[Reading Month] Celebrating Literacy Success Stories

We know that there are many ways to implement Edmentum’s online programs for assessment, practice, and instruction successfully, and we love hearing when educators can make a real difference for their students, especially when it comes to reading and literacy. Schools and districts across the country have worked hard to discover what’s effective for their students and have shared with us the secrets to their success. Here are a few of our favorite stories, where the hard work of educators and students led to real gains in reading and literacy improvement:

A Passion for Reading Beginning in the Earliest Grades in Farmersville, Texas

“[Students] love having a visual aspect that allows them to see how things work together. The teachers love the user-friendly structure and have found Reading Eggs easy to add into their daily curriculum.”

—Ginger Ketcher, Principal

Tatum Elementary School in Farmersville, Texas, was in search of a program to help its at-risk students with reading. Upon instituting Reading Eggs, Tatum Elementary created opportunities for students to log on before school and after finishing assignments to focus on foundational literacy skills. With this new program, the opinions of at-risk students about learning began to shift, and Tatum Elementary even saw increased literacy rates among its previously struggling learners.

Starting Early Learners on the Right Path in Wayland, Michigan

"We're starting to see great results with our ELL students. They seem much more prepared to start reading."

—Larinda Olds, Title I Teacher Consultant

As a Title I school that only serves students up to 2nd grade, Baker Elementary School in Wayland, Michigan, realizes it needs to start teaching fundamental reading skills as early as possible in order to affect learning gains. Baker's staff, including principal Celeste Diehm and Title I teacher consultant Larinda Olds, knew that the solution was just as much about making resources available to the students at home as at school.

From Average to Exceptional - Stellar Growth and Positive Energy in Lucedale, Mississippi

"At some point, you've got to grind it out, once you get them happy and excited. We've tricked them [students] into wanting to come here, but now we hit them with the academics, and that's where we saw explosive growth.”

—Zach Bost, Principal

Central Elementary School in Lucedale, Mississippi, was looking for a way to move from ordinary to extraordinary. With a new principal, an assistant principal, a great faculty, and a lot of positive energy, they sought to take the school from middle-of-the road to top performer. Through implementing Study Island, Reading Eggs, and Exact Path and transforming the environment of the school through clubs, student “Houses,” and high expectations, Central Elementary’s students have made astronomical gains in just one year. The school will be the first A-rated elementary in the district’s history.

Achieving Outstanding Reading and Math Growth in San Diego, Texas

“If you compare our first diagnostic, then you go to the second, and then you go to the third diagnostic, you will see that we had huge gains from using the program. We were able to decrease the numbers of students that were not on grade level by the end of the year—and drastically.”

—Yvonne Muñoz, TTIPS Project Director

When Collins-Parr Elementary in South Texas won a grant to help improve student achievement, the first place the school turned to for a new online learning program was its current partner, Edmentum. After hearing about Exact Path and seeing it live, school administrators were sold. In its first implementation year, 2017–18, Collins-Parr Elementary saw outstanding growth, significantly reducing the percentage of students working below grade level and more than doubling the percentage of students working at or above grade level.

At Edmentum, we work every day with passionate educators and motivated students, and we’re continuously impressed by the innovative ways our customers are implementing our online solutions. No matter where your students are on their literacy journeys, be sure to check out all of our Success Stories for creative and effective ideas to develop your literacy program and leverage Edmentum solutions.