Read to Succeed

 

South Carolina Department of Education

Read to Succeed Elementary Exemplary Literacy Reflection Tool

 

Directions:  Please provide a narrative response for Sections A-I. 

LETRS Questions: 

• How many eligible teachers in your school have completed Volume 1 ONLY of LETRS?: 2
• How many eligible teachers in your school have completed Volumes 1 and 2 of LETRS?: 0
• How many eligible teachers in your school are beginning Volume 1 of LETRS this year (or have not yet started or completed Volume 1)?: 28
   

Section A: Describe how reading assessment and instruction for all PreK-5th grade students in the school includes oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension to aid in the comprehension of texts to meet grade‑level English/Language Arts standards. Our school utilizes HMH Into Reading and Open Court to provide a comprehensive reading assessment and instruction framework for all PreK-5th grade students. Our approach encompasses several key components critical for developing literacy skills. We prioritize the development of oral language skills through discussions, storytelling, and interactive read-aloud. Open Court focuses on phonological awareness activities that help students recognize and manipulate sounds in spoken language, along with systematic and explicit phonics. Both curriculums support reading fluency through repeated reading, guided reading, and independent practice. Vocabulary development is integrated into daily instruction through direct teaching and exposure to rich language in context. Our school emphasizes the importance of understanding word meanings, which aids comprehension, allowing our students to tackle more complex texts. Comprehension strategies are embedded across all grade levels. Students are taught prediction, how to ask questions, visualization, and summarizing texts to deepen their understanding.

Section B: Document how Word Recognition assessment and instruction for PreK-5th grade students are further aligned to the science of reading, structured literacy and foundational literacy skills. Our school emphasizes the importance of word recognition as a key component of literacy development for PreK-5th grade students. The assessment and instruction in this area are carefully aligned with the science of reading, structured literacy, and foundational literacy skills. Students are taught to recognize and manipulate sounds in spoken words, which is essential for decoding words during reading. Our teachers incorporate multi-sensory approaches, allowing students to engage in visual, auditory, and kinesthetic word recognition activities, enhancing their understanding and retention. Instruction includes vocabulary-building activities that enhance students’ understanding of word meanings, contributing to their overall word recognition abilities. Students engage in repeated reading and guided practice to improve their fluency in word recognition, allowing them to read more smoothly and with greater comprehension.  

Section C:  Document how the school uses universal screener data and diagnostic assessment data to determine targeted pathways of intervention (word recognition or language comprehension) for students in PreK-5th grade who have failed to demonstrate grade‑level reading proficiency.  Easy CBM provides a reliable universal screener that assesses students’ reading skills, including word recognition and language comprehension. This screening helps identify students at risk of reading difficulties. The assessments are conducted periodically to monitor students’ growth in reading and adjust interventions as needed. Scores from EASY CBM indicate which students are meeting grade level expectations and which are not. Students who do not achieve benchmark scores are flagged for further analysis and intervention.  Our RTI team implements interventions focused on phonics, decoding strategies, and high-frequency word practice for students with word recognition deficits. These interventions aim to build foundational reading skills essential for fluency and comprehension. 

Section D: Describe the system in place to help parents in your school understand how they can support the student as a reader and writer at home. At our school we have established a comprehensive system to help parents understand how they can support their students as readers and writers at home. This system includes several key components: 1. Literacy Night, we host our annual Literacy Night that invites parents and students to engage in fun and informative activities centered on reading and writing. During this event parents participate in workshops led by educators that provide strategies on how to support literacy at home. Parents receive handouts and resources, including book recommendations and activities that can easily be implemented at home to reinforce literacy skills. 2. Parent-Teacher Conferences, we host conferences throughout the year offering an opportunity for one-on-one discussions about student progress in reading and writing. 3. Newsletters, weekly newsletters are sent out to keep parents informed about literacy activities, classroom activities, and important dates. These newsletter include tips and strategies. 

Section E: Document how the school provides for the monitoring of reading achievement and growth at the classroom and school level with decisions about PreK-5th grade intervention based on all available data to ensure grade-level proficiency in reading. Our school employs a comprehensive system to monitor reading achievement and growth for PreK-5th grade students. This system utilizes multiple assessment tools and data analysis to inform intervention decisions and ensure grade-level proficiency in reading. Mastery Connect is a key tool for tracking student progress and mastery of reading standards for grades 3-5. This assessment is ongoing during the school year and teachers have data meetings to discuss the results. Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments are conducted three times a year (fall, winter, and spring) to evaluate student growth in reading. MAP assessments offer personalized data for each student, providing insights into their reading levels and growth. The results help teachers set specific, measurable goals for students, ensuring they stay on track for grade-level proficiency. We also implement Easy CBM as a progress monitoring tool to assess reading fluency and comprehension. The data collected informs intervention strategies at both the classroom and school levels, allowing educators to provide targeted support for struggling readers.    

Section F: Describe how the school provides teacher training based in the science of reading, structured literacy, and foundational literacy skills to support all students in PreK-5th grade. Our school is committed to providing comprehensive teacher training that aligns with the science of reading, structured literacy, and foundational skills to support all students in PreK-5th grade. This training is facilitated through several key initiatives. We implement the LETRS (Language Essentials of Teachers of Reading and Spelling) program as a foundational component of our professional development efforts. This research-based training focuses on understanding the science of reading and structured literacy approach. LETRS provides educators with practical strategies and tools to implement in the classroom, ensuring that all students receive high-quality literacy instruction tailored to their needs. Our Literacy Coach plays a pivotal role in supporting teachers through ongoing professional development. The Literacy Coach provides individualized coaching sessions, modeling effective teaching strategies and offers feedback to enhance instruction. Weekly training sessions are conducted to introduce innovative literacy practices and reinforce the knowledge gained through LETRS training. These sessions focus on best practices for teaching reading and writing skills.

