Elkhorn schools expand UFLI phonics, make reading instruction a district priority

Tibbetts Elementary students demonstrated UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Initiative) lessons at the Oct. 27 Elkhorn Area School District board meeting as district leaders outlined 2025–26 elementary priorities focused on reading.

Brian Frost, principal at Tibbetts Elementary, introduced a shortened UFLI lesson led by Desiree Reese, the school’s reading specialist. Reese and Frost said the district is rolling UFLI across K–3 this year after piloting it in Tier 3 interventions. Staff described UFLI as a scripted, two‑day lesson sequence that follows eight steps and covers a scope-and-sequence of roughly 128 phonics concepts across kindergarten through third grade. Day one is a roughly 30‑minute lesson; day two includes word work, instruction in irregular “heart” words and connected decodable text.

Amy G., the district’s K‑5 director of instruction, placed UFLI implementation in the broader elementary improvement plan. She said last year’s priorities included implementing Bridges math and adopting i‑Ready for reading and math diagnostics; those changes, along with more structured schedules, contributed to measurable math growth and a decrease in major behavior referrals. For 2025–26 the district’s top instructional goals are applying science‑of‑reading practices (phonics, oral language and vocabulary), embedding structured oral‑language routines K–5, and establishing consistent UFLI practice in all K–3 classrooms.

Staff described classroom‑observation work that provided a baseline for professional development: administrators and coaches have completed more than 60 walkthroughs focusing on three categories (equity of student voice, student‑focused discussion and language scaffolds). The district will use a rapid‑cycle feedback model from CESA 6: teachers on a formal evaluation cycle will receive six walkthroughs and feedback items tied to a mutually selected focus; other teachers will receive four targeted visits. Reading specialists, who previously used UFLI in intervention, are leading training and in‑class coaching to support fidelity.

Administrators said the program’s scripted nature helps ensure consistent delivery; they also described plans to differentiate for students who quickly master lessons and to use i‑Ready subcategory data to target phonics instruction where needed. Board members and staff discussed parent volunteers for read‑alouds and the district’s ongoing use of other reading resources for leveled/interactive read‑aloud and fluency work.

District staff emphasized that UFLI is one element inside a broader reading and instructional framework that also includes daily phonemic awareness practice, a 40–60 minute unit of study block for reading and writing, shared reading and interactive read‑alouds that extend into upper elementary grades. Implementation monitoring will include progress‑monitoring assessments and PLC discussions to identify students requiring additional small‑group instruction.

The presentation concluded with an administrative commitment to continue districtwide professional development, revisit day‑two timing when needed for younger students, and to report classroom walkthrough and student progress data back to the board during the year.