Our Goal
For all students to become lifelong readers who will be college and career-ready by the time they graduate from Columbia Heights High School.

To do this, we need to have every child reading at grade level by third grade. We do this through building a strong foundation in key reading skills that include the ability to do the following:

• Sound out letters and words
• Read accurately and with expression at an appropriate rate of words per minute
• Understand and use a large range of words
• Understand grade level stories and informational texts online and through books

Our Program
Research-Based Instruction
All K-3 students are guaranteed the following in our schools:

• 90 minutes of reading a day in research-based reading program
• Daily small group instruction from their teacher
• Independent reading time with appropriate level text
• Take home reading materials
• Ongoing assessment to measure progress
• Additional support in small groups when needed

Interventions and Support
Students who are below grade level will receive additional intensive instruction in small groups. In addition, the district offers the following:

• After school remedial classes
• Online resources available at home
• Summer School
• Summer Home Reading Program

Assessment for Learning
Students are continuously assessed to insure our instruction targets students’ needs and to check that students are improving their ability to read increasingly difficult text. Assessments we use include the following:

• Placement and growth: September, January, and May
• Progress monitoring: Every two weeks
• Diagnostic: As needed

Partnership with Parents
We are eager to partner with families in helping students learn to read well. Here are some of the ways we are committed to working with you.

• Send home reports after testing in September, January, and June
• Discuss student progress at Parent Teacher Conferences
• Send home monthly reports when students are below grade level
• Include school activities that promote reading at home
• Introduce curriculum and online resources at beginning of the school year
• Training sessions on ways to support reading at home.

Meeting Diverse Student Needs
Our district is committed to classrooms that are responsive to the cultures and languages represented in the homes of our students. We support diverse student needs through the following:

• Co-teaching all reading classes with an English Learner teacher
• Providing supplementary vocabulary support
• Including lessons that reflect the cultures of our students
• Providing ongoing training to our teachers in diversity

Consistency Across Classrooms
Our district guarantees that all students will have access to the same high level of teachers who are trained to teach our research-based reading program. Our training includes:

• Ongoing evaluation and feedback from building principals and deans
• Ongoing training from reading experts
• Filmed lessons for analysis by teachers
• Weekly grade level meetings of teachers to look at data and plan lessons
• Monthly review of program by District Literacy Team 

Birth to Age 5 Literacy Plan
PreK to Grade 5 Literacy Plan
Grades 6-8 Literacy Plan
Grade 9-12 Literacy Plan