Beacon City School District reports elementary literacy gains, plans K–12 RTI expansion and new math interventions

The Beacon City School District Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Student Support presented district academic data and a multi-year strategy during the Sept. 22 board meeting, reporting increased elementary literacy proficiency and outlining steps to expand interventions through middle and high school.

The presentation said district literacy efforts launched after the COVID-era disruption — including retraining AIS (Academic Intervention Services) staff in LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling), expanding Foundations to third grade, and coaching models for classroom teachers — coincided with gains at elementary grades. The assistant superintendent said the district reduced the number of students scoring at the lowest level on state ELA assessments and increased students scoring at Level 3 (proficient) and Level 4 (exceeding).

The district framed literacy as foundational to all content areas and emphasized teacher efficacy, small-group instruction and consistent assessments across buildings. The presentation named Science 21 as the elementary science curriculum chosen in part because it aligns with nonfiction literacy standards. The assistant…