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Lindberg outlines comprehensive literacy plan tied to state reading law and training timeline
Summary
District leaders described a comprehensive literacy plan developed to comply with Senate Bill 681 and DESE guidance, prioritizing standards-based curriculum mapping and instruction/intervention; teacher training (LETTERS, Aspire) and reading success plans are central to implementation.
District staff described a districtwide comprehensive literacy plan developed to meet the requirements of state reading legislation and to produce measurable improvements in reading outcomes.
Dr. Sarah Walter, who led the district’s literacy work, told the board the plan responds to Senate Bill 681 and DESE directions and is embedded within the district compass goals. She said the task force identified two focus domains: standards-based curriculum (vertical progression of reading and writing skills) and instruction/intervention/enrichment.
Why it matters: the district must submit a comprehensive literacy plan under state directions and also seeks to make implementation meaningful rather than merely procedural. Staff emphasized the need for a vertical progression so teachers can see what students have learned earlier and what comes next.
Training and capacity building: staff said LETTERS (foundational skills for K–5) is a two-volume program with about 40 hours of outside work plus in-person training; roughly 85% of teachers have completed volume one and 65–70% have completed volume two. Aspire, aimed at grades 6–12 and content-area teachers, is a one-year online program of about 40 hours of modules plus professional development. Dr. Walter said the district will begin a small secondary cohort for Aspire next year.
KPI and implementation details: the literacy team identified reading success plans as a key performance indicator to judge the program’s impact. Dr. Walter said the district expects to have a vertical skill progression in place by the end of the ELA curriculum revision next summer: “The biggest success indicator for this is that we will have that vertical progression by the time the ELA curriculum process is done next summer.” Staff also described cross-grade transition work (fifth-to-sixth and eighth-to-ninth grade) and integration of middle- and high-school reading specialists into transition PLCs.
Next steps and accountability: the plan was reviewed with the Teaching and Learning board advisory for parent and community feedback and will come to the May board meeting as part of the district’s compass materials. The literacy team emphasized ongoing professional learning and specific, grade-band action steps for K–5, 6–8 and 9–12.
