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Ms. Arnie presents draft districtwide literacy plan; board stresses teacher support and intervention
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Summary
Ms. Arnie presented a draft pre-K–12 literacy plan and a state-required third-grade reading improvement plan, saying the document is an initial 'pencil sketch' to be revised with staff and posted by mid-spring. Board members pressed for more professional-development time and wider intervention options.
Ms. Arnie, who presented the district's draft comprehensive literacy plan, told the board the document is an initial effort that the district will refine with teachers and administrators before posting it publicly. "This really is the very first draft," she said, calling it a "pencil sketch" that the district expects to develop into a fuller plan by mid-spring.
The presentation covered the district's approach to selecting high-quality instructional materials, assessment practices, dyslexia screening and the state-required reading improvement plan for third graders in districts that fall below an 80% proficiency benchmark. Ms. Arnie said the plan includes curriculum and instructional-practice guidance as well as two final pages devoted specifically to third-grade reading improvement work.
Board members and the presenter talked at length about classroom fidelity to the selected curriculum and the practical limits on professional-development time. One board member asked how the district would reconcile uniform instructional expectations with teachers' individual styles. Ms. Arnie acknowledged constraints and said the district has sought to balance fidelity with teacher flexibility: "If you can give me 4 hours where they're not missing their students, they're not missing their families, they're not missing their sleep, we're trying our best," she said, describing a desire for more concentrated, practical training time.
She also described adjustments to intervention programs already under way, saying the district is shifting some Title reading resources to an intervention called UFLI while continuing to use Orton-Gillingham and other supports. "We're already using Orton Gillingham within whole-class instruction," Ms. Arnie said, adding that additional programs such as Heggerty are being used in classrooms to reach students for whom a single curriculum may not be sufficient.
Ms. Arnie told the board she plans to continue revising the document with grade-level chairs and department leaders and hopes to post the plan on the district website by mid-spring. The board thanked her and her co-writers for the detailed draft and asked administration to keep the board updated as the plan moves toward formal adoption.
