Springfield schools awarded $200K grant for English language literacy

The grant was awarded to 20 organizations in the state to help with learning loss caused the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s to improve literacy instruction for students who were hardest hit by the pandemic-related school shut downs, including students of color, English learners and students from rural regions, according to ODE.

“The district seeks to be the most inclusive school district in the area,” said Superintendent Bob Hill. “This money will go a long way to make sure none of our students, regardless of their native language, face barriers to achieving an enriching education.”

The English Language (EL) student population in the Springfield district increased to over 750 students this school year. They represent 10% of the total student population, which is 7,700, and the figure has grown every year for the past four years.

“The EL student population has increased in line with the increase of non-native English speakers to the city of Springfield. Families are coming to Springfield for the affordable housing, education opportunities and abundance of community resources, " said communications coordinator Jenna Leinasars.

The money will be used in two phases. The first year will focus on the Springfield grant team participating in professional development and discussions with national leaders regarding how to improve literacy for EL students and families. The second year the team will use the data collected in the first year to launch a customized literacy project that will be implemented in the district’s school buildings.

The district will hone in on the EL populations at Fulton, Perrin Woods, Lincoln and Kenwood elementary schools, Hayward Middle School and Springfield High School for this grant.

ODE stated the project will focus on improving literacy instruction by using structured literacy approaches along with strategies to improve instructions for those students. The strategies include understanding language and dialect in the classroom, family and community engagement, and drawing on and building students’ background knowledge and vocabulary to improve reading outcomes.