TRI News

Literacy Initiative Launched at St. Stanislaus Kostka School

May 29 2008
Adams – Eight teachers and the principal at St. Stanislaus School are attending summer school thanks to the Literacy Initiative partnership with The Reading Institute (TRI) in Williamstown. Thirty-five parents recently attended a presentation provided by Jill Pompi, Reading Coach for the Literacy Initiative and learned that the goal of the initiative is to ensure that all students at St. Stanislaus read at or above grade level by Grade 3 and to have all students continue to read above grade level with excellent comprehension in Grade 4 and beyond. Janet Stratton, TRI president said “We were looking for a school whose administrators and teachers would give 100% commitment to the implementation of the Literacy Initiative and St. Stanislaus has become an enthusiastic partner.”

To reach the needs of students attending St. Stanislaus, teachers began attending training provided by TRI at the beginning of May. The training covers instructional elements which encompass research-based teaching methods and addresses five key areas of reading instruction identified by the National Reading Panel: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Stratton said “Each component must be explicitly taught through the grades using a structured multisensory approach to reach all learners. The three-tier model used begins with an assessment of where students are, followed by a biweekly assessment that re-evaluates instruction techniques and changes variables to help students, and finally an evaluation of all students. Intensive instructor or student intervention is provided in areas not meeting with achievement.” On June 16th St. Stanislaus students will be assessed to determine their individual literacy benchmark.

“Our school’s partnership with TRI is providing professional development for our teachers in instructional methods that relate to reading success for our students,” said Principal Sr. Jacqueline Kazanowski, CSSF. TRI is investing more than $115,000 in the St. Stanislaus literacy partnership which will cover the cost of teacher training and stipends, substitute teachers’ and a half time reading coach’s salaries, new reading program resources, Project Read materials, and intervention and assessment programs. The outcome of the Literacy Initiative will not only provide students with improved reading success, but improved standardized test scores in all other subject areas. “The strong commitment being made by the teachers and administration at St. Stanislaus will ensure that the graduates of St. Stanislaus are achieving their highest potential,” said Stratton. TRI is a non-profit organization committed to improving literacy by training teachers.

For more information about the Literacy Initiative, visit St. Stanislaus online at: www.catholicschoolswesternma.org