Early literacy: the foundation of student achievement

Amber Shields, Managing Director of Early Matters Dallas at The Commit Partnership, testified before the Lancaster Independent School District Board of Trustees emphasizing the notable improvement in early literacy outcomes due to the district's deliberate investment in early childhood education.  

The 2022 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) scores highlighted a decline in reading performance across many districts. In response, the Best in Southwest Literacy Learning Network—a collaborative initiative between The Commit Partnership and Instruction Partners—was launched in Fall 2023, with the goal of strengthening essential literacy skills. Since its implementation, Lancaster ISD has made significant progress, driven by efforts in early childhood literacy, professional development, and high-quality instructional materials, leading to promising improvements in student literacy."

STAAR reading performance data from 2023 to 2024 shows a decrease in scores across all demographics, highlighting a widespread challenge. With districts across Dallas County seeing little to no growth in 3rd grade Reading, the Best in Southwest Literacy Network stepped up its efforts. The network introduced foundational skills learning walks paired with each professional learning session and funded an implementation campus within each of the participating districts with direct support from Instruction Partners. Suggested Implementation campuses are receiving ongoing support to strengthen literacy instruction through Professional Learning Community’s (PLCs) and the Observation and Feedback process, recognizing these instructional systems as essential to improving early literacy outcomes.

Investments in early childhood literacy have played a key role in the progress seen in Lancaster ISD. According to the Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress (NWEA MAP) data, 40.6% of Lancaster ISD’s K-3 students scored above the 60th percentile— the foundation for student achievement. This percentage increase represents progression from the previous year’s results.

“This progress is a testament to the district’s commitment to strengthening early literacy instruction, implementing high-quality teaching practices, and ensuring that students are on track for long-term success,” said Shields.

Targeted literacy efforts at key milestones in a student’s educational journey are highly effective. For students to be on track to read at grade level by 3rd grade, it is essential they receive high-quality instruction beginning in pre-k, Lancaster ISD recognizes the importance of early education, as reflected in an impressive 8.0 percentage point increase in kindergarten student performance since the Beginning of Year (BOY) assessment. As a result of this growth, over half of Lancaster’s Kindergarten students are now scoring above the 60th percentile on the NWEA MAP assessment.

This commitment to improvement is also evident among the district's 3rd-grade students. One-third of Lancaster’s 3rd-grade students scored above the 60th percentile on the Middle of Year (MOY) MAP assessment, marking nearly a 6-point increase since the start of the school year. These strategic efforts set students on the right trajectory toward improved reading outcomes and help prepare them for success both in the classroom and beyond.

Lancaster ISD has been able to achieve these results due to their commitment to early literacy at all levels, these of high-quality instruction materials, and support of early childhood teachers through coaching.

To learn more about the impact of Lancaster ISD’s investment in early literacy, listen to Shields presentation to Lancaster ISD’s Board of Trustees below:‍