Read to Succeed

River Trail Elementary’s Assessment Plan aligns with the Five Pillars of Reading Instruction. Grades K-1: Students take the STAR Early Literacy Assessment three times a year as a universal screener. Grades 1-5: Students take the STAR Reading Assessment three times a year as a universal screener. This data helps identify students who may need further diagnostic assessments for Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions.

Additional assessments include: Grades K-2: Students complete the CORE Phonics and Word Reading Survey three times a year. Grades K-5: Students complete the LETRS Spelling Screener three times a year. Grades 1-5: Teachers will administer additional diagnostics based on universal screeners and oral reading fluency.

Examples might be phonological awareness, phonics screeners including decoding and encoding, and concepts about print

For Comprehension and Oral Reading Fluency: Grades K-5: Comprehension assessments are created in professional learning teams based on state standards and driven by HMH Curriculum. Grades 2-5: Students complete the DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency three times a year. Grade 1: Students take the STAR CBM (Curriculum-Based Measurement) to monitor oral reading fluency three times a year.

Vocabulary: Vocabulary assessments are currently done formatively by teachers on each grade level. The district has included the Vocabulary indicator as an essential standard for grades 3-5. Teachers will use the data from these assessments to guide instruction using the HMH Into Reading curriculum. During Professional Learning Team (PLT) meetings, teachers will analyze this data to make instructional decisions for Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions.

Our school dedicates a minimum of 120 minutes to English Language Arts instruction each day, which includes reading, writing, and foundational skills. Through our state-adopted curriculum, HMH Into Reading, we use the reading, vocabulary, and writing components in grades K–5.

For foundational literacy skills, our school uses Heggerty for phonological awareness, the HMH Structured Literacy curriculum for Tier 1 instruction, and a combination of HMH Structured Literacy and UFLI for interventions in grades K–2. In grades 3–5, we use a combination of the Into Reading Foundational Skills curriculum, HMH Structured Literacy, and UFLI.

Assessments from HMH, UFLI, and those listed in Section A align with the science of reading, structured literacy, and foundational literacy skills. These assessments support the components of Scarborough’s Rope for both language comprehension and word recognition.

Our school uses a systematic approach to determine student interventions based on universal screeners and additional diagnostics. All students take either the STAR Early Literacy or STAR Reading assessment. Based on these results, we determine if further diagnostics are necessary for Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions. Some of the assessments used to inform these instructional decisions include Heggerty Bridge the Gap, DIBELS, Core Reading Phonics, and STAR CBM.

In addition to the universal screener, certain grade levels administer Foundational Skills Assessments to all students, providing another tool to guide intervention decisions. Each school’s MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) team analyzes this data to recommend appropriate Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions.

To provide targeted support, our school has two ELA interventionists who are trained to deliver interventions to students who are not yet reading on grade level. Classroom teachers, who are also trained to deliver interventions, work closely with students in the classroom to provide targeted Tier 2 support.

Our school provides ongoing communication to parents regarding strategies to support literacy at home through the school website and a weekly parent newsletter, which features literacy tips developed by the Elementary ELA Coordinator.

Teachers maintain consistent communication with families through weekly newsletters that outline ways to reinforce reading and writing skills at home. In addition, all teachers conduct annual parent conferences to review each child’s reading and writing progress. This year, parent support documents for grades K–2 and proficiency scales have been incorporated to enhance parent understanding of standards-based grading. Additional conferences are scheduled as needed to address specific student needs.

The school also hosts literacy events, such as A Glowing Night of Literacy, where parents participate in interactive sessions designed to strengthen their capacity to support their children in developing lifelong reading and writing skills.

As part of our process for identifying students in the MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) framework, we implement consistent progress monitoring for K-5 students in Tiers 1, 2, and 3.

Tier 1 and Tier 2: Teachers will use a combination of tools such as STAR, HMH curriculum assessments, Oral Reading Fluency, Structured Literacy curriculum and other standards-based assessments to monitor progress in grade-appropriate reading skills, supporting overall proficiency.

Tier 3: Literacy interventionists have additional tools for progress monitoring, including DIBELS, Heggerty’s Bridge the Gap, Core Phonics Literacy Library and STAR.

