Page 12 - Superintendent Annual Report 2023-24

Literacy Initiatives

Elementary Literacy
One of the District’s long-term goals is to increase the number of students reading on grade level by grade 3. A method
of achieving this goal is dramatically revising instruction for our kindergarten through grade 2 students and reducing
achievement gaps. One way we are meeting this mission-critical goal is by providing teachers with research-based
professional learning opportunities to improve their instructional practices and providing materials that will increase
teachers skills, and positively impact student outcomes.

Strategic Initiative A.1a: Effective Literacy Instruction in PreK-3
Initiative A.1a centers around elementary literacy instruction, and it states that we will “Ensure consistent and effective
literacy instruction in every PreK-3rd grade classroom.” Workgroup members from various departments (e.g. Elementary
Literacy, Exceptional Student Education (ESE), PreK, and Multicultural) supported this initiative. Through this collaboration,
a set of action steps were developed to achieve our goals. During the FY24 school year, the District:
• Collaborated with the University of Florida Lastinger Center to provide over 600 K-2 educators with professional
learning opportunities on the Science of Reading and a small-group literacy framework designed to improve student
outcomes.
• Created and implemented professional learning pathways for new and veteran teachers and coaches.
• Provided professional learning for administrators aligned to foundational literacy skills in grades K-5.
• Implemented lab sites to facilitate and deepen teacher understanding of strategies to support literacy skill development.
• Launched the FY24 Transition to Kindergarten campaign, with three new literacy-based initiatives, in collaboration
with the Early Learning Coalition (ELC).

Teacher professional learning sessions

Ongoing job-embedded professional
learning support
Classroom implementation of literary initiatives

12 Superintendent Annual Report 2023 - 2024