May 9, 2025

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are excited to share important updates about the evolution of literacy instruction across our district. This school year, we have begun a thoughtful shift from a Balanced Literacy approach to one grounded in the Science of Reading. This decision is the result of extensive research, reflection, and our commitment to providing every student with the strongest foundation in reading.

Why the Change?

The Science of Reading is a comprehensive body of research that encompasses decades of studies in education, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience. It emphasizes the systematic development of foundational reading skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. By aligning our instruction with this research, we aim to ensure that every student becomes a confident and proficient reader.

Our New Literacy Program: Savvas

As you know, to support this instructional shift, this year we have adopted and implemented the Savvas literacy program in Grades K-6. Savvas offers a structured and sequential approach to reading instruction, integrating both print and digital resources to engage students effectively. This program replaces some of our previous guided reading assessments, providing a more comprehensive evaluation of each student's reading abilities.

Updating Our Assessment and Intervention Practices

As part of this transition, we are moving away from using Guided Reading Levels as the primary measure of reading progress. Instead, we are implementing a variety of assessments aligned with the Science of Reading to more accurately identify students' strengths and areas for growth. These assessments include:

• i-Ready Diagnostic Assessments: Adaptive assessments that provide detailed insights into students' reading skills.
  
  

• Savvas Program Assessments: Embedded evaluations that monitor progress within the curriculum.
  
  

• Slosson Oral Reading Test (SORT): Measures oral reading fluency and word recognition.
  
  

• Informal Decoding Inventory (IDI): Assesses students' decoding skills and phonics knowledge.
  
  

• Power 109 Word List: Evaluates recognition of high-frequency words essential for reading fluency.
  
  

• Lexile Reading Levels: Provides a standardized measure of reading comprehension ability.

These tools will enable us to tailor instruction and interventions more precisely, ensuring that each student receives the support they need to succeed as we look to redesign our RTI/MTSS plan next year.

Looking Ahead

We understand that changes in instructional approaches can raise questions. To support our families during this transition, we will be hosting informational nights in the Fall. These sessions will provide an opportunity to learn more about the Science of Reading, our literacy program, and how you can support your child's reading development at home. Details about these events will be shared soon.

We are excited about the positive impact this shift will have on our students' literacy skills and overall academic success. Thank you for your continued partnership and support as we implement these evidence-based practices.

Sincerely,

William J. Hender, Ed.D.

Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education, P-6