District says early-literacy progress on track as staff describe bilingual supports
Loading...
Summary
Socorro ISD staff reported interim assessment gains for third-grade reading and outlined literacy supports including Amira platform usage, bilingual academies, and teacher professional development; staff said they expect to meet the board's third-grade reading goal.
Trustees received a report on district efforts to improve early literacy and supports for emerging bilingual students.
Kelly McBain, director for research and evaluation, presented interim assessment data showing marking-period results at 50 percent (MP1) and 60 percent (MP2) at the "meets" grade-level standard for third grade; fall and spring interim data stood at about 51 percent this year compared with 48 percent the prior year. McBain said the district's third-grade goal aims for a steady one‑percentage‑point annual increase toward an "A" rating.
Joan Anguiano, director of bilingual ESL education, described research-based instructional strategies (phonics, grade‑level text practice, vocabulary and background‑knowledge building) and bilingual academies the district runs in fall, spring and summer, alongside training for teachers and online supports for newcomers.
"Yes. We feel confident, based on the interim assessments, that we will reach our goal this year in third-grade reading," district leadership summarized.
Trustees asked about the specific assessment platforms and baseline data; staff confirmed Amira is the reading assessment platform used for beginning and middle-of-year checks and said baseline measures will be available after May testing. The board did not take action but acknowledged the progress.
