School Spotlight: How Parkside Elementary Grows Readers
Parkside Elementary is reimagining how staff work together to meet student needs. Through a stronger, more intentional support system, they are building a structure that helps every student get the right help—or challenge—at the right time.
This work is part of a districtwide effort happening in every school to build data-driven systems of support that help all students grow—in reading, math, behavior, and social-emotional learning. Schools use a structure called the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) to help organize that support so it’s responsive to each student’s needs.
Parkside’s story is just one example of how this districtwide approach is improving student outcomes, particularly in reading.
At Parkside, staff have embraced this model to build systems that turn data into action and ensure all students are known by name, strength and need.
Bringing MTSS to Life at the School Level
Last school year, Parkside teachers and school leaders noticed a trend: many students in grades 2–5 were struggling with foundational reading skills. These skills—like sounding out words and recognizing common spelling patterns—are an important part of learning to read.
While the reasons behind these gaps are different for every student, many experienced disrupted learning during the pandemic or other early learning interruptions. Instead of focusing on what students were missing, Parkside focused on how to help them move forward.
Parkside designed a plan with different kinds of support for student needs. This included:
- Trying out a new, step-by-step reading program called UFLI Foundations, to help students build confidence in sounding out words and reading fluently
- Launching a Learning Lab for striving readers and tracking student progress data
- Strengthening instruction for all students and ensuring regular reading conferences
- Meeting regularly as teacher teams to check in on student progress and adjust instruction as needed
The Results: Measurable Growth
In fall 2024, about 75–80% of Parkside’s students in grades 2–5 needed extra help with phonics (sounding out words). By the end of the school year in June 2025, that number dropped to 37.2%.
This data shows a significant shift: entire groups of 2nd and 3rd graders have transitioned out of direct phonics instruction, signaling a closing of the opportunity gap.
“This has been hard work but so transformational. Never before have our teams been so interconnected and cohesive!" - Bobbi Giammona, Parkside Principal.
“Our commitment to data-informed decision-making through MTSS is helping us refine our practices and celebrate real student growth.” - Ruth Baechle-Gardner, Parkside Instructional Coach and 3rd-Grade Teacher
2025–26 Priorities: Expanding the Work
Parkside staff continues to refine their work in how it supports students using data and collaboration, including:
- Using a new online tool (Synergy MTSS) to identify who needs help, track what support they’re receiving, and how they’re progressing
- Adding targeted and intensive math interventions to students who need it
- Continuing to focus on distributed leadership to ensure that protocols and systems support sustainable implementation across all teams
Parkside’s story shows what’s possible when schools lead with data, collaboration, and a belief that every student can thrive.