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Petersburg schools expand literacy plan, add middle-grade curriculum and individualized reading plans
Summary
The Petersburg district updated its Division Literacy Plan to extend state-required reading supports through grade 8, adopt new textbooks for grades 6–8, and require individualized student reading plans for students scoring basic or below basic on reading assessments.
PETERSBURG, Va. — Petersburg City Public Schools presented an updated Division Literacy Plan Wednesday that expands state-required reading supports through grade 8, adopts new middle-grade instructional materials and requires individualized reading plans for students who score ‘‘basic’’ or ‘‘below basic’’ on reading assessments.
Elementary reading specialist Tasha Jackson and the district’s secondary specialist presented the revisions on behalf of the district’s curriculum team. The update is intended to align local practice with the Virginia Literacy Act’s requirements while adding locally chosen materials and systems for monitoring progress.
Key points in the revision:
- Curriculum and materials: The district will continue using Amplify CKLA for kindergarten through grade 5 and has adopted Savvas My Perspective for grades 6–8. Intervention and supplemental tools identified include Lexia Core5, Boost and PowerUp; district staff said selected materials are on the VDOE-approved list.
- Assessment and monitoring: The plan calls for a mix of screeners and progress measures — DIBELS for kindergarten through grade 3, MAP testing for grades 2–8, unit assessments tied to the adopted curricula, and a vowel screener (presented as the division ‘‘Vowel Screener’’) for grades 4–8 who score basic or below basic.
- Student reading plans: Every student scoring basic or below basic on reading standards will receive an individualized student reading plan. Reading specialists will develop and monitor these plans in collaboration with classroom teachers and the division level.
- Professional development and staffing: The plan outlines multiple training pathways for staff, including state Canvas courses, the VDOE micro-credential opportunities and professional development tied to the new Savvas texts. The district reported it recently added school-level reading specialists who received state micro-credentials.
- Family engagement: The division plans literacy nights, quarterly newsletters and at least three touchpoints with families of students who receive student reading plans; staff will coordinate outreach with the district’s family-engagement team.
Board members questioned the timing of tutoring and urged earlier implementation. Superintendent Brandy Brown and staff said funding timing — including grants arriving later than ideal — has sometimes delayed tutoring starts; they said the district plans to begin tutoring earlier in the coming year as funding and staffing stabilize.
The superintendent said the plan will be signed and submitted to the Virginia Department of Education by the state deadline (June 30, 2025) and staff committed to returning with implementation updates.
Board members and presenters framed the revisions as the district’s effort to meet state requirements while investing in materials, monitoring and family outreach to improve early literacy and long-term reading outcomes.
