Tag Archive for: DavieLEADS Program

Davie County Schools One of Three Districts Selected to Living LETRS Panel

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Megan Cooper spends a couple hours each week working on LETRS assignments.
Megan Cooper spends a couple hours each week working on LETRS assignments.

By Jeanna Baxter White

Davie County Schools was one of only three districts selected to a panel for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training in NC. The Office of Early Learning (NCDPI) and three school districts came together virtually to present experiences with LETRS. Other districts on the panel included Columbus County and Union County. 

As part of this panel, teachers Megan Cooper and Leigh Ann Davis, and Renee Hennings-Gonzalez, an instructional coach for the district, shared best practices and successes of LETRS training for DCS teachers and staff. At one point, nearly 600 people had joined the virtual session. LETRS, which is being used statewide, takes research on how children learn to read and creates teaching strategies for elementary educators. 

LETRS is a component of legislation passed in April 2021 mandating that literacy instruction be based on a body of research called the science of reading. The goal is to ensure that children develop the skills and techniques needed to become successful readers through proven, evidence-based practices.

Decades of research on literacy instruction have revealed how the brain learns to read and the instructional methods that support this process. Learning to read is incredibly complex, so teaching reading requires a deep understanding of the science behind how we learn to read, why we spell the way we do, and how phonemic awareness and phonics lead to comprehension.

LETRS® Training, developed by Dr. Louisa Moats and Dr. Carol Tolman, was designed to strengthen teachers’ knowledge of language structure, the development of the reading brain, and how to nurture the development of foundational literacy skills such as decoding and language comprehension.

It’s an intensive program involving 160 hours over two years of learning about the brain and the building blocks of language. And it was rolled out while teachers were already focused on balancing the demands of catching children up academically following remote learning, navigating shifting COVID protocols, tracking missing students, and paying close attention to the kids’ mental state, while also finding time to wipe down surfaces and help with mask fitting.

Davie County Schools began LETRS last August as part of the second cohort. (Full statewide implementation isn’t expected until the 2024-2025 school year.) 

Strong support from the district and prior training about the Science of Reading through DavieLEADS (Literacy Empowers All in Davie to Succeed) paved the way for Davie County’s successful implementation of LETRS training. Implemented during 2017-2018, DavieLEADS is an early learning and literacy initiative funded by a five-year, $2.5 million grant from the Mebane Foundation to increase kindergarten readiness and to increase the percentage of students reading proficiently by the end of third grade through building capacity in staff, strengthening instructional strategies, and updating materials aligned with state standards K-3. 

Hennings-Gonzalez explained that over the course of the DavieLEADS grant, teachers have received training, resources, coaching, and support in concepts based on the Science of Reading research. Components of programs and instruction such as Heggerty, Letterland, and decodable small flexible group reading lessons have addressed Science of Reading research.  

Teachers Megan Cooper (first grade) and Leigh Ann Davis (fourth grade), and Renee Hennings-Gonzalez, an instructional coach for the district, shared best practices and successes of Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training for DCS teachers and staff during a virtual state-wide LETRS training.
Teachers Megan Cooper (first grade) and Leigh Ann Davis (fourth grade), and Renee Hennings-Gonzalez, an instructional coach for the district, shared best practices and successes of Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training for DCS teachers and staff during a virtual state-wide LETRS training.

“The training we received through DavieLEADS has definitely been helpful and opened the door to the LETRS training,” agreed Cooper, a first-grade teacher at Shady Grove Elementary. She shared that teachers received both Reading Research to Classroom Practice and decodable lesson plan training before the LETRS training mandate. “I feel that DavieLEADS, along with our curriculum department, have prepared Davie County teachers and helped us keep up with the ever-changing requirements for the research behind reading.” 

During the panel, Cooper and Davis offered encouragement and tips on carving out time to complete the lessons.  

Cooper detailed how she sets time aside each week to work on the different assignments. Preferring to work in smaller sessions rather than sitting down and doing it all on workdays, she takes 30-45 minutes twice a week after school to work on lessons and utilizes her duty-free lunch period and some of her planning time to work on LETRS. “I know teachers don’t want to give up their planning time but once they realize that they can use this program within their lessons and to benefit their interventional instruction, it becomes a natural process to reference the LETRS program when looking at what students need.” 