Throughout the year, teams will meet regularly during Professional Learning Community (PLC) and MTSS team meetings to analyze data and make instructional decisions for all students.

Participants in Cohort One will complete Volume 2 of LETRS training in December. This group includes K–3 teachers, administrators, interventionists, the literacy coach, the lead teacher, and special education teachers. In addition, one fourth-grade teacher and two fifth-grade teachers are participating. New hires in grades K–3, along with several fourth-grade teachers, began Volume 1 of LETRS training this school year and will complete it in December.

For fourth- and fifth-grade teachers who are not enrolled in LETRS, additional professional learning is being provided to support their students with advanced decoding skills (including syllabication and morphology) as well as vocabulary instruction.

The literacy coach also delivers school-based professional development as needed, in addition to facilitating coaching cycles.

At River Trail Elementary, we have found the following areas of strength:

Goal 1: We exceeded our goal of reducing third graders scoring Does Not Meet on SC Ready, lowering the percentage from 7.5% in spring 2024 to 2.1% in spring 2025.

Goal 2: We surpassed our goal of reducing third- and fourth-grade students scoring Below Proficiency on the LETRS Advanced Spelling Screener, decreasing the percentage from 75.4% in fall 2024 to 46.8% in spring 2025.

Continue implementation of systematic Tier 1 instructional strategies in K–5 ELA classrooms, guided by student academic performance data on South Carolina ELA standards. This includes:

1. Teachers monitor reading and writing engagement and use that data to adjust instruction and ensure student-centered learning.

2. Maximizing time for small group instruction by establishing efficient routines and procedures within the ELA schedule.

• How many eligible teachers in your school have completed Volume 1 ONLY of LETRS?  4 (Four)
• How many eligible teachers in your school have completed Volumes 1 and 2 of LETRS? 41 (Forty-One)
• How many eligible teachers in your school are beginning Volume 1 of LETRS this year? 8 (Eight)
• How many eligible teachers in your school are beginning Volume 2 of LETRS this year? 5 (Five)
• How many CERDEP PreK teachers in your school have completed EC LETRS? Not Applicable
• How many CERDEP PreK teachers in your school are beginning EC LETRS this year? Not Applicable

A. Previous Goal #1: (Third Grade Goal): Reduce the percentage of third graders scoring Does Not Meet in the spring of 2023 as determined by SC READY from 7.5% to 6.5% in the spring of 2025.

We exceeded our goal of reducing third graders scoring Does Not Meet on SC Ready, lowering the percentage from 7.5% in spring 2024 to 2.1% in spring 2025.

B. Previous Goal #2: Reduce the percentage of third and fourth grade students scoring BELOW PROFICIENCY in the fall of 2024 as measured by the LETRS Advanced Spelling Screener from 75% to 65% in the spring of 2025.

We surpassed our goal of reducing third- and fourth-grade students scoring Below Proficiency on the LETRS Advanced Spelling Screener, decreasing the percentage from 75% in fall 2024 to 47% in spring 2025.

C. Current Goal #1 (3rd Grade Reading Proficiency Goal) :  By spring 2026, we will maintain the percentage of third graders scoring Meets and Exceeds on SC READY ELA at 90.8%, the level achieved in spring 2025.

Action Steps for Current Goal #1: 

• Implement Tier 1 ELA instruction consistently, guided by student performance data.
• Monitor progress with formative and diagnostic assessments with data discussions during PLCs each week.
• Provide targeted Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions for students below grade level.
• Offer ongoing teacher professional development and coaching on evidence-based literacy strategies.
• Engage families with resources to support reading and writing at home.

D. Current Goal #2: By the Spring 2026 benchmark, 85% of kindergarten and first-grade students will score at or above proficiency on the STAR Early Literacy assessment. This reflects an increase from 82.35% of students who scored at or above proficiency on the Fall 2025 benchmark.

Action Steps for Current Goal #2: 

• Deliver consistent Tier 1 literacy instruction in all K–1 classrooms.
• Track student progress through STAR Early Literacy and formative assessments.
• Provide targeted Tier 2 small-group and Tier 3 individualized interventions.
• Strengthen teacher practice through coaching and professional development on foundational literacy skills.
• Equip families with resources and strategies to reinforce literacy at home.