West Rapids Elementary reports early gains after year-one literacy rollout; principal flags staff workload and pacing needs

Sean Martinson, principal of West Rapids Elementary School, told the school board the building opened a new K–2 site this year and completed year-one implementation of a district literacy initiative built on WIT & WISDOM curriculum and Carryall (a research-based professional development sequence). He said staff are participating in extensive professional development and the school used FastBridge and aReading assessment tools to measure student progress.

Martinson described measurable movement from higher-risk toward lower-risk reading categories for kindergarten and first grade in spring assessments this year. He summarized the kindergarten and first-grade FastBridge results as a “strong movement from the high risk and some risk to the low risk,” and said roughly two-thirds of kindergarteners finished the year at low risk for reading difficulty, with first grade showing comparable gains. Martinson attributed the trend to improved tier‑1 instruction, sustained professional development and focused instructional time.

He outlined operational challenges: scheduling and staff time, limited opportunities to pull full grade-level teams during the day, and the need for clearer pacing and more planned collaboration time. Martinson said staff asked for refining of pacing guides, better alignment of writing curriculum inside WIT & WISDOM, and clearer roles for specialists and special‑education staff.

The principal described the school culture and supports: a campus pantry, attention to student basic needs, and a substantial relational culture used to support equity work. He also recounted work‑based learning wins in the food service program (student hires and work readiness) and highlighted the number and tenure of staff as evidence of a stable workforce.

Martinson recommended continuing the current training cycle and shifting to UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute) refinements next year — he framed UFLI as a refinement of Orton‑Gillingham approaches already in teacher practice rather than a wholesale replacement. He emphasized the need to preserve structured time for teacher collaboration (early-outs and planned planning time) to sustain progress in subsequent years.

Board members thanked the principal and asked for clarification about Carryall vs. WIT & WISDOM (Carryall described as the science/why and WIT & WISDOM as the curricular what and how). Martinson also noted the timing of assessment data and that some charts had date-ordering issues he corrected before presenting to the board.