INDIANAPOLIS — This year, literacy rates across Indiana improved drastically.
The Department of Education's latest IREAD assessment shows third-grade reading scores made their biggest single-year jump since testing started in 2013.
The University of Indianapolis plays a role in that success.
Their Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning, also known as CELL, helps teachers learn how to teach reading.
"When learning is new, an explicit instruction approach is best. Being very intentional with clear directions, giving immediate feedback to students, checking on their progress with assessment and moving them along in scaffolding and strategic ways through their learning based on data is really important," said Megan Thompson, Director of Literacy.
The CELL Director of Literacy thanks teachers and school leaders for trusting the university and its research.
She says a large part of the success comes from educators working together.
"The improvement that we are seeing in the state of Indiana is not a singular effort. It takes partnerships with everyone. It takes school leaders, the classroom teachers. It takes parents and community members, it takes people that are trusting those of us at the University of Indianapolis. And everyone else trying to lock arms with schools right now to improve literacy rates for kids so that we change the trajectory of lives. And so we just, we're proud of our teachers. We're proud of our building leaders, and we're proud of our parents who are supporting literacy efforts at home," she said.
