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March 2, 2010

DPS works toward reading improvement

Derrick Miller

Since the beginning of the school year, Duncan Public Schools has been taking a pro-active role in improving reading scores in the elementary classrooms.

The improvements can be seen in the charts hanging in each elementary school. The chart, which holds cards representing each child, displays changes in reading. There are three colors of cards, green for at reading level, yellow for intermediate and red for below reading level. When a student improves, it is reflected in the chart, whether it’s moving a red card to yellow or green, or a yellow card to green.

The chart provides teachers with visible feedback.

Mary Stone, curriculum coordinator for DPS, said the school district has adopted a coaching model. Stone said the idea is to have the same curriculum and model for all the schools to make sure everyone’s on the same page.

“We know more than ever about what it takes for student reading achievement,” Stone said.

The district is using stimulus money to fund the program for two years. The chart is only part of the improvements the district is aiming to make. The school has changed its reading program and has required 90 minutes of classroom instruction to be dedicated to reading each day.

“We’re looking at data more than ever,” Stone said. “We’re doing a hands-on approach. We’re using library specialists, whatever we need to get to students.

“We have strong reading instruction. We’re changing the way we work with students.”

There is also a big push to have students on grade-level by third grade. This is when most reading testing begins.

The district hired five instructional coaches and assigned several reading coaches. The reading coaches are working with the teachers at the Title I schools.

In the district, 10 teachers elected to leave the comforts of their classrooms to travel from school to school to help as many children learn to be better readers. About 25 teachers applied for these positions. There are about two teachers from each elementary school who were selected to help with reading in the various schools. They will continue to work at each school for a second year before returning to their classrooms.

While this set up for the teachers is on a temporary basis, the teachers said they hope to not only improve the education of the students but also to improve their teaching skills. The teachers will also be able to share what they’ve learned with the other educators in their schools, which is why it was important to get teachers from each school building.

Among those teachers are Kari Briggs and Koree Wilkerson.

Briggs said she has been learning quite a bit, although she spent a lot of time in the classroom.

“When you’re at one site, you only see what’s at the site,” Briggs said. “When you go to other schools, you see more of the big picture.”

Wilkerson said the reading program is mainly about teachers putting their heads together to help students improve their reading skills. She said all of the teachers have the same goal, which makes the job easier.

“We’re not becoming Duncan Public Schools,” Wilkerson said. “Everyone has great things going on in their classes.”

Stone said there’s still a lot of work to be done, but student achievement in reading has improved greatly since the beginning of the school year. She said reading is important because it is the basis to understanding all other subjects.

“Reading is the way to success,” Stone said.



— Derrick Miller is a reporter for The Duncan Banner. He can be reached at 580-255-5354, Ext. 160, or via e-mail at derrick.miller@duncanbanner.com.

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