Russellville R.E.A.D.s! Reading Engagement and Development! Superintendent, Leon Smith, is happy to announce that Russellville Independent Schools has been awarded approximately $1.5 million to implement a birth-to-grad community initiative with three goals: Goal 1 is to ensure all young children are ready to read. Activities to support this goal include outreach to parents, caregivers, and providers; free age-appropriate books to young children; devices and apps for young children as well as academic and cognitive improvements for 5-year-olds. Goal 2 will ensure all elementary and middle school students are excellent, accelerated readers. Activities to support this goal include the instruction of a basal reading series at grades 6-8; coaching and modeling for all teachers in literacy strategies; expanding reading interventions and reading collections including new devices for checkout; implementation of the Peer Assisted Literacy Strategies (grades 6-8); and embedding professional learning for teachers. Goal 3 is to ensure all secondary students read-to-learn by working with high school teachers across their content areas to implement literacy strategies. Activities to support this goal include supporting a literacy coach. Russellville Independent has been aggressive in addressing literacy the past two years. Implementation of Born Learning, Footsteps to Brilliance, READ 180, and Systems 44 for grades 3 -8, basal readers for K-6, and coaching for staff have already impacted our literacy program. We have seen significant increases in our reading scores. This grant will provide additional support to help every child to become more proficient in reading. Every Child, Every Day! This grant is for two years and has many different components. Federal money appropriated by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) will fund 100% of costs associated with implementation of the grant, and we will spend $749,417 in the first year of the grant. The remainder of the funds ($749,732) is set aside for Year 2 of the project. More information will be released as we move towards implementation in the next few weeks. Special thanks to Dr. Steven Moats, Dr. Janet Hurt, Johna Rodgers, and other staff for working on this grant submission! Superintendent, Leon Smith, stated this is a huge opportunity for our district to begin closing the gap in literacy by providing opportunities from birth to graduation by reaching out to the community partners and organizations. One critical piece of this grant is Outreach Coordinator. The Outreach Coordinator will be responsible for daily outreach and community marketing of the grant along with many other responsibilities. Mrs. Lisa White, current Principal at Stevenson Elementary, has been approached to serve in this capacity, and she has agreed to move into this position with her vast knowledge of this community, our students, and their families. Our timeline for her to assume these duties will be November 1. We will be seeking a full-time replacement or an interim Principal for Stevenson Elementary. Thanks to Mrs. White for her willingness to accept this position. We are excited for the potential this grant will afford the children of our school district!