This December, Brightlane partners and volunteers gathered for our first Sparking Conversations session for the 24/25 series, presented by Katz Sapper & Miller. Crishell Sam, Principal at James Whitcomb Riley IPS #43, and Susan Appel, Executive Director of The Indy Learning Team, were joined by Brightlane Learning program staff, Erin Beuoy and Jen Meeks, to discuss K-3 Literacy and how we’re moving students forward through intentional community collaborations.
Brightlane’s Chief Operating and Program Officer, Kelly Coker, moderated the conversation that explored what House Bill 1558 and Senate Bill 1 mean for students, particularly unhoused students and those facing instability, why early literacy is so important, and how community collaborations that keep students first are critical.
Key Takeaways
During Academic Year 2023, just 57% of homeless students were proficient on the 3rd-grade early literacy assessment, a rate 1.4x lower than housed students. This was substantially lower than the pre-pandemic proficiency rate of 72% for homeless students during the Academic Year 2019.
– Data from Indiana Department of Education
New Laws Support Improved Literacy for All Students
- House Bill 1558, new in 2023, codified the definition of the science of reading in state law and requires school districts and charter schools to adopt curriculum or supplemental materials that are aligned with this new standard.
- Senate Bill 1 builds on House Bill 1558 and commits to early detection and remediation for students not reading at their grade level. This bill shifts the IREAD test from third to second grade to support early detection. Students who do not pass will receive targeted literacy support during third grade and take IREAD again after a year of remediation. Those who pass will be promoted to fourth grade, and those who do not will be retained.
- These laws create consistency and a positive focus on foundational literacy skills for third and fourth graders. However, there are challenges to large-scale progress because these laws don’t consider our earliest learners. Pre-K is not mandated in Indiana, meaning students who lack access to high-quality Pre-K are entering Kindergarten without the earliest foundational skills they need to succeed.
“Under-resourced schools are doing a lot more with a lot less. We need to be celebrating what they are doing with fewer resources.”
– Susan Appel, The Indy Learning Team
New Literacy Laws Lack Financial Backing
- Once students are behind, it’s much harder to help them catch up. While some families have the resources to ensure their children can receive extra support, the responsibility to provide additional support and intervention often falls to the school in districts with higher poverty rates.
- School districts are not receiving additional funding to implement these new requirements and curriculum standards. Instead, schools are shifting existing resources. At IPS #43, this means that an instructional coach who previously supported math and literacy moved to a literacy-specific role this year in response to the new literacy standards. Now, Principal Sam and the Assistant Principal help as instructional coaches during the day, in addition to their many other responsibilities.
“Students can’t wait. Instruction can’t wait.”
– Principal Crishell Sam
The Student First Approach and Community Collaboration is Key
- Before students can learn, they need to feel safe and supported. Upon entering her role as Principal of James Whitcomb Riley School 43 two years ago, Principal Sam first strengthened the school’s climate and culture so she could then address the low 3rd grade literacy scores and ILEARN English/Language Arts proficiency scores. Principal Sam was named the 2025 IPS Principal of the Year for Transformative Leadership.
– Students can’t learn if they aren’t in school. Principal Sam focused on restorative practices where students could share their concerns and feelings with their teachers and administrators. She walked into a school with a 140% suspension rate and created a space where students wanted to stay because their voices were heard.– People don’t thrive when there isn’t consistency. By improving the climate and culture of the school, the high turnover rate of teachers plummeted in just two years. They now have a 90% retention rate and only lost staff this school year due to their school shifting from a K-8 school to K-5.
- Community partners are critical, but only if they are aligning efforts and addressing student needs. Last school year, Brightlane supported students at #43 one day each week. This school year, we support them four days each week.– Erin Beuoy, Brightlane’s on-site staff member, collaborates with teachers to understand where students impacted by homelessness and housing instability are excelling and where they need support.– She pushes into classrooms and also pulls students out of classrooms for one-on-one and small-group support. She is careful not to disrupt students when they are in core knowledge classes.– Teachers regularly update Erin on the type of support a student needs. Sometimes she focuses on academic skill building, while other times she helps students regulate their emotions so they can better control their behavior and responses to others.– School 43 uses University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) curriculum to support their literacy efforts. Erin participates in professional development training that School 43 staff receives and has embedded UFLI curriculum into Brightlane instruction time so that the lessons students need are consistently reinforced.
- Community partnerships expand the support network for each student and can help schools be innovative and flexible. School 43 and other Indianapolis Public Schools are constantly evaluating data and tweaking their approach to supporting students effectively. IPS staff and community partners, like Brightlane, put students first and respond to their specific needs in real time. Every moment we spend with students is critical as we help close the achievement gap together.
At Brightlane Learning, we believe that every student has the right to an education. Please join us for future sessions in our Sparking Conversations series focused on Educational Attainment & Homelessness (February 20, 2025) and Career & College Readiness (May 15, 2025). Learn more and RSVP today.