Boerne Independent School District: Transforming K-5 reading instruction with 95 Phonics Core Program®
It’s time to get literacy instruction right for every child, and this new series is here to help. The Research Impact Series aims to provide educators and administrators with short research profiles of school districts and schools making a measurable difference in student achievement using science of reading-aligned and evidence-based programs and strategies in the classroom.
District snapshot
- Location: Boerne, Texas
- Total students: 11,000
- Campuses: 13 total, 8 with elementary schools
- Title 1, Part A funded: 3 of 8 elementary schools
- Free or reduced lunch: 3 elementary schools
- 4 dual language, two-way Spanish immersion schools
- 16% of students in district receive special education services
Everybody was doing something different. They were making up their own stuff.
Marshay Wolff
The state of Texas mandates teacher training in the science of reading, and requires school districts to have a K-3 phonics curriculum in place. Boerne Independent School District (Boerne ISD) had a comprehensive core ELA program in place but because its use was not required, teachers noticed gaps and inconsistencies in phonics instruction. Understanding they needed a new approach, the Boerne ISD team selected 95 Phonics Core Program® for a structured, explicit, and systematic approach.
The first grade teachers received state-required science of reading training first so they started by implementing PCP in first grade. The following year with the K and 2nd grade teachers trained in science of reading, they implemented the program in K and 2. The program’s success in K-2 inspired the district to expand it to the upper grades 3-5 in the 2023-2024 school year.
Timeline
- 21-22 1st grade district wide
- 22-23 K and 2nd district wide (Continue 1st)
- 23-24- 3rd grade district wide and 4th and 5th grade pilot (Continue K-2)
- 24-25 4th grade district wide (Continue K-3)
Implementation
Boerne ISD established an environment where teachers were encouraged to take risks and were supported with 95 Percent Group’s implementation and coaching services. The coaches helped Boerne ISD teachers pace lessons, interpret student responses, and make necessary adjustments. 95 Phonics Core Program made teachers’ jobs easier by providing curriculum-aligned texts, serving as a “one-stop shop” for instructional materials.
Because Boerne ISD recognized a growing struggle with reading among their upper elementary students, even though the state does not mandate a phonics solution beyond 3rd grade, they extended their phonics core curriculum through 5th grade in the 2023-24 school year.
Structured phonics for 4th and 5th grade reading success
95 Phonics Core Program for 4th and 5th grade is a comprehensive curriculum designed to enhance students’ morphological skills while engaging them in reading more intricate texts to establish a robust foundation for word study. Using structured literacy characteristics such as explicit and systematic instruction, lessons follow a phonemic awareness and phonics continuum of skills.
Third party research firm LXD Research conducted middle-of-year (MOY) and end-of-year (EOY) studies for the 2023-2024 grades 4 and 5 pilots to assess student growth with and without a structured phonics program. In both studies, researchers found the addition of an explicit advanced phonics curriculum significantly increased student scores on Istation Indicators of Progress Early Reading district wide assessment.
The data: student outcomes
The combined scores for students in grades 4 and 5 using 95 Phonics Core Program from spring 2023 to spring 2024 showed significantly more growth in overall scale scores (+104.9 points) in reading than their comparison group peers (+89.7 points).
Additionally, 95 Phonics Core Program students in grades 4-5 combined were significantly more likely to be in the mastery-ready benchmark (45.1%) than their comparison group peers (37.7%)
Benefit highlights
The teachers sold it for us because they could see the impact.
Marshay Wolff
Overall, Boerne ISD has seen improvements in student scores on the mClass® DIBELS® assessment and state assessments. Benefits go beyond standardized test scores.
District educators listed several examples of improvements including:
- qualitative improvements in students’ reading abilities
- overall literacy knowledge and confidence
Students with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, showed:
- increased self-assurance
- improved ability to support their classmates
Educators reported:
- understanding reading practices more, leading to more
- effective, evidence-aligned structured literacy teaching practices
Download the full case study
Read the Bourne ISD case study “Transforming Reading Instruction: The Bourne ISD journey with 95 Phonics Core Program®” by 95 Percent Group.
