Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Literacy Program topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ottumwa board approves multi‑year literacy plan tied to state grant
Summary
The Ottumwa Comm School District board unanimously approved a comprehensive literacy program that staff said is funded by a state CLSD grant, with $416,000 budgeted in Year 2 and another $416,000 in Year 3 to support districtwide professional development, curriculum supports and interventions.
The Ottumwa Comm School District board unanimously approved a comprehensive literacy program on a staff recommendation that ties district instruction to science‑based reading research and a multi‑year state grant. District staff said the grant supports training, curriculum and targeted interventions across elementary and secondary grades.
Maria Lance, the district's director of curriculum and instruction, told the board the grant's first year focused on building a strategic plan and a literacy leadership team; Years 2–5 are for implementation. "Year 1 was all about building a strategic plan around our literacy work," Lance said. Staff described a model of five districtwide professional‑development sessions combined with building‑level PD to allow both common messaging and local differentiation.
Elementary principals recommended a two‑part use of the funds: consistent PD for PK–5 teachers and a skills/intervention component. Kelly Phillips, principal at Horseman Elementary, said teachers requested engaging, consistent training so the district would have a common baseline of knowledge before differentiating instruction. The district also recommended partnering with Solution Tree to deliver parts of the training and expanding use of Amplify CKLA for foundational skills in lower grades.
Lance reported the grant provides $416,000 in Year 2 and another $416,000 in Year 3 for the district's literacy work and asked the board to approve spending those funds for the PD and skills components. Board members asked for clarification about dyslexia services; staff said the dyslexia task force has evolved into the literacy leadership team and that dyslexia‑friendly strategies will be embedded within the district's science‑of‑reading approach.
A board member moved to approve the comprehensive literacy program "as presented." The motion passed on a roll call vote with all members voting yes.
The board's approval authorizes staff to proceed with the vendor partnerships, PD calendar and curriculum purchases outlined in the district presentation. The district said it will continue reporting implementation progress to the board as work advances.
