If your school prioritizes literacy leadership, you're likely familiar with the joys – and challenges – of implementing new strategies to meet student needs.
Yet, when your school community unites around a common goal and implements effective instruction – the results are nothing short of remarkable.
But the key to achieving this…
Hinges on the pivotal role of a literacy leader.
Our story begins in the heart of Colorado’s District Six, culminating in Reading Simplified's prestigious inclusion on Colorado's approved list for Supplemental and Intervention programs.
Amidst the daily challenges of bustling classrooms,
What started as a desperate quest for reading improvement at Meeker Elementary, became a beacon of hope for educators and students…
…As a reading revolution quietly takes place.
In the following video (or read a summary below), through insightful reflections from teacher Tara Hess and her school principal Alison Ferguson, we uncover the challenges faced, the triumphs celebrated, and the continuous commitment to nurturing a culture of reading and learning.
And if you can spare a moment, I highly recommend watching the video below featuring Tara and Alison.
It offers a compelling, real-world perspective on the effectiveness of the Reading Simplified System in action. Or, if not, enjoy a brief read of Tara and Alison's story under the video:
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes, 15 seconds.
Reading Simplified at Meeker: Teacher and Principal Reflect on Leading the Charge and Celebrating Outcomes
Watch time: 20 minutes (key timestamps below)
[Beginning-1:51] Watch interventionist Tara Hess talk about how she began using Reading Simplified to dwindle her intervention group size and ensure more students were achieving grade level expectations; the buzz created through the school; and the shared instructional conversations she and a coworker had around Switch It.
Then watch Meeker Elementary principal and instructional leader, Alison Ferguson answer key questions about her school’s transformation:
[1:52-6:20] “What was your reading instruction like before using Reading Simplified?”
[6:21-8:38] “How did the data that got teachers excited differ from what had been seen in the past?”
[8:39-10:47] “After being introduced to the Reading Simplified Academy over the summer, what professional development and coaching did you provide during the school year?”
[10:48-12:08] “How do teachers feel about teaching reading now?”
[12:09-13:41] “What does the reading data look like now?”
[13:42-15:13] “For your entire district, what are typical benchmark percentages?”
[15:14-17:00] “What are the challenges that you’ve faced with this transition to Reading Simplified?”
[17:01-19:05] “What do you recommend to other instructional leaders considering Reading Simplified?”
Then, circle back to Tara Hess as she offers,
[19:06-End] “It has changed everything…all because we do Reading Simplified…It’s mind-blowing….”
The Call for Change in Reading Instruction
Before discovering Reading Simplified, Meeker Elementary School, in Colorado D6, faced challenges in its approach to reading instruction that are likely familiar to many school leaders.
With data showing minimal growth and persistent struggles among students – administrators and teachers had been searching for a solution for a long time, despite using a well-regarded traditional systematic phonics program for 8 years.
As Alison, an administrator in the district, recalls,
Discovering Reading Simplified
The pivotal moment came when Tara Hess, a dedicated first-grade teacher, embarked on a quest for more effective reading methods to support her students.
Upon discovering Reading Simplified in the middle of the 2021-2022 school year, Tara and her colleague, instructional coach Annmarie Haggin, witnessed the early signs of transformation.
And this was achieved merely by learning from the free trainings online about the activity Switch It – before they fully committed to Reading Simplified Academy and learned the full Reading Simplified system.
Tara shares,
I started doing Switch It with my group…and by the end of the year, I had dwindled my group down to six because ten of them had grown to grade level and could move on out of the intensive groups.
Tara jumped into the Reading Simplified Academy herself that spring, eager to expand her knowledge after her students' early surprising results with mostly just Switch It. Then with the help of generous scholarships from Boon Philanthropy, Annmarie and Alison also joined the Reading Simplified Academy in the spring of 2022.
Building Buy-In and Momentum
Implementing change in education requires more than just effective strategies – it demands buy-in and commitment from the entire school community.
And for Meeker, implementing Reading Simplified schoolwide, was initiated by Tara and Annmarie.
Alison states,
It’s because it came from teachers. It made a huge difference…We really feel that buzz in the building.
Alison emphasizes the importance of cultivating a culture where teachers feel empowered and supported.
And my biggest thing is teachers have so much on their plates. I never want to add more or feel like something is overwhelming because then they'll start to resent it. And so my biggest thing was let's give them money. We paid them to come, we paid for the [Reading Simplified] Academy.”
They all showed up. It was optional. It was off-contract, and every single staff member showed up.
And that's huge.
Alison sees herself as a reading leader, and we couldn’t agree more.
She’s an exemplary example of LITERACY LEADERSHIP.
And she RESPECTS her teachers, enough to show them, TANGIBLY.
Alison also immersed herself in the training, attending professional development sessions alongside her teachers, sidestepping a common mistake administrators often make.
For instance, Dr. Tim Shanahan shares his story of how he learned how to avoid making this mistake the hard way –
A major error in my Chicago Reading Initiative experience was not pulling the principals in early enough or thoroughly enough. My attentions were laser focused on hiring coaches and readying them for their important role.
