RSS to hold second annual Literacy Summit on Thursday
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, November 18, 2015
The second annual Literacy Summit for the Rowan-Salisbury School System will be on Nov. 19 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church at 200 W. Innes St.
The first summit was last year in September. During the event, speakers talked about the advantages of the community establishing hotspots, or areas that provide Wi-Fi for digital devices, around the county.
Julie Morrow, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said this year’s focus will be on early learning.
Lisa Finaldi will be the event’s speaker. Her speech is titled “The First 2,000 Days and Early Literacy.”
Morrow said Finaldi will be speaking on the importance of learning, especially during the ages of birth to third grade.
According to the school system’s literacy framework, part of the system’s strategic plan, Rowan-Salisbury wants to “immerse students in an engaging, literacy rich environment where they are provided with opportunities to acquire the knowledge and skills essential to become proficient readers, effective communicators and critical thinkers as we prepare them for college or a career in the 21st century.”
Some of the goals of the framework include getting 90 percent of Rowan-Salisbury students reading at or above grade level by 2017 and having 100 percent of students achieving or exceeding one year’s growth annually.
According to the 2014-2015 Accountability Report for the school system, 50.1 percent of third-graders were reading on grade level, a small drop from the 52.1 percent of the previous year but a big jump from the score for 2012-2013, which was 38.3 percent. The percentage of students reading on grade level decreased for students in middle school for the 2014-2015 school year, with all percentages below 50 percent.
Morrow said community agencies, organizations and parents have been invited to attend, especially those associated with early childhood.
Attendees will also be breaking up into small groups for them to come up with ideas on ways to best serve the needs of local children.
All community members are invited. To register for the event, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rowan-salisbury-schools-literacy-summit-tickets-19044329101.
Contact reporter Amanda Raymond at 704-797-4222.