She schedules check-in meetings with her instructional coach and each grade level discusses LETRS once a month during PLCs. As an added help, the district curriculum department created a pacing guide for the units to help teachers ensure they have them completed, and the district provided optional workdays and a half-day with a paid sub for teachers to work on LETRS. “Davie County has truly supported its teachers and given us the time to work on this crucial program.”

Davis, a 4th-grade teacher at Pinebrook Elementary,  agreed that while time-consuming, the training is worth it. “The information I have learned through LETRS has been interesting and has given me insight into the reasons why students can struggle in reading.  There are many different components of the reading process and the students’ needs are diverse.”

“It has been helpful to recognize some of the reasons why some kids struggle with reading.  By the time students reach 4th grade, it often appears that reading trouble is in comprehension.  LETRS has reiterated to me that what may appear to be a comprehension difficulty might truly be a phonemic or phonological awareness issue. LETRS has made me more confident in our school’s decision to include programs to support these areas of weakness in the upper elementary grades. We noticed that some students needed more instruction in these two areas, and included intervention programs such as Letterland, HillRAP, and Sonday.  It has been encouraging to see students grow in their reading because of the interventions we have put in place.”

Hennings-Gonzalez summed it up this way, “Moving ahead, LETRS will help deepen teachers’ understanding of best practices to support students’ reading, spelling, writing, and comprehension needs. DavieLEADS provided teachers with the resources needed to reach students as readers, while LETRS will continue to build teachers’ knowledge base on the “why” and research behind the use of programs, curriculum, and best practices in reading instruction.”

Preschool Teachers Are Building a Learning Community

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By Jeanna Baxter White

Discussing Music and Movement in the Preschool Classroom

“What types of music and movements help children to calm? What helps them get their energy up?” Stephanie Nelson, Davie County’s preschool collaborative teacher, asked teachers during February’s community preschool professional learning community (PLC) meeting on Monday night.

A lively discussion followed as the preschool teachers shared their favorite songs, props, and techniques for using creative movement and music activities to enrich classroom curriculum. 

From R-L – Sarah Hofer, Young Children’s Learning Center teacher;  leads Sherri Robinson, Hillsdale Baptist Preschool teacher; Sarah Watkins, Hillsdale Baptist Preschool Director; and Stephanie Nelson, Davie County preschool collaborative teacher, through the hand motions of an action song she uses in her classroom. 

Davie County Preschool Teachers Share Ideas and Support Through Community PLC Group 

“The PLC meetings are led by the teachers and provide them an opportunity to offer support to each other and to share ideas to use in the classroom,” said Nelson. “My goal as the preschool collaborative teacher with the LEADS initiative is to support preschool teachers across the county in their understanding of kindergarten readiness based on the NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development.”

The Role of the DavieLEADS Program

DavieLEADS (Literacy Empowers All in Davie to Succeed), is the Mebane Foundation’s five-year, $2.5 million grant to Davie County Schools to improve kindergarten readiness and to increase the percentage of students reading proficiently by the end of third grade.

The community preschool PLC meetings began in May 2019. “The child-care-based NC Pre-K teachers had been getting together for PLC meetings since before the LEADS initiative started but the group wanted to expand and include more preschool teachers for increased diversity of ideas and greater community collaboration,” explained Nelson. “We invited directors, owners, and teachers of 3 and 4-year-old children from all programs in Davie County; including licensed, unlicensed, faith-based, family child care homes, and public school sites.”

“As we were discussing logistics of where to meet, the idea of meeting in each other’s classrooms each time came up. The group immediately liked the idea.  It gives them an opportunity to see each other’s classrooms and gather ideas. Additionally, we rotate meeting locations, for the convenience of attendees and to cut down on driving distances.”

From L-R – Holly Sinopoli, First United Methodist Preschool teacher; Judy Mayfield, Young Children’s Learning Center teacher; Stephanie Nelson, Davie County preschool collaborative teacher; and Sarah Watkins, Hillsdale Baptist Preschool director, share ideas during the Davie County Community Preschool PLC meeting. 

Sharing Ideas and Support

Monday night’s meeting was hosted at Mudpies Child Development Center in Mocksville in the classroom of Pat Doby, a veteran NC Pre-K teacher with 22 years of experience. Doby’s teaching day started at 6:30 a.m. – her willingness to stay on-site and to host the monthly meeting at 6:15 p.m. demonstrates the value that she and the other teachers find in the group. 

