By Melody Ilk

Ah, the family road trip. I have fond memories of my parents loading me up in the Ford with my two older brothers for the 12-hour drive to visit my grandparents in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Our route took us from southern Idaho through parts of Utah, then along I-80 across the vast expanse of Wyoming. 

They would stuff an old crib mattress in the back seat (no seat belts in those days) so we could play, eat, sleep, argue, and whine. No DVD players, iPads, or access to the plethora of electronic devices that exist today; just family togetherness!

I remember my favorite spot in the car was tucked up in the back window with my pillow, watching Wyoming go by, counting antelope, and playing the alphabet game with road signs. Sounds rosy, doesn’t it? 

I have memories of my father threatening to leave us all on the Wyoming roadside for coyote bait if we didn’t behave ourselves. I also remember, with horror, the first time I couldn’t hold it till the next town (they were 100 miles apart) and had to relieve myself roadside! Those were the days.

As another school year ends, it’s that time of year for principals, teachers, and district leaders to celebrate successes, reflect on struggles, and set goals for the next school year. Just as diligent parents meticulously plan the family road trip, so must district and school leaders carefully analyze both student and teacher data and plot the course to lead to the next steps for building successful readers. So let’s think through how to plan your next school year (aka road trip).

Planning the Road Trip 

The first step in planning a successful road trip is to know exactly where you are going and how long it will take to get there. Miles are calculated into estimated hours of travel with strategically planned stops for food, fuel, and rest. Maps are studied, and routes are plotted to reach the desired destination. Schools need to employ this same level of meticulous thinking before launching a reading initiative or planning for the next year of implementation.

We know the components needed for a successful reading initiative are the following:

• Strong differentiated tiers of instruction
• Ongoing assessment and progress monitoring at each tier
• Data analysis through structured, ongoing data teams
• Strategic, well-planned professional development aligned to the needs of the teachers along the way

Here are some questions to ponder: What components can our school realistically handle in the first year … second year … third year and beyond? What kind of growth do we hope to achieve each year? How will we know when we can add or refine another component?

Leadership needs to have clear targets for time, destinations, refueling, and possible bumps in the road. The route has been planned. 

Coordinating the Bladder, the Stomach, and the Gas Tank 

Another component of a successful road trip is coordinating the “fullness” or “emptiness” of the passengers in the car and, of course, the car itself. In other words, know your data! Are your reading assessments designed to increase in frequency based on the needs of your students? The more intense the need, the more frequent the monitoring needs to be, much like the parent who keeps an eagle eye on the toddler or the driver who monitors the gas tank.

 More planned stops should be plotted on the route with possibilities for a necessary detour. Instructional time, intensity, or group size may need to change. A change in instruction may need to be planned and executed based on the needs of the kids, not the adults. Additional supports, coaching, or instructional review may need to be built in to improve instruction.

Honey, I Know a Shortcut

Ever ridden with a driver who always has a shortcut? What usually happens? Either it takes much longer, or you end up hopelessly lost with said driver refusing to stop and ask for directions! 

There are no shortcuts in teaching kids to read. In order for systemic change to occur, schools and districts must stay the course with research-proven practices and continually revisit each component in the reading initiative. Often, a change in leadership and belief system brings a detour or change in direction for the school or district. Thus, improved reading achievement is not realized. In addition, successes sustained over time are now lost. 

Are We There Yet? 

Now we come to the point where the road trip analogy does not quite align with a school or district plan for raising reading achievement. Yes, schools can get there with exemplary practices and hard work. However, keeping the model intact and moving forward is the real trick. Durability and sustainability become the challenge.

As personnel retire or move to other positions, new recruits enter the system with varying degrees of preparation for teaching reading. So, we must plan the trip, plot the course, and travel the road again and again, improving each tier of instruction, utilizing assessment and progress monitoring, refining data teams and instructional alignment, and providing purposeful, well-planned professional development. All are part of the road well-traveled.