At a large, urban elementary school in Charlotte, NC, seasoned and new teachers were finding it challenging for students to consistently meet grade-level reading targets by the end of the year.

After a deep dive into the historical data, teachers discovered that current students had been falling further and further behind grade-level expectations. Students had started Kindergarten slightly below grade-level expectations and made slightly less than expected growth, falling two levels below their target benchmark.

The 1st grade data was even more problematic. Students were expected to grow six levels but only grew three levels, leaving students five levels below their target benchmark.

The school began partnering with Targeted Reading Instruction (TRI) in 2015 to provide one year of coaching support for 2^nd grade teachers. “We knew something had to change,” said one teacher. “When the TRI team offered the opportunity to participate in their program, we jumped at the chance to improve our reading instruction.”

The 2^nd grade team worked with a TRI literacy coach for the entire school year, attending training sessions, team meetings, and weekly coaching sessions. On their own, teachers worked with their students for 15 minutes a day, three to four days a week, to develop students’ skills in phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. 

TRI’s program, combined with the teachers’ shared commitment to see their students’ reading improve, has met with great success. Whether the teacher was a 30-year classroom veteran or newer to the profession, the 2^nd grade team collaborated to learn and implement the TRI program, exceeding their own – and most importantly – their students’ expectations.

“We’re just thrilled with the results. TRI has really made a difference for our students. We can’t wait to see what TRI will do for our students in the future.”

Second Grade Teacher, Charlotte, North Carolina

Targeted Reading Instruction:

• Trained classroom teachers are TRI tutors who work with K-2 students in a one-on-one setting daily over 8-10 weeks to rapidly accelerate reading progress
• Progressive, differentiated instruction developed by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers
• Any classroom teacher, teacher assistant, resource teacher, or preservice teacher can be trained to be a “TRI teacher”
• Variety of hands-on materials to supplement in-person and virtual curricula
• Weekly virtual and webcam coaching for teachers