Sherri Robinson (r) demonstrates an activity she uses in her classroom at Hillsdale Baptist Preschool while Sarah Watkins looks on. 

“I initially went to get guidance on using Letterland but now I enjoy gaining ideas to use in my own classroom. I like to hear what works for other teachers,” said Holly Sinopoli who teaches 3-year-olds at First United Methodist Church.”

“It’s nice to know that we are a community and that we are all in this together,” said Sarah Watkins, the director of Hillsdale Baptist Church Preschool. 

“I appreciate the connectivity,” said Sherri Robinson who teaches four-year-olds at Hillsdale. “We talk to kids all day long, so it’s nice to speak to other adults who share our same struggles and triumphs.” 

Previous meeting topics have included:

  • How Do You Keep Preschoolers Engaged in Group Time at the End of the Year?
  • Building Classroom Community, Teaching Routines & Expectations
  • Social Skill Development & Transitions
  • Social Skill Development, Transitions, & How Do You Get Student Focus Back When You have Lost Their Attention? 
  • Nifty, Thrifty Cheap Ideas – Join us and share ideas for inexpensive teacher tools, student games or classroom resources.  

Attendance is voluntary. Seven teachers from four different preschool programs were at Monday night’s meeting, but Nelson said there have been as many as 15 teachers present.  

“We discussed at the beginning of the year that many of us wear multiple hats and will have conflicts with meeting dates at times,” explained Nelson. “We’ve purposely designed the meetings so that participants feel comfortable attending some months and missing others as conflicts arise.” 

She also found a way to use technology to provide information and resources to teachers unable to attend the meetings. “John Marshall (digital teaching and learning coordinator with Davie County Schools) taught me how to set up a Canvas digital platform which is typically used for online classes. Through Canvas, I can send messages, reminders, upload notes and share resources.  I include links to internet sites or videos that relate to our PLC discussions. We also have an open discussion board if participants want to share ideas or ask questions between meetings.”

From L-R — Pat Doby, Mudpies Childs Development Center teacher, explains one of her classroom learning centers to First United Methodist Preschool teachers Sherri Hendrix and Holly Sinopoli.

Inspiration, Education and Support for Preschool Teachers

“Participating in the community preschool PLC group has been an inspiring, educational, and supportive process. Seeing preschool teachers and directors from many diverse programs come together to support each other, on their own time, shows their dedication to the profession and passion for offering children high-quality preschool experiences. These ladies teach me something new each month and inspire me to do my job better. I hope we can grow and include more teachers and directors as the community preschool PLC group continues,” Nelson concluded with a smile. 


Teacher Collaboration Impacts Classroom Instruction and Student Achievement

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By Jeanna Baxter White

First-grade teachers at William R. Davie clarify standards during a PLC meeting. From front left: Nancy Scoggin, Bobbi Marroquin, Jennie Hughett, Bridgett Bailey, Kristin Alexander, Sunni Collins.

Every Student Matters

William R. Davie Elementary School’s motto is “Every Student Matters, Every Moment Counts!” That sentiment was evident during a recent first-grade PLC meeting as the teachers clarified the next North Carolina ELA (English Language Arts) standard and brainstormed the best way to teach it to their students.

Teachers Collaborating

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) allow teachers to meet regularly, share expertise and work collaboratively to improve teaching skills and drive the academic performance of students.

These meetings are a fundamental component of DavieLEADS (Literacy Empowers All in Davie to Succeed), the Mebane Foundation’s five-year, $2.5 million grant with Davie County County Schools to improve kindergarten readiness and to increase the percentage of students reading proficiently by the end of third grade. 

The grant includes funding for professional development and specialized support staff, including two full-time literacy coaches and two professional consultants, to develop and build the professional capacity of the kindergarten through third-grade classroom teachers in Davie County Schools.

Reaping the Rewards

The first year of professional development focused on implementing weekly grade-level PLC meetings to clarify standards. Although the process was frustrating at first, now in year three, teachers and students are reaping the rewards.   

