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Caldwell Parish reports midyear literacy gains, but officials warn more work is needed
Summary
District literacy leaders told the school board that midyear assessments show gains across early grades — kindergarten phonemic awareness rose from about 15% to 52% — and said targeted interventions and parent meetings helped cut the number of third-graders far below grade level from 50 to 27 at midyear.
District literacy leaders presented midyear assessment results to the Caldwell Parish School Board, reporting measurable gains in early-reading skills while flagging persistent gaps in some grades.
The presenter told the board that kindergarten phonemic awareness improved from roughly 15% at the start of the year to about 52% at midyear, a 37-point increase. Letter-naming and other early-literacy measures also rose, though first grade showed a midyear dip that staff said they are addressing.
Officials said the district's approach combines progress monitoring, targeted small-group interventions and coaching for classroom teachers. "We pulled interventionists into classrooms, created smaller groups and started tracking specific skills," said Presenter, describing a program of MTSS meetings, one-on-one parent conferences and focused instructional changes that staff say produced the gains.
The board heard that third grade remains the policy's key threshold: under new state rules, students who score well below grade level risk required summer remediation. District staff said the number of third-graders who would have fallen into that category dropped from 50 last year to 27 at midyear. "That reduction shows the program is working," the presenter said.
Teachers and interventionists described classroom practices including more frequent progress checks, reteaching strategies and extra intervention time for students who need it. One interventionist highlighted that some academic setbacks traced to correctable issues such as uncorrected vision problems; in one example, a student who received glasses improved and regained grade-level performance.
Board members asked for more concrete counts when percentages are cited, a request staff accepted. The presenter said detailed tables—student counts by skill band—would be provided so trustees could see how many children correspond to the reported percentages.
No formal action was required; the presentation closed with the board congratulating teachers and interventionists and scheduling follow-ups to review end-of-year outcomes.
