readers. The board approved the textbook-adoption recommendation by motion and voice vote.
In a related curriculum action, Dr. Toler described new state requirements that second graders identified “at risk” on iRead and third graders who do not pass must be offered summer reading remediation. The district will offer the program after the school year ends and before the statutory deadline; staff said legal rules prevent beginning remediation before the school year is over.
Dr. Toler asked the board to allow posting of instructional assistant positions and to approve summer staffing as needed; board members approved posting up to 10 instructional assistant positions and authorized retroactive approval of summer remediation staffing when time-sensitive hiring was necessary. Dr. Toler said most staffing needs were lower than initially anticipated and that district retest results were not yet finalized but so far showed strong performance: four schools already above 95 percent and several other schools improving.
Board members asked clarifying questions about iRead retest opportunities, retention rules and whether second graders who pass are exempt from third-grade testing. Dr. Toler confirmed second graders who pass the assessment do not have to retake it in third grade; third graders not passing and not qualifying for a good-cause exemption may be retained per state rules if remediation and retesting do not result in a passing score.