“PLCs were the perfect place to start because these meetings are foundational to teachers sharing expertise and collaborating around student growth,” said Nancy Scoggin, DavieLEADS consultant. She and fellow consultant, Barbie Brown, are both retired educators who have worked as classroom teachers, curriculum facilitators, and instructional coaches.

Learning From Each Other

“Everything we do as 21st Century educators depends on this. Meeting as grade-level teams to gain a common understanding of our standards transforms us from good to great,” Scoggin said. “It takes time and commitment from every teacher and administrator in the school.  When we started three years ago, meetings were happening, but there were no county-wide structures in place to provide the needed focus. 

Our teachers in each of the six elementary schools have persevered through the growing pains necessary to do this work.  We have been leaning into the processes of questioning each other and learning from each other. This work is difficult at first but gets easier with practice.  When we see student growth it is so rewarding. We are getting better at “getting better!”  

Support from DavieLEADS is Evolving

Initially, the consultants facilitated the meetings. Now they take a backseat, supporting the teachers and instructional coaches leading the meetings. 

During a recent PLC meeting at Pinebrook Elementary School, first-grade teachers analyzed the results of a common formative assessment (CFA), discussing the questions the students missed, whether they graded it consistently, and determining if any of the information needed to be retaught. They then discussed the next unit and how it should be taught and evaluated. Brown listened and asked a few questions. The teachers still appreciate her support but also recognize how far they’ve come.

“Our PLCs have helped focus my classroom lessons and enabled me to be more intentional about what I teach,” said Sandy Hendrix, a first-grade teacher at Pinebrook. “We analyze the standards to make sure that we are teaching all parts of the standards. Our PLC meetings have gotten easier over the last few years.  We know how to break down a standard to make it’s understandable to our students. We bounce ideas off one another to decide what is best for our children. Barbie has been wonderful to guide us in our meetings. We have seen our students make progress in their comprehension skills.”  

Pinebrook first-graders (L-R) Kolyns Waszczeniuk, Seger Holt, Emma Swofford, and Nicolas Poplawski, tap out word sounds with their teacher, Sandy Hendrix.

Pinebrook First-Grade Teacher Anita Bradshaw appreciates the collaboration and clarification on standards that PLCs and the coaches provide. “I believe it gives us even more confidence in the classroom.” 

Anita Bradshaw teaches a lesson to her first-grade class at Pinebrook Elementary.

“PLCs have been a learning experience for classroom teachers,” said Bridgett Bailey, a first-grade teacher at WRD. “We have come a long way with our PLCs.  When we first started, our PLCs were very basic and now we are breaking apart standards and planning lessons and assessments…”

“The concentrated focus of PLCs through the LEADS grant has helped us streamline how and what we teach across the grade level, so no matter whose class your child is in they are all getting the same content,” said Jennie Hughett, a first-grade teacher at William R. Davie (WRD). “The process has changed over the past 2.5 years because we have become more efficient at planning and going through all the PLC steps. We also dig deeper into the rigor of the standards because each year we get more and more familiar with each individual standard.” 

Professional Learning Communities Inspire Teachers and Administrators

Recognizing the value of the PLC’s for both teachers and students, both WRD Principal Karen Stephens and Pinebrook Principal Brooke Preslar sit in on the meetings at their school.

“PLC’s are a valuable opportunity to collaborate intensely while digging deeply into our understanding of the standards,” said Stephens. “I attend all PLC’s to support our staff in growth. I have enjoyed learning alongside our staff. I am amazed at the tools and input brought by staff members to assure students are getting the best instruction possible…We also use that time to celebrate successes within the grade level on our CFA’s and student growth.” 

DavieLEADS Program Influences Student Achievement

Preslar agrees, adding that she has all the grade-level PLCs on her calendar and makes as many of them as possible. “The PLC process can have a significant impact on classroom instruction…This protected time each week makes our grade level teams stronger and our instruction better. It also gives teachers the opportunity to ask what’s working in other classrooms and get ideas from each other.” 

“The connection that I make with my teachers in these meetings helps me understand the challenges they face in the classroom and what they need from me. Being part of the conversation sharpens my skills as an instructional leader and keeps me informed about what is happening in classrooms… It’s how I connect to the learning conversations that take place in my building.”  

We are getting better at “getting better!” Nancy Scoggin, DavieLEADS consultant