First-Grade Literacy is Skyrocketing in Rural Missouri – Here’s Why
Despite widespread support for science-backed practices in reading instruction, literacy rates
among elementary students vary from state to state, district to district, school to school. Ensuring
all students can read on grade level undoubtedly requires supportive policies for evidence-based
curricula that already exist and are proven to work. But to address the persistent gap in literacy
among young learners in this country, we also need thorough, thoughtful, and coherent
implementation of those policies and practices, or our students who have fallen behind will stay
behind. Reading on grade level has a lifelong impact on young people’s access to education, job
opportunities, and social mobility.
Instructional coherence requires coordinated eorts across classrooms and learning contexts—
Tier 1 coursework, tutoring, and at home. One essential ingredient that drives improvement both in
teacher practices and student outcomes is instructional coaching.
The Missouri Rural Schools Early Literacy Collaborative offers a model of coherence that supports
the full ecosystem of early literacy instruction. It encompasses a three-pronged approach:
Training teachers and leaders on best practices in early literacy instruction
Partnering with higher education institutions to develop a state-wide recognized literacy
coaching credential
Collaborating with state leaders at the Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education to scale the program in regions across the state.
This model, created in collaboration with TNTP, provides training for literacy coaches and reading
specialists over a three-year period. Coaches in turn support teachers with a strong pedagogical
foundation, high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), and a focus on continuous improvement
for long-term sustainability.
After the first year of coaching support in kindergarten and first grade in these Missouri schools, the
change in young readers’ skills is measurable and striking. In Rolla Public Schools, over 94% of
students demonstrated year-long growth. In Dent-Phelps R-III, the percentage of students reading
at grade level soared from 25.5% to 89.4% between fall and spring.
At Newburg Elementary School, 100% of kindergarten and first grade students demonstrated
growth on reading assessments, and on average those students made gains that more than
doubled typical annual growth.
We must take a holistic approach to improving literacy for all students in every district, across every
state. The Missouri Rural Schools Literacy Collaborative is a shining example of the accelerated
progress that is possible with instructional coaching, coherent support, and thorough
implementation of science-backed principles and practices.
*These results reflect grade-level equivalencies based on student performance on early literacy
assessments.
TNTP
info@tntp.org
http://tntp.org
Phelps County Community Foundation
information@phelpscountycommunicationfoundation.org
http://phelpscountycommunityfoundation.org
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