The Santa Barbara Unified School District continues to face many challenges in improving reading proficiency among its K-6 elementary public school students. While new “science of reading” curricula are finally in place to replace the failed “balanced literacy” teaching model used here for years, fidelity in implementation and ongoing execution will be the key determinant in a successful transition to this paradigm shift.
To make a real impact, we can benefit from the successes of other school districts who have made this transition successfully, with quantifiable results.
- Rigorous Training in “Science of Reading” Programs: Santa Barbara Unified School District adopted new English Language Arts curricula, “Wit & Wisdom” and “Fundations”, which focus on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. Teaching these new programs requires extensive principal and teacher training. Two excellent training programs like LETRS and Orton-Gillingham take considerable time to complete and successful districts train the vast majority of teachers and staff. Yet, only a small minority of 30 teachers, principals, and coaches are receiving this training here in Santa Barbara. As a result, our elementary classroom teachers are struggling mightily today in implementing “science of reading” methods.
- Addressing Disparities: It’s important to address the disparities in reading proficiency among different student groups. For instance, the district has consistently seen low reading proficiency rates for Latino children, children of color, low-income students, and students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Successful intervention requires many well-trained science of reading literacy coaches.
- Ongoing Commitment to Data Transparency and Quantifiable Improvement: The district’s commitment to the new science of reading curricula is a great first step forward, finally adopted in May 2023 through a $1.7 Million investment. But as many others have learned, success takes a lot more than money. Successful school districts and school boards demand accountability for results with transparency on all relevant data measures. They set quantified improvement goals for all students across all grades. While it can be tempting to celebrate any small improvements on STAR reading scores, the fact remains that roughly 50% of students across grades 3-6 in Santa Barbara and throughout much of the state consistently cannot meet reading score standards.
- Strong Literacy Leadership and Prioritization at the Superintendent, School Board, and Principal level.: Strong evidence from districts that have successfully transitioned to a “science of reading” approach reveals that literacy in those districts is treated as Priority One. This leadership expresses itself in public and school level evangelism and advocacy. It appears as an agenda topic at all school board meetings, to see how we’re doing, identify learnings, and course correct as needed. It is evidenced by a willingness of district leaders and school principals to personally go through curricula training. It includes community outreach to enlist parents and teachers as advocates who understand how reading skills are acquired. And it includes a willingness to learn from successful districts who have faced the obstacles Santa Barbara is experiencing today and overcome them.
- Use of Technology Aids for Early Learners: The new reading program “Wit & Wisdom” could benefit from a head start with the teaching of phonemic awareness and phonics at the Preschool and Kindergarten level. Four-to-five-year-old learners need to develop early foundational reading skills rooted in phonics, where sounds and words are “decoded”. Unlike language acquisition which happens naturally, phonemic awareness and phonics need to be taught, as the brain is not naturally wired to learn reading. Fortunately, there are computer-based programs, like quill.org, Lexia Core 5, and yokyworks.org among many others, that can teach these foundational skills on an individualized basis using gamification to make it fun.
These 5 lessons learned, using evidence-based approaches and addressing disparities, have greatly accelerated improvement of elementary school reading scores at several districts who have adopted the Science of Reading. We cannot continue to let 50%+ of our students struggle with the most fundamental skill of all…reading.
