For New Hampton Community School District, the Iowa Department of Education’s Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) professional development arrived at just the right time.
“We had been digging into the Science of Reading already and wanted to pursue a building-wide training but previously found that it wasn’t an option, financially or timewise,” said New Hampton Elementary Principal Emily Steele. “The state’s LETRS opportunity was very intriguing to us and aligned nicely with our schedule for professional development, so we went for it.”
LETRS is an immersive, eight-unit course for educators that provides an intensive look at the Science of Reading to help strengthen literacy instruction and address achievement gaps within schools. PK-8 teachers, administrators, instructional coaches and reading support staff as well as higher education instructors of teacher preparation programs are targeted for this training that helps bridge to practice individual online learning and group sessions on how students learn to read and how to best maximize positive literacy outcomes.
Currently, the Department is sponsoring LETRS professional development at no cost for both public and accredited nonpublic schools, with three learning tracks specifically tailored for early childhood teachers, elementary teachers and administrators. The program is administered by contracted vendor, Lexia, and provides both synchronous online learning and independent study. Schools may also opt to add in-person sessions to their LETRS training. Approximately 4,350 educators are currently participating in a Department-sponsored LETRS cohort.
“Through LETRS, educators can learn evidence-based practices supported by the Science of Reading that can enhance their literacy instruction and effectiveness,” said Wanda Steuri, the Science of Reading and dyslexia consultant at the Department. “Professional development provided through a LETRS cohort can provide valuable information that impacts classrooms for both new and veteran teachers.”
For New Hampton, they originally did not have 40 educators to meet the capacity requirement for a LETRS cohort. As a result, they approached neighboring Turkey Valley Community School District to easily form a cohort across two districts.
“Once we knew Michelle Hoy, Turkey Valley’s principal, was on-board, everything came together fairly easily,” Steele said. “Our districts share a superintendent, which was definitely a bonus in helping us match schedules and goals. However, the state also keeps a list of schools interested in the program, so if the opportunity with Turkey Valley wasn’t available, I know we would have been able to find another school to partner with in a cohort.”
Together in their cohort, New Hampton has 34 educators participating, and Turkey Valley has 12. Each month, they use a professional development day to focus on LETRS and alternate months between in-person training and individual learning time.
“We did opt for in-person training, which was highly beneficial for our group,” Steele said. “Teachers walked away with a lot of information and have ideas to work on things they are currently doing in their classes.”
Steele noted the importance of providing support and flexibility to teachers participating in LETRS, especially with their independent study.
“I tried to make the professional development schedule as friendly as possible and allow them as much school time as possible to complete their work,” she said. “It’s important to be flexible and allow each teacher to learn in their own way, whether it’s together as a grade level, reviewing the materials before the modules or simply working on their own. Allowing them the flexibility and meeting their learning styles has been helpful.”
Although LETRS training is a big commitment for schools and educators, Steele recommends the course to other districts.
“I would recommend LETRS to other schools that are considering it,” she said. “There are so many benefits, such as affordability and the opportunity for teachers to earn graduate credits. Teachers who are not a part of the cohort are also able to register individually, and we know a few that have signed up on their own.”
The next LETRS cohort starts in January. Iowa schools and early childhood centers are encouraged to register as a group. Teachers and early childhood educators may also register individually. Registration for the impactful training will be accepted through Nov. 22.
“It’s very important to ensure that we are doing what is best for kids,” Steele said. “LETRS training can provide new insight and make changes that can truly make an impact with our students.”