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Derry Area begins multi‑year rollout of ECRI reading program at Grandview Elementary
Summary
The Derry Area School District told its school board it has launched Enhanced Core Reading Instruction (ECRI) at Grandview Elementary, funded by an $18,000 grant and focused this year on kindergarten instruction with year‑long coaching for teachers.
Derry Area School District reported Wednesday that it has begun a multi‑year rollout of Enhanced Core Reading Instruction (ECRI) at Grandview Elementary, starting this school year with kindergarten teachers, Title I ELA staff and special‑education teachers and funded in part by an $18,000 grant.
District Superintendent Dr. Ferenzik and Grandview staff described ECRI as an evidence‑based intensification of core reading instruction that aligns with the district's adopted Wonders literacy program and existing screeners. District presenters said the program emphasizes phonological and phonemic awareness and is intended to reduce confusion when students who struggle receive interventions.
ECRI will be introduced to all kindergarten classrooms in 2025–26 with job‑embedded coaching provided monthly by external coaches, the district said. Year 2 is planned to bring first‑grade teachers into the model, and year 3 will cover second grade; teachers receiving ECRI instruction will have year‑long coaching each year, according to district presenters.
"We're data informed," said Miss McClain, a Grandview staff presenter, describing how teachers will use the district universal screener (Acadians) to identify students who may need additional Tier 2 support. She said ECRI is designed to align interventions to tier‑one instruction so children are not confused by mismatched techniques.
District presenters credited earlier training and a state grant with enabling the rollout. "We were provided a very generous grant through Patton," one presenter said, and the district confirmed $18,000 as the funding source for the current year. The training included a two‑day intensive session during inservice week and posted materials on a district Google Classroom "ECRI hub" for teacher access.
Officials described how ECRI connects an auditory phonemic awareness sequence to phonics instruction, and noted complementary resources such as Heggerty (a phonemic awareness program) and Wonders. The district said Title I teachers will receive Tier 2 intervention training in later phases.
Board members asked for examples of how phonological components are taught; Grandview staff described lessons that begin with auditory sound work in kindergarten and progress toward connecting sounds to written language.
No board action was required or taken on the ECRI presentation at the meeting. District staff said the rollout and coaching are funded through the grant plus existing budget lines and that progress will be reported in future superintendent reports.
The presentation materials and links the district referenced were made available to board members and posted in district Google Classroom for teachers, the board was told.
Ending: District leaders said they will return with ongoing updates as the program expands to additional grades and as Tier 2 intervention training is scheduled.
