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District outlines preK—grade-3 literacy push, expands teacher training and assessment plans
Summary
District staff briefed the board on a preK-3 literacy initiative emphasizing reading comprehension, professional development for 600+ teachers, dual-language supports and plans for an integrated third-grade writing assessment and district English language development course.
District staff presented an update on preK-3 literacy work on April 28, outlining professional development, assessment pilots and plans to scale teacher training.
Francisca Sanchez, who leads the humanities team, said fewer than 60% of fourth graders were at proficient or above on California Standards Tests in English language arts and that reading comprehension, not decoding, is the primary gap. The district has trained more than 600 teachers in reading and writing instruction and runs a Literacy Coach program that provides on-site, sustained professional development.
Staff described three foundation programs (When Teachers and Students Read; When Teachers and Students Write; Building by Literacy Guide) and announced two additional initiatives to be added: the Wright Institute program (writing for English learners) and Academic English Mastery (for standard English learners). The district is designing an integrated grade-3 writing assessment and piloted it in several schools; a rubric was developed to give teachers actionable diagnostic feedback.
Officials also noted dedicated professional development to support Chinese-language literacy and Spanish-language instruction, and described targeted training for special-education teachers. The district signaled it will develop a coherent district course of study for English Language Development and pilot components later in the year.
