Ulead report: third-grade outlier teachers use decoding and fluency practices; math cohort to display yearlong work

Megan Everett, director of teaching and learning, told the board that a Ulead (Effective, Actionable, and Dynamic Education) report from a Utah State researcher found outlier third‑grade teachers consistently used decoding and fluency practices, explicitly prioritized instructional tasks and avoided low‑leverage practices.

The finding came from a review of third‑grade oral reading fluency outcomes where researcher Dr. Downs selected classrooms from four Title I and six non‑Title I schools and compared teachers who were two standard deviations above the mean to other teachers in the same schools. "Outlier teachers use decoding and fluency practices," Everett said, summarizing the report's three main themes. She added that the report shows word‑reading accuracy and text‑reading fluency are strong predictors of comprehension.

The report differed from earlier Ulead work that focused on K–3 planning and professional learning communities: Dr. Downs observed instruction in the middle of lessons to compare in‑classroom practices of outlier versus non‑outlier teachers. Everett said the study identified specific decoding and fluency practices present in every outlier classroom visited and noted that those practices align with the literacy team's research and guidance.

Ulead also described an innovation and collaboration cohort that worked over the past year on practitioner inquiry models. Eight local education agencies (LEAs), including traditional public and charter schools, participated in a cohort that emphasized middle‑grade mathematics this year. Everett said the cohort alternated full‑day sessions with 90‑minute online meetings, provided small funds for teachers to…