How Iron County Schools Are Turning The Page On Literacy

While concerns about declining literacy rates continue to surface statewide and nationally, officials in the Iron County School District say local students are making steady progress thanks to years of intentional work and targeted instruction.

Steve Burton, elementary director, and Ashley Peterson, literacy specialist, discussed those efforts during an interview on the Big Picture Morning Show on KSUB radio. Peterson acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning, but said the district has rebounded. “When you lose almost a quarter’s worth of school, it’s hard not to lose ground when you lose months of instruction,” she said. “But ever since then we have been gaining traction, and we’ve made some shifts in curriculum and interventions and things that we use.”

Peterson added that professional development has played a major role in that progress. “We have also provided some professional development for teachers around the science of reading and ever since then we have just been making some steady gains for the last maybe five years,” she said. “It’s been really exciting to see those gains, see the student progress.”

Keeping Track Of Student Progress Is Key

Burton said close monitoring of students helps prevent learning gaps from widening. “We monitor their kids so closely that it’s really hard for kids to fall through the cracks,” he said. “We developed a system to identify exactly where kids might be struggling in their literacy skills and exactly how to attack those specific deficits.”

He noted that core instruction has been strengthened districtwide. “We’ve also strengthened what we call our tier one instruction,” Burton said. “That’s our core instruction, making sure that every student has an hour and a half of literacy specific skill with the teacher.”

Peterson explained that literacy, at its most basic level, is essential for everyday life. “In order to be functionally literate in society… somebody needs to be able to read at about a fourth, fifth grade reading level,” she said.

To support that goal, the district uses layered interventions, provides take-home books, and partners with programs that place books directly in students’ homes. Burton emphasized that enjoyment matters just as much as instruction. “Finding joy and happiness in reading is just critical,” he said. “Reading should be fun.”

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Parents are invited to learn more at a regional Literacy Engagement Night on February 12 from 6 to 7 p.m. at North Elementary School. Burton said the event will offer resources and expert presentations, while Peterson noted it is open to families of all ages. Daycare will be provided.

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You can hear our entire discussion with Ashley Peterson and Steve Burton in the podcast below.