Rockford Public Schools leaders cite rising reading scores after multi-year curriculum overhaul

Rockford Public Schools presented a detailed literacy update to the school board, with district literacy leaders saying a multi-year shift to research-based instruction is producing measurable gains.

Mr. Rand introduced the report and asked Sharon Wells, director of literacy and federal programs, to outline the district's approach. Wells said the district has focused on the "science of reading," added phonics and morphology supports where gaps were identified and adopted Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) for kindergarten through fifth grade last year. She said CKLA is a resource that must be implemented with supporting processes, and that the district has invested in professional learning communities, instructional coaches and interventionists to make the curriculum effective.

Wells described a three-tier RTI/MTSS intervention model used across the district. She said all students take a benchmark screener three times a year (NWEA), with a subset receiving deeper secondary assessments and targeted interventions. Tier 3 students, who receive intensive intervention four to five days per week, are progress-monitored weekly, she said, adding that the district's tier-3 percentages now sit around 5–6% at the elementary level, which Wells said is consistent with strong MTSS systems.

Presenters cited NWEA percentile trends and selected M-STEP and PSAT results as evidence that the system is improving. Mr. Rand and Wells said Rockford's eleventh graders score at high percentiles on SAT reading evidence-based measures and that, taken together, annual trend lines show incremental growth across grade levels.

Wells also listed supports the district has put in place: 10 instructional coaches with literacy backgrounds, 25–30 reading interventionists, a newly formed Dyslexia Task Force, and professional development and coaching for teachers. District leaders said a recent state literacy grant bought targeted intervention curriculum and training.

Why it matters: presenters argued that early identification and consistent intervention reduce the number of students needing intensive services later, and they urged community volunteer programs to supplement, not replace, district-led interventions. The presenters also noted community partnerships (a book bus, the Reading Rocks Festival and library partnerships) and highlighted Meadow Ridge Elementary's National Blue Ribbon recognition and the district's recent state-level achievement recognition.

Next steps: the district said it will continue NWEA benchmark reporting, run quarterly reviews of intervention outcomes and continue to work with volunteers who want to support student reading efforts.

"The science of reading is not a program," Wells said. "It is something that you implement."