Libby schools could be model for Montana

A program developed by Libby Public Schools has increased student reading performance and is gaining attention at the state level as a model of school performance.

Libby Elementary School and Libby Middle School were two participants in the state’s Striving Readers program, which provided grant funds during a three-year span from the fall of 2012 through the spring of 2015. In that three years, Libby’s students have dramatically increased their reading performance. 

At the beginning of the grant term, 54 percent of Libby students were reading at or above grade level, according to data provided by superintendent Craig Barringer. At the scheduled end of the program, that number had increased to more than 80 percent. The program was such a success that it has been extended for an additional year and is continuing in the elementary and middle schools.

“We’re proud of the fact that we have 80-plus percent of our kids reading at grade level and beyond,” Barringer said. “I’m proud of the fact that our teachers are willing to do this.”

The success of the reading program, Barringer said, is a reflection of the attitude and commitment of the district’s teachers, which is embodied in the district’s Roots and Wings program.

The program is a road map for literacy and success in the Libby schools. The goal, Barringer said, is to create an environment in which learning and critical thinking flourish. It lays out strategies for student instruction designed to improve both literacy and learning of course content.

The program focuses on core categories of instruction, including text structure, close reading, vocabulary, questioning, summarizing and math practices. The objective, Barringer said, is not for students to memorize, but to learn how to learn. Every lesson begins with an objective, stating what students are to know and be able to do by the end of the lesson. Students are told what they will do, make, say or write during the lesson in clear language that is constantly referenced during the lesson. The increased focus, said Curriculum Director Kaide Dodson, creates consistent success in every classroom, across every level of the school.

“By doing this, we have consistent success,” she said. “It’s not individual pockets of success, it’s consistent and across the board.”

The results of the program have been recognized by Montana’s Office of Public Instruction. The office sent a film crew to several of the Striving Readers schools in order to film short, two to six minute, promotional spots about the success of the program. Upon reviewing Libby’s success, the short promotion was expanded to nearly 20 minutes in length and the focus moved from the Striving Readers grant to the underlying Roots and Wings program the schools have adopted. The state, Dodson said, is going to model a new program on the Roots and Wings approach, although the name will likely be changed.

Barringer said the success of the program is a testament to the leadership in the schools and the quality of the teachers in the Libby education system.

“Jim Germany nailed it right on at the end of that video,” Barringer said. “We’re blessed to have this many quality teachers in such a small city.”