Welcome to the Literacy section of the website. Here you will find information about our literacy curriculum, initiatives, and related professional development. You will also find information about our work with students who have the indicators of dyslexia.

Act 1063 of 2017, the Right to Read Act, states that by the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year:

A) All teachers employed in a teaching position that requires an elementary education (K-6) license or special education (K-12) license shall demonstrate PROFICIENCY in knowledge and practices of scientific reading instruction

B) All other teachers shall demonstrate AWARENESS in knowledge and practices of scientific reading instruction. 

The Arkansas Department of Education has established pathways for personnel who must demonstrate Proficiency or Awareness in scientific reading instruction.  Districts having a district-level support plan have been advised by ADE:DESE representatives  to post the district’s licensed personnel, their anticipated pathways, and their anticipated completion dates with respect to these requirements.

The district’s documentation for that recommendation is located here.  The literacy plan for each campus is contained within its campus plan located here.

Teachers and Interventionists are intently working to unpack the data that the NWEA assessment has shown in respect to Literacy. Targeted interventions are taking place in the hope of closing the gaps indicated by the assessment.

Teachers are anxiously waiting for the results of the Winter NWEA scores. These assessments will be taken within the month of January and the beginning of February. Teachers will be able to compare fall scores with the winter scores.

Teachers that have gone through the RISE training are using their training to identify weak areas in students reading performance. They understand more clearly that a weakness in reading does not have a "one size fits all" solution. Even through all the challenges that this school year has brought, many are looking for creative ways to find the time to target the individual skills that some students are lacking.

The link to the required information about the district's dyslexia plan are found by school year here...

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B5BP-T_ma2smMkdFaS1BXzYwTXM?usp=sharing

Approved Dyslexia programs are still being updated in the ADE website. We will keep a close watch on these ,currently Gurdon School District is using Mindplay curriculum and Phonics First as our dyslexia intervention curriculum.

Act 1039 of 2017 Reporting by the School District (A.C.A. 6-41-606 (b))

For more information, contact Tonya Kinser (kinsert@go-devils.net)