Warsaw Community Schools

Dear Warsaw Elementary Parents and Families,

Welcome to another exciting year of your child’s educational journey. As we find ourselves knee-deep in another school year at Warsaw Community Schools, we want to take this opportunity to bring attention to the importance of reading by the end of third grade and share information regarding the support that will be available to your child to help them learn to read by this important milestone.

The ability to read by the end of third grade is very important in order for your child to access all future learning. We know that in order to maximize student learning, it is essential that our parents/families and educators work together to support our young learners. Last year, the legislature passed a law stating that any Indiana student that does not pass the IREAD assessment must be retained in third grade, so we take this reading responsibility and partnership with families very seriously. We want to help parents understand this law and how we are working to give each one of our WCS students the best possible support to pass the IREAD assessment and become strong lifelong readers. The first thing we’d like to do is unpack for you what we do as a school to surround your child with strong reading instruction and support.

Our WCS School-Based Support to Help Your Child Learn to Read

1. Reading Instruction: All students in grades K-6 take part in 90 minutes of uninterrupted reading instruction daily. This reading time is extremely tight within our school day. It includes phonics instruction at each child’s level, targeted skills groups to work in areas each student needs added support, and a language comprehension block that seeks to build strong background knowledge in a variety of areas.

2. Universal Screener: In order to provide the best support for your child, it is important to understand the skills that they are succeeding in and the skills that they need additional support to help master. Students in kindergarten through third grade participate in a universal screener, and results will be shared with parents/families. This allows schools and families to work together to provide personalized support as early as possible. You can look forward to seeing this universal screener data at parent-teacher conferences. The universal screener we use at WCS is called Acadience Reading.

3. Multiple Opportunities to Demonstrate Reading Proficiency: Students will proactively participate in the IREAD assessment in second grade, with the option to also participate in a summer retest opportunity. Offering multiple opportunities for students to participate in IREAD prior to third grade provides another early indicator of whether a student is on track to read by the end of third grade. This information will inform continued collaboration between our educators and families to provide necessary reading support.

   Students who demonstrate reading proficiency in second grade will not be required to test again. Students who are still working to master foundational reading skills will receive additional support and will have another opportunity to participate in IREAD in third grade, both in the spring and during the summer. All IREAD results will be shared with parents/families.

4. Free Summer Learning Opportunities: Students who need additional reading support after participating in the spring administration of IREAD in both second and third grade have an opportunity to participate in a summer reading course provided by WCS and held at Lincoln Elementary at no cost to families. This course is taught using instructional practices aligned to the science of reading, which research shows is the most effective way to help a child learn to read, and will support students in their specific area of need per their IREAD report.

5. Literacy and Learning Lab at Grace College: In partnership with Grace College and a Lilly Foundation Grant, some of our students are able to take advantage of tutoring at Grace College that aligns to our WCS literacy curriculum. This support follows all of the research in the science of reading and is designated specifically to students that have reading difficulties and did not pass IREAD as a second grader.

In addition to the school-based supports described, we highly encourage families to read to their child for 30 minutes each day. Reading together at home, visiting the library, and encouraging a love for books can make a significant difference. Equally, the importance of taking in visits to the park, the zoo, or other exciting community events, as well as the rich conversation you have with your children surrounding these experiences, contributes deeply to their reading success!

IMPORTANT! If a student is still struggling to read at the end of third grade, after receiving significant learning support, state law now requires students to be retained in third grade (as a last resort), with some exceptions. The following students are eligible to receive a Good Cause Exemption (GCE) and are thus exempt from being retained. Students eligible for a GCE include:

• A student who has previously been retained in third grade

• A student with an intellectual disability whose Individualized Education Program (IEP) or case conference committee specifies that promotion to the next grade level is appropriate

• A student who is an identified English learner (EL) who has received services for fewer than two years and has an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) committee that determines promotion to the next grade level is appropriate

• A student who achieved a performance level of “Proficient” or “Above Proficient” on the third-grade ILEARN Mathematics assessment

• A student who has received two or more years of intensive intervention in reading aligned to the science of reading and was retained more than once during kindergarten, first grade, or second grade

To ensure students continue to receive the maximum support for their unique learning needs, all students who have not passed IREAD—whether they are retained in third grade for an additional year or are promoted to fourth grade—will continue to receive reading support and will retake IREAD until they pass or upon completion of sixth grade.

Thank you for your attention to this letter and for allowing us to be a partner in your child’s future success. We are proud of the work we are doing in our schools to support reading success, but it is village work! We encourage you to reach out to your child’s classroom teacher or building principal at any time for ways you can best support your child in their literacy journey or with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Warsaw Community Schools Administration
Aimee Lunsford, Chief Academic Officer for Elementary
Kyle Carter, Chief Accountability Officer for Elementary
Dr. David Hoffert, Superintendent