Literacy has a direct impact on student learning throughout a child's entire education. This page shares information and resources about the many ways the T/E School District supports the growth and development of literacy in students and provides them with the skills and dispositions needed to be literate. As part of the District's ongoing review of literacy programs and practices, TESD administrators have participated in discussions with the many experts in the field of literacy.
The District's Language Arts Learning Competencies provide the framework for language arts learning in eight key areas. Using these competencies as a foundation for spiraling skills development, teachers enrich the reading program by accommodating the individual learning needs of each student while providing a strong, consistent level of reading instruction across the District.
Language Arts Learning Competencies:
Reading comprehension: Learning strategies (Example: main idea, sequence)
The T/E School District is committed to supporting each student in their literacy journey and uses standards and benchmarks to measure student growth and success in reading proficiency. Teachers also informally assess and work with students to build individual skills, confidence and a love for reading.
Benchmark assessments are administered three times a year (fall, winter, spring) to provide an update on student performance in certain skill areas necessary to becoming a successful reader. Below is a summary of the skills tested.
The District's Language Arts Assessment Overview includes information on standardized and District-wide assessments used to inform our instruction and provide for students' curricular needs in the areas of Language Arts and Reading.
Parents/guardians are able to access their child’s benchmark data via the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Once logged in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal, click the Benchmark tab on the left side of the page
A variety of literacy-focused professional development opportunities are available for TESD teachers. Over the past few years, the District has been engaged in a collaborative review of literacy practices and programs as part of a continuous cycle process to ensure the best possible resources are available to our students.
Orton-Gillingham
Numerous TESD teachers across all buildings, including reading specialists and special education teachers, were trained and certified in Orton-Gillingham instructional methods through the AIM Institute or the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE).
Foundational Skills: 5-day course designed to train general and special educators in patterns that govern written language, methods for introducing them systematically and explicitly
Training in engaging students simultaneously in auditory, visual, and tactile-kinesthetic learning pathways on a consistent basis
Training will also be provided in diagnostic/prescriptive literacy instruction that makes use of assessment data
Teaching Level Practicum: training over two years to result in training for regular education teachers
LETRS - Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling
In the fall of 2018, members of the Reading Selection Committee received training in LETRS. This training provided additional enrichment towards the goal of pinpointing curricula with systematic foundational instructional activities. Kindergarten through second grade TESD teachers began LETRS training in August 2019. Grades 3-4 teachers participated in a virtual LETRS workshop provided by the CCIU on April 14th, and May 18th, 2021. They attended additional LETRS training sessions between February and May 2022.
LETRS empowers teachers to understand the what, why, and how of scientifically-based reading instruction.
What must be taught during reading and spelling lessons to obtain the best results for students
How to explain spoken and written English language structures to students
Why reading instructions have several key components and how they are related to one another, based on current scientific research
How to interpret individual differences in student achievement, based on valid and reliable assessments and theoretical models
How to implement instructional routines, activities, and approaches and differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students
Leadership in Literacy
The PaTTAN Leadership in Literacy professional development program is designed to ensure that principals deepen their understanding of the Science of Reading and Theoretical Models and promote and support their staff in increasing reading achievement for all students. The program promotes systemic change to build success in reading, and included information regarding various forms of assessment, reading support structures, and data to drive instruction. All TESD elementary school principals have completed the training, in addition to certain central office administrators.
Reading and Special Education Paraprofessionals in T/E elementary and middle schools took part in this 3-credit graduate course on the Science of Reading in the fall of 2023.
At its February 24, 2020 regular meeting, the T/E School Board approved the purchase of a new reading program called Wonders 2020 by McGraw Hill Education. The District's Reading Program Selection Committee, consisting of administrators, teachers, learning support instructors and reading specialists, spent two years researching, analyzing and selecting the new program. The goal of the Committee was to ensure that the new reading program would address the diverse learning needs of T/E students.
The Reading Program Selection Committee incorporated a systematic approach during the selection process:
Assessed the previously used curriculum
Analyzed the educational needs of the students within the District
Identified a notable rubric that would reflect these needs and be used to evaluate the new reading program
Reflected cutting edge practices and addressed the five pillars of reading.
Implemented new curricula in class to assess student reaction and adaptation
Provided teachers (not on the committee) with access to materials to develop familiarity and incorporate their feedback and concerns
Considered evaluative resources such as EdReports
Incorporated the input of Reading experts from CCIU, PaTTAN, and The Reading League
One of the most important means the Committee used to evaluate the programs was the use of the rubric adapted from the National Center for Educational Evaluation. The rubric contained a plethora of components that it used for assessment. Components included but were not limited to the following areas:
