March 2026 – Bill Ribble

To our Lee County Community and Families,

 Following my previous update regarding our foundational literacy efforts in grades K-3, I want to turn our focus to an equally vital mission: the success of our secondary students. As your School Board representative, I am proud to share the intentional, evidence-based steps we are taking to ensure our middle and high schoolers graduate with the high-level literacy skills required for the modern world.

A Unified Path: Our “CERP” and Your Child

 Our District Comprehensive Evidence-Based Reading Plan (CERP) serves as our strategic roadmap. Under Florida Rule 6A-6.053, we are committed to instruction that is systematic, explicit, and grounded in the Science of Reading. We are not just teaching reading; we are building thinkers.

The Right Tools for the Job: To bring this vision to life, we have moved forward with a significant instructional materials adoption. In our secondary ELA classrooms, we are implementing ThinkCerca, while our intensive reading courses utilize proven tools like HMH Read 180 and Perfection Learning. This unified curriculum ensures every classroom is anchored in the research-based components of effective instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension—the hallmarks of high-performing schools.
District-Wide Consistency: To meet the requirements of Florida Statute 1003.41, we provide consistent curriculum maps and pacing guides across all schools. This creates a predictable, sequential progression of skills that reduces instructional gaps. Whether your child attends school in Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, or North Fort Myers, they receive the same rigorous, standards-aligned instruction.
Strengthening Teacher Effectiveness: We know that district-wide structures directly support our educators. Research shows that professional learning tied to a common curriculum can increase student achievement by more than 20%. By providing a shared system, we empower our teachers to implement evidence-based strategies with the highest level of fidelity.

Our Initiative: Meeting Every Secondary Student Where They Are

In grades 6-12, literacy is the foundation of every subject. This year, we are placing a major emphasis on skill-based small group instruction at the secondary level.

Targeted and Efficient: We recognize that a teenager struggling with reading needs specific, precise intervention. By grouping students by their exact needs—whether that is decoding or complex text analysis—teachers can deliver instruction precisely matched to each learner’s next steps. This prevents whole-group instruction from becoming too slow for some or too fast for others, maximizing every minute of learning time.
Closing the Gap: Per Rule 6A-6.054, we provide immediate support for students who need it most. Flexible skill groups allow for short, frequent, and responsive lessons. Research confirms that this type of targeted intervention is one of the strongest predictors of long-term success, helping our students close learning gaps quickly and confidently.

A Commitment to Excellence

Aligning with Florida law is a responsibility we take seriously, but our true motivation is the success of our students. We are investing in our educators through specialized professional learning, empowering them to lead these new programs with confidence and skill. FGCU continues to partner with us in this process.

I am encouraged by the steady progress being made in our classrooms every day. Thank you for your continued partnership as we build a stronger, more literate future for every student in the School District of Lee County.

In service,
Bill Ribble
School Board Member, District 3

The content and any opinions expressed in this article are solely the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the facts, opinions, and beliefs of the Lee County School Board or its affiliates.