Sofia for School Board

Stockton Unified School District has taken significant steps to strengthen early literacy instruction, ensuring that our youngest learners have the foundational skills needed for success. Through the Early Literacy Support Block Grant (ELSB) provided to SUSD from 2020 through 2024, our district identified key areas for improvement and implemented targeted strategies to address them.

Why SIPPS?

After a thorough review of foundational skills programs, SUSD selected SIPPS (Systematic Instruction in Phonological Awareness, Phonics, and Sight Words) as the best tool to meet student needs. This structured literacy program provides explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency, helping students build strong reading skills. One shining result showed that Roosevelt Elementary had grown from 38% to 56% on grade level during the ELSB monitoring period. Our District is excited to see this success for all students!

To support this transition, the district:
✅ Purchased SIPPS for all K-3 classrooms
✅ Expanded training to over 1,100 teachers and administrators
✅ Introduced SIPPS to Special Education classrooms
✅ Provided additional phonemic awareness support with Heggerty for K-2

Strengthening Assessment & Teacher Support

Equitable literacy instruction also means using data-driven decision-making and continuous teacher development:
📌 Adopted CORE Phonics Screener for K-3 to monitor student progress
📌 Developed custom reports to share student growth with families and stakeholders
📌 Launched the LETRS professional development program to deepen teacher understanding of the science of reading

What’s Next?

Feedback from educators has been essential in shaping our implementation. Focus groups, site visits, and professional learning sessions have led to:
📖 Additional training & coaching for new teachers
📖 Site-based professional learning, including lesson studies and co-teaching
📖 Updated early literacy guides to strengthen classroom implementation

The Impact So Far

Since implementing SIPPS, we’ve seen steady increases in students reading at grade level across participating schools. In just one year, our early learners increased their average passing score from 72% to 81%!

SUSD remains committed to providing equitable, high-quality literacy instruction to ensure every child has the tools they need to succeed. We will continue refining our approach, listening to teachers, and using data to guide our decisions.

📚 Together, we’re building a stronger foundation for literacy in Stockton Unified! 📚