Chambersburg schools roll out AIM training, AI tutor and expanded interventions to boost third‑grade reading

Drew Nelson, the district’s director of elementary education, told the Chambersburg Area School District board on Feb. 10 that the district’s metric — students must meet two of three measures (PSSA proficiency, MAP projected proficiency, or Acadience benchmark) — showed about 49 percent of last year’s third‑grade cohort did not meet the bar. Nelson said that represents roughly 1,400 K–3 students across the district and called the result “sobering.”

The district presented a three‑part plan to raise outcomes: large‑scale professional development, ongoing implementation supports including a new lead literacy specialist to coach teachers, and classroom‑level tools and interventions. Lindsey Breslin, the district supervisor of reading, recommended professional learning through the AIM Institute for Learning and Research, describing it as a state‑recognized structured‑literacy training program delivered via asynchronous modules with periodic live coaching. Breslin said the program would be staged across two years and would train classroom teachers, intervention specialists, principals and administrators.

Administrators described the classroom intervention model already in place — “Walk to Read” — as a daily small‑group rotation among classroom teachers, intervention specialists and paraeducators, currently operating in six elementary schools and slated for expansion next year. Nelson also described Amira, an AI‑based, one‑on‑one bilingual instructional assistant the district proposes to use as a short‑duration tutor during Walk to Read rotations; Nelson said Amira will not replace teachers but will provide individualized practice and a short report summarizing each session.

Board members pressed for implementation details. Breslin said the AIM course pathway for teachers is roughly 23 hours in year one and about 25 hours in year two, delivered through professional development days already built into next year’s calendar; she said administrators will provide live coaching and in‑person expert support tied to the virtual PD. Nelson said Amira would be used three times per week for up to 30 minutes total (three 10‑minute rotations) during classroom intervention blocks.

On cost, district staff provided ranges rather than a single figure: some recurring elements (coaching, staffing for interventions) will require ongoing dollars, and the district indicated a planning range that, depending on scale, could run from about $802,000 annually to as high as $2 million as the program shifts from start‑up to sustained operations. Officials said some technology and consumables costs are recurring, and that certain start‑up expenses (external experts) will phase down as the district hires a lead literacy specialist.

The presentation included materials the board viewed as part of broader state and research context: Breslin cited the 'science of reading' movement and referenced Act 135 (noted in the presentation as enacted 02/2024) as directing districts toward structured‑literacy approaches. Nelson and Breslin emphasized that the district will monitor progress frequently and use short cycle data to move students among interventions.

Next steps: administrators said they are continuing budget work and will return to the board with more precise contract terms, staffing proposals for a lead literacy specialist, and a refined cost breakdown once contracts for AIM and any pilot AI services are finalized.