After digging into data, leaders at Ellis Elementary in Arlington ISD realized less than one-third of their students were reading on grade level. Through The Holdsworth Center’s Campus Leadership Program, the leadership team learned new ways to break down and solve any problem that stood in the way of their vision for Ellis students.
“Literacy is probably the biggest challenge that all schools are facing, especially in a pandemic. The data was undeniable and could not be ignored,” said Keith Boyd, Ellis principal.
The gains we have made in just one year are tremendous.
By inspiring teachers to shift their mindsets and collaborating with them on best practices and lesson planning, Ellis was able to make significant progress in reading despite the challenges caused by the pandemic.
From 2020 to 2021, the percentage of Black and Hispanic students in grades 1-3 reading on grade level rose from 31 to 58 percent.
“The gains we have made in just one year are tremendous,” Boyd said. “We know we’ve got the right solution. We just need to keep pushing.”
“Student perceptions changed about reading. It was working – parents saw it, teachers saw it, leaders saw it,” said Michelle Need, an instructional coach. “Holdsworth is a game changer for kids because it empowers the adults to address problems head-on and make incredible gains for students.”
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