Fresno Unified Introduces Literacy Plan and Regional Action Plans

Fresno Unified has completed its Every Child Is A Reader literacy plan. This comprehensive five-year plan aims to ensure that every single student in pre-kindergarten through first grade achieves proficiency in reading by the end of their first-grade year.

The plan can be found at https://instructional.fresnounified.org/literacyplan/.

Reading on grade level is necessary for students' future success across all disciplines and helps prepare them for college and careers. Research consistently shows that students who are not reading at or above grade level by third grade have difficulty catching up later in their academic career. In spring 2023, less than 50% of Fresno Unified's kindergarten through third grade students performed on or above grade level on the i-Ready Reading Diagnostic. Trends in i-Ready show that as students progress to the intermediate grade levels and through their middle school years, the percentage of students reading on or above grade level drastically declines to one in every three students.

Dr. Natasha Baker, Fresno Unified's chief academic officer, shared, "The current state of reading achievement in Fresno Unified establishes the urgency and need for this literacy plan, with its focus on early learning and the primary grades. Every Child Is A Reader represents a bold commitment to the success of our students. By prioritizing early literacy, we are laying the groundwork for academic achievement, closing opportunity gaps, and empowering our young learners to reach their greatest potential."

The plan provides details on creating, implementing and assessing an evidence-based school reading program. The plan discusses the crucial role of Fresno Unified and its literacy partners, including parents, families, librarians and people employed by community organizations or local businesses. It offers direction to all staff involved in the instruction of Fresno Unified students and a framework for a comprehensive system that guarantees literacy improvement from early childhood through high school graduation. Along with an over-arching districtwide plan, literacy action plans were developed to address the specific needs of students in the Bullard, Fresno High, McLane, Sunnyside, Edison, Hoover and Roosevelt regions.

Each plan includes three pillars:

1. Classroom Instruction: All preschool through first grade classrooms will have a standards-based comprehensive literacy block that includes high quality systematic instruction at its foundation, and educators will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to effectively teach reading skills to young learners.
2. High-Quality Supports: Targeted interventions will be implemented to identify and support students who may be at risk of falling behind in reading.
3. Family and Community Partnerships: Families are crucial partners in supporting children's literacy development. Every Child Is A Reader will provide resources to empower parents and caregivers to support literacy at home. Community partnerships will help elevate the student learning experience, making it more interactive, hands-on, and relatable.

While each regional plan has unique features based on input from school communities, all plans have key components: foundational reading skills, assessment and progress monitoring and the necessary financial support. The literacy plan documents are available in English, Hmong, and Spanish.

"Every Child Is A Reader is a groundbreaking initiative that will lead our district to better instruction of reading for our youngest learners and ensure far better academic outcomes for our students. The accompanying regional action plans empower the staff and families in those areas and fit the specific needs of their students," said Misty Her, interim superintendent.