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Middle‑school principals cite gains and targeted interventions as district focuses on literacy
Summary
Middle‑school leaders presented DIBELS benchmark data and intervention strategies to the Three Rivers board, highlighting that roughly half of sixth graders met a words‑per‑minute benchmark and that the Read 180 program is helping students several grade levels behind make accelerated gains.
Middle‑school principals told the Three Rivers School District board they are focusing intensely on literacy, using the DIBELS measure to track words‑per‑minute and accuracy, and deploying targeted interventions for students who are multiple grade levels behind.
Mark Higgins (Lincoln Savage Middle School principal) said the district is "drilling it down to the needs of the students" through Professional Learning Community work and frequent data review. A presentation described benchmarks (for example, about 48% of 6th graders met the words‑per‑minute benchmark at the start of the year) and continued monitoring at multiple points in the year.
Principal Danny Pratt and others described schedule changes that provide extra reading time and the adoption of the Read 180 program to accelerate students with very low reading levels. One presenter described Read 180 as effectively raising students "up grade levels at a time" and said the program is expanding to additional schools.
Board members asked about how the data should be communicated to families and suggested publicizing student successes. School leaders said they are tracking student progress, inviting individual students into goal‑setting conversations and celebrating improvements.
What happens next: Principals will continue monitoring DIBELS progress across the year and expand interventions where the Read 180 program shows success.
