NORTH LEWISBURG – A new summer reading program may help students retain more reading skills, Triad Local Schools board members learned Thursday.
The district is also looking at recent survey results in how to improve its operations.
The school board heard from Triad Title I teacher Meredith Ford about the new summer reading program at its Sept. 18 meeting. Ford said the program developed from concern about the “Summer Slide” — or how much information students lose during the summer months.
Ford told the board that the program provided activities and free books to elementary students this past summer, and some area businesses and groups helped provide incentives such as prizes and free items to encourage participation. Ford worked with both the North Lewisburg branch of the Champaign County Library and the Marysville Public Library with activities.
The goal was to get children to read 10 minutes a day for five days a week, and students were encouraged to fill out reading logs on when they read and how much. Those reading logs were turned in for prizes. Ford said at the end of the summer, 325 overall elementary students were tracked. Of that, 50 only turned in logs, while others took part in the logs and the activities. Of the students who turned in reading logs, 50 percent had either stayed the same or increased their reading levels from spring session. Those who did decrease decreased one or two reading levels.
Ford said since this was the first year of the program, she could not compare those declines to prior years. The program’s costs were funded through Title 1 funds.
Superintendent Chris Piper discussed survey results with the board. The survey aimed to see what parents, teachers and students thought of the district in a variety of categories, from student discipline to the condition of the school buildings.
Administrators will review the results and see where they can improve them. Piper said he will probably do the survey every few years.
In other action, the board:
•Approved hiring Thomas Eickhoff as a business instructor at the master’s degree +30 pay scale for the 2015-16 school year.
•Approved hiring Nicole Hanes as a substitute PE/Health teacher for the 2015-16 school year.
