Spotlight Illinois: Building a foundation for reading success
District Snapshot:
- 13,000 total students
- 31 schools (20 elementary including 1 Gifted & Talented)
- Demographics: 45% African American, 35% white
- 60% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch
- 21% of students have an IEP
As Illinois’ eleventh-largest district, Springfield Public School District serves a diverse population of 13,000 students across 31 schools. When district leaders recognized their literacy instruction needed strengthening, they knew the path forward required both systematic change and substantial support for their teachers.
“We were in a position where we had more kids needing tiered support than were being satisfied in the core,” explains Meri Havenar, Inclusive Practices and Curriculum Specialist for the district’s Student Support Services Department. After years of using Units of Study, the district faced mounting challenges meeting students’ foundational reading needs, particularly for their special education population.
“From the special education side, we have an obligation to have materials that are at least research-based,” Havenar notes. “We weren’t satisfying the needs of our students, and we weren’t satisfying what we are obligated to do professionally.”
Access the full story now: What you’ll learn
- How one district took a strategic, differentiated approach to implementation—leveraging flexible resources to both address existing skill gaps and accelerate learning
- Why implementing research-based materials plus professional development helps to address foundational reading needs across a diverse student population
- Why early results show increased teacher confidence and student engagement