Section G:  Analysis of Data

Strengths	Possibilities for Growth
Leadership (Literacy Coach, Interventionist, Administrators, Technology Coach, and Lead Teacher) work actively to improve/ increase reading and writing. Leadership also provides effective professional development.    Compliance with BOY, MOY, EOY assessments. (NWEA and Benchmark)   Strong RTI Tier 2 and Tier 3 Intervention.	Open Court Foundational Skills Teaching (green band)  Continue to work with all teachers on using classroom/ student data to plan effective instruction.    Understanding and implementing components of Structured Literacy

 

Section H:  Previous School Year SMART Goals and Progress Toward Those Goals

• Please provide your school’s goals from last school year and the progress your school has made towards these goals. Utilize quantitative and qualitative data to determine progress toward the goal (s). As a reminder, all schools serving third grade were required to use Goal #1 (below).

Goals	Progress
Goal #1 (Third Grade Goal): Reduce the percentage of third graders scoring Does Not Meet in the spring of 2022 as determined by SC READY from 27.2% to 24.2% in the spring of 2024.	Sandlapper did not meet this goal during the 2023-2024 school year. The percentage of third graders scoring Does Not Meet in spring of 2024 as determined by SC READY went from 27.2% to 27.3%. Although it was not a significant increase, Sandlapper will continue to modify and continue this goal.
Goal #2: By June 2024 Sandlapper Elementary will implement Guided Reading/ Small Group Reading Instruction daily in 60% of classrooms.	All teachers received guided reading kits with their curriculum. While we did not achieve 60% success toward this goal during the 23-24 school year, there is still room for much growth. Sandlapper will modify and continue this goal.
Goal #3: Reduce the percentage of fifth graders scoring low in inquiry in the spring of 2024 as determined by SC READY from 41.7 % to 36.7%	Sandlapper did not meet this goal during the 2023-2024 school year. In the spring of 2024, the percentage of fifth graders scoring low in inquiry, as determined by SC READY, went from 41.7% to 39.7 %. Although this was a decrease, Sandlapper will continue to modify.

 

Section I: Current SMART Goals and Action Steps Based on Analysis of Data

• All schools serving students in third grade MUST respond to the third-grade reading proficiency goal. Schools that do not serve third grade students may choose a different goal. Schools may continue to use the same SMART goals from previous years or choose new goals. Goals should be academically measurable. The Reflection Tool may be helpful in determining action steps to reach an academic goal. Schools are strongly encouraged to incorporate goals from the strategic plan. 

Goals	Progress
Goal #1 (Third Grade Goal): Reduce the percentage of third graders scoring Does Not Meet in the spring of 2023-2024 as determined by SC READY from 27.3 % to 24.2 % in the spring of 2024-2025.	The Literacy Coach will provide Professional Development on the following topics: Unpacking the new 2024 ELA indicators, Reading and Writing Workshop, Navigating through Narrative and Informational Texts, Writing Units of Study, and the HMH Curriculum.  The Literacy Coach will lead Benchmark Data Reviews with third grade to analyze student mastery of indicators and plan whole group and small group instruction to meet the needs of students.  Teachers will effectively implement the Structured Literacy Model and Writing Units of Study.  Teachers will have a 90 minute uninterrupted ELA block and 30 minutes of pull out RTI support for students daily.  Teachers will use the District Data Protocol to collaborate and analyze data collected from Mastery Connect formative assessments to inform instruction.  Administration will ensure teachers are adhering to the established schedule to reflect 90 minutes of ELA instruction with an additional 30 minutes of RTI.
Goal #2: 60% of  K-3 teachers will effectively implement LETRS strategies in their classroom to improve students’ reading and spelling proficiency, with a target of increasing the percentage of students reading at or above grade level by 15%.	Comprehensive LETRS training for all instructional staff, ensuring 100% participation.  The Literacy Coach will schedule weekly collaborative meetings for teachers to share insights, strategies, and best practices related to LETRS.  Teachers will integrate LETRS strategies into daily literacy instruction across grades K-3, including phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension techniques.  Administrators will facilitate a reflective session for staff to discuss successes, challenges, and areas for improvement in their literacy instruction practices.
Goal #3: By the end of the academic year, the percentage of students in grades 3-5 achieving proficiency in ELA will increase from an average of 52.5% to 54.5%, reflecting a concerted effort to enhance literacy instruction and support student learning.	The Literacy Coach will facilitate a variety of professional development opportunities for teachers, focusing on the alignment of ELA curriculum (HMH and Open Court) with the new ELA standards. This initiative aims to build teacher buy-in of curriculum by clearly demonstrating the congruence between the curriculum and the standards. The ultimate goal is to ensure teachers fully understand how the curriculum supports the intent of each standard. During the PD sessions, teachers may be asked to write clear learning objectives, plan the intervention portion of lessons, unpack the standards, analyze student data, and identify areas of the lesson that need to be revisited. By doing so, we aim to provide teachers with the tools and insights necessary to deliver instruction that aligns with the standards' expectations, fostering consistency and clarity across all classrooms.  Teacher attendance will be documented through MobileMind.   Teachers will integrate engaging, high-quality literature and informational texts that resonate with students’ interests and backgrounds.    The Literacy Coach will provide ongoing professional development for teachers focused on effective literacy instruction strategies, including differentiated instruction, formative assessments, and the use of data to inform teaching.    The Literacy Coach will facilitate weekly collaborative planning sessions for teachers to share strategies, resources, and best practices.    Teachers will implement regular formative assessments to monitor student progress and inform instruction, adjusting teaching methods to address identified learning gaps.    Teachers will use data analysis to identify students needing additional support and provide targeted interventions.