How FUSD high school regions got to weigh in, make decisions on 'Every Child is a Reader' plan

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- As Fresno Unified moves forward with its 'Every Child is a Reader' initiative, district administrators say they took an intentional approach to ensure high school regions bought into the program.

The Every Child is a Reader initiative is working to make sure every student can read at grade level by the end of first grade.

In the planning process, Chief Academic Officer Natasha Baker, Ed.D., says it was important each of the school regions were given a chance to have a say in the process.

"We allow for our school leaders to work with their sites and their regions to determine the providers they want to use," Baker said.

Each region was able to select the programs they wanted to use to teach students how to read, as long as it was within the framework the district provided.

"All the service providers -- and I don't want them to get mad at me for saying this -- they all do the same thing. They just do it differently," Baker said.

She says despite the different choices between regions, each is still required to meet state standards and all students must learn the same curriculum.

She says this just gives schools the opportunity to decide the way they teach.

Regardless of the program, each quarter progress will be measured.

"We look at how many kids know their letters, how many kids can really understand what they're reading," Baker said.

Baker says she believes by involving each of the schools and measuring the progress quarterly, it will help students be more successful.

She says this way also helps when there is a lot of transition within the organization to ensure that the initiative doesn't get left behind.

"When you're the creator and the designer in a framework and you're measuring your own process, you're invested. No matter who the leaders are, the work is moving forward," she said.

Baker says parents should feel confident that whichever program their child's school is using to teach students how to read is approved and appropriate as part of the 'Every Child is a Reader' plan.

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