Rockingham County schools implement structured literacy program before Virginia Literacy Act

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) – The Virginia Literacy Act passed the 2022 General Assembly unanimously.

The act makes changes to early student learning by establishing evidence-based literacy education and scientific research on reading.

Schools in Rockingham County began using this “structured literacy” instruction in 2021.

At Monday’s school board meeting, an information session on the program will be presented to show how the program will be further implemented over the next two years.

“We were able to see a lot of growth in the number of students in this school, which also, you know, kind of gave us credit so that we could then move forward trying to implement this at the division level,” Larry Shifflett, deputy superintendent of innovation and learning for Rockingham County. Schools, says.

Teachers must complete two levels of training for this learning program.

Shifflett said he hopes that as it becomes an integral part of the county’s education system, colleges and universities will take over the program in their education departments so teachers are fully prepared right out of school. ‘university.

“The results measured by the PALS assessment that spring were really promising. You know we had very few kids identified as needing extra reading support,” Shifflett said.

The Rockingham County School Board meeting where information about this learning and its first-grade findings will be presented is scheduled for Monday, June 13 at 7 p.m.

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