I eventually turned my thoughts to the principals, not just to try to smooth the way for the coaches, but to try to help them to have a bigger and more positive impact on their school’s reading achievement.
And that’s why when Reading Simplified collaborates with schools on implementation – principal participation is our first requirement.
Though Alison has me thinking our district expectations (outlined below) could be set higher!
Navigating Challenges and Embracing Growth
Transitioning to a new program through professional development comes with its own set of challenges – even with extra time, compensation, and a principal who is completely invested.
Yet through continuous learning, the educators at Meeker persevered.
Alison reflects on the journey, noting,
Sometimes it’s just a change in mindset because of the change in philosophy…But it’s because the buy-in is there and they are seeing kids move. That’s what keeps everyone nourished to move forward.
But she also remarks again on buy-in, and how teacher expectations and personal growth through quality professional development directly impact student outcomes:
Our biggest leverage for students to move is staff, right? And we have to have a staff that wants to do it and that truly believes all kids can learn how to read.
And I've never had a staff like that until this year….
And they are really, really willing to say, “Okay, I'm gonna learn more, 'cause the more I learn…the more my kids can continue to learn.”
And I think that's been a huge benefit of the [Reading Simplified] Academy – that we can continue to learn. It's not just a one-and-done PD. We continue to learn. And that's been huge for students.
Each member of this teaching team engages in continuous learning through enrollment in the Reading Simplified Academy.
Members begin with our Main Course, which includes ongoing, individualized embedded coaching through our online platform.
In addition, teachers gain access to advanced workshops and live workshops and Q&A's offered through the Academy.
Above and beyond the core Reading Simplified Academy experience, Meeker added in a few continued coaching sessions with me. This is part of our Reading Simplified District Packages.
Look below at all these lovely faces in one room on a professional development Zoom call!
Even in this meeting, the whole team moved classrooms because of reception issues – talk about navigating challenges!
After a site visit, we gathered to celebrate successes and set instructional goals based on my visit and student data.
Celebrating Success and Looking Ahead
Tara shares,
Our readers are some of the lowest in our district. We have a fairly large district. It has changed everything about our school, our culture, the confidence in our students…
As the school year progresses, the fruits of their labor become increasingly evident.
Students are not only learning to read but embracing it with newfound enthusiasm.
Allison shares her pride in the progress made, stating,
We’re finally sending kids to the next grade level who can read and that’s what they need.
Indeed, in this first year of their implementation of the Reading Simplified system, evaluation research from the think-tank the American Institutes for Research (AIR) reported that Meeker students demonstrated a 24% growth across the course of the 2022-2023 school year (see image below from the AIR evaluation)!
An outstanding degree of growth, especially considering that the professional development was low-cost and not intense (in contrast to many PD initiatives that are popular today that take 70 to 150 hours or more)!
Meeker Elementary Continues Its Learning Journey
By leveraging Reading Simplified and strong literacy leadership, this community was able to rewrite the narrative for its students' futures.
Stories like Meeker's and others across the nation continue to reinforce the profound impact of Reading Simplified.
As the educators at Meeker Elementary continue their journey of growth and learning, their story serves as a testament to the transformative potential of effective reading instruction.
Notice how much growth the Kindergarten teachers witnessed below in their 2nd year of Reading Simplified implementation….From 12% at or above benchmark in the fall to 82% at benchmark by the end of year!
One thing remains clear, every child deserves the chance to become a reader, and every teacher deserves to know how to teach them.
If you’re a school administrator or principal, The Reading League’s Compass features a dedicated page for Administrators which could support you. And/Or, you can reflect on your Literacy Leadership and explore Tanji Reed-Marshall’s insightful One Simple Equity Question.
Reading Simplified for Schools/Districts
Reading Simplified is unique in that we offer an abundance of free resources to teachers, parents, tutors, or anyone who is teaching someone to read.
You can begin to make small, fast-acting fixes and start gaining momentum on your own, or with a partner.
But it’s even more powerful when a leader like Alison steps up, creates buy-in, compensates a cohort, and takes advantage of the platform through the Reading Simplified Academy and the cycle of learning with District Packages.
Let’s transform reading for teachers and students!
Your Turn!
I'm eager to hear your thoughts on Alison's interview, particularly regarding change management and leadership. What aspects resonated with or inspired you?
Please comment below to continue the convo!
Because I have deep skepticism (and hope!) around almost everything in my life I feel compelled to check facts. When I go to Meeker Elementary School in Greeley, CO on GreatSchools, the data is not glowing quite so bright as it is here. Is this because it has not been widely implemented? Or the data is not up-to-date? Is there a better place to go to cross reference reading data at the school?
Fair enough! The AIR evaluation is third party research so that should help your curiosity. Great Schools, as far as I know, pulls from other tests and includes other academic areas and grade levels. It’s probably just grades 3 through 5 and reading and math (and perhaps other academic areas) whereas this post is about K-3 teachers who adopted Reading Simplified for reading intervention. So that may explain the apparent mismatch.