There’s a national conversation happening right now about early literacy—and which schools are helping students succeed as readers, regardless of family income.
Right here in our community, two schools have been recognized as part of that story.
Courtade Elementary and Willow Hill Elementary have both been identified as “Bright Spots” by The 74*, a national education nonprofit that analyzes school performance across the country.
“Bright Spot” schools are those where students outperform expected reading outcomes given poverty levels—placing them among the top schools in their state for helping students succeed.
At Courtade, 74% of students are proficient readers—well above what national models would predict.
At Willow Hill, that number is 80%.
That matters.
Because it reminds us that while economic challenges are real, they are not destiny. With strong instruction, dedicated educators, and the right supports in place, students can and do thrive.
And it connects directly to the work we’ve committed to as a district. For the first time in our history, we’ve set clear goals not only to raise outcomes for all kids but also to reduce opportunity gaps between our students facing economic challenges and their peers.
That goal is grounded in a simple belief: every student deserves access to the instruction, support, and resources they need to succeed.
These “Bright Spot” schools show us what’s possible.
The opportunity now is to learn from what’s working—and continue building systems so that this level of success is not the exception, but the experience of every one of our kids.
This is what all means all*** looks like in action.
* Learn more about The 74 and their Bright Spots project: https://bit.ly/4d0ukXs
** Learn more about our 2030 strategic plan goals: https://bit.ly/tcaps-values
*** Learn more about this all means all line by Michael Fullan that was shared at last year’s first strategic planning meeting: https://bit.ly/4dyEgYk
TY FOR TCAPS 
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