Innovative Strategies for Building a Community Around Literacy

Science of Reading Leadership

“We were putting pieces into place to move the needle…identifying the components of a literacy program that we needed to have in place. It gave our teachers confidence, having guaranteed a viable curriculum behind them, supporting them. It gave them direction.”

In this empowering conversation with Dr. Dan Streeter, Superintendent of Marana Unified School District, we explore the district's comprehensive approach to accelerating reading achievement in the wake of the pandemic.

Dr. Streeter shares inspiring insights into the district's diverse community in Tucson, Arizona, and the innovative steps taken to address effective literacy instruction including evaluating and enhancing their reading programs and engaging parents as active participants in literacy instruction.

We discuss:

• Literacy challenges revealed by the pandemic
• Steps taken to involve as many trained adults as possible in students' literacy development
• How the district has increased parental involvement by training parents in literacy strategies and having them run reading groups
• The importance of including various voices in discussions and staying the course through the challenges of change

In this episode

00:00 Introduction of Marana Unified School District’s Diversity

01:38 Addressing Literacy and the Pandemic's Impact

03:36 - Creating Commitment and Immediate Actions

04:14 Evaluating and Enhancing the Reading Program

06:11 Parent Engagement and Volunteer Training

08:42 Challenges and Overcoming Resistance

11:11 Advice for District Leaders

Connect with Dr. Dan Streeter

Website

LinkedIn

Science of Reading Resources

The Science of Reading: What You Need to Know

A Guide to High-Quality Structured Literacy Materials

If you liked this episode, listen to this conversation with Dr. Gyimah Whitaker to learn about a visionary plan to foster a high-performing and inclusive educational system for